Bowflex

[mwerner]

I've been wanting to incorporate some resistance exercise to supplement my bicycling, as my increasingly-aging joints seem to respond to that pretty well.
However, no real room for a regular weight set... Besides, with some injuries (knee surgery last year) machines seemed a bit safer than free weights.

We have a nice gym at the university with a whole stable of nautilus-type machines, but the logistics involved in using them is too complicated for someone in my situation, doing police/shift work.
So, I bought one of these:

I scoped out Craigslist for a couple of weeks and found this one for only 150.00. It was missing one of the pull-down cables and the bushings for the seat-bar.
I found bushings at the hardware store and Nautilus was glad to send me new cables after a quick phone call.
So far, I'm finding this to be a useful item. Folded, it doesn't take up much room... The resistances from the "power rods" are easily adjustable, and there's a very wide variety of exercises available.
About the only shortcoming is the lack of a squat-equivalent exercise, but I figure my bicycling will take care of my manly thighs....
These machines seem to be generally available for under 200 bucks; as with many such they end up being used briefly and then consigned to the basement till the wife says "get rid of that thing!".

 

[Shann]

Bowflex is a solid machine. The hardcores will tell you they aren't as good as free weights and they probably are right, but its faster and safer, particularly if you are looking just to add resistence training rather than to "muscle up" or something like that.

 

[crunky]

I don't think I would agree that machines are safer. I would still do free weights, start light and research. There are hundreds of different free weight exercises that you can do, and you can hit your entire body with limited equipment, it just takes some creativity. http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html Is a pretty good resource to check out what you can do.

I don't like machines because not everyone moves in the same way, they force you into unnatural positions that can be hazardous. Most machines are designed to isolate certain areas, and you are no longer working the stabilizing muscles. I much prefer compound exercises using free weights. Machines(some of them) have their place, but they are better suited to pros/bodybuilders who want to isolate and sculpt out their figure. They are working for symmetry and this way they can see where they need to add mass and isolate that exact area.
I don't have any personal experience with the Bowflex, I just feel like its too gimmicky.
However, I will say that if you go with machines, it is probably better than nothing.

There are also plenty of bodybuilding/lifting sites out there that offer a wealth of information, but you have to take everything you read online with a grain of salt. Lots of bro-science involved in this field.

 

[Katdaddy]

My Father has a Bowflex and I have to say I am impressed with it. I have always been a free weights guy, but the Bowflex is nice. It doesn't lock you into one movement like a lot of machines. It is actually pretty close to using free weights, and I like the ability to move from one exercise to another quickly. If you got one for $150, I would say good deal!!

 

[SkinnyJoe]

The resistances from the "power rods" are easily adjustable, and there's a very wide variety of exercises available.
About the only shortcoming is the lack of a squat-equivalent exercise, but I figure my bicycling will take care of my manly thighs....
!".

..assuming your knees can handle squats, try this: support yourself in a door frame (hands holding on), and do the negative portion (lowering) of the squat with one leg only. Then do the positive portion (raising back up) with both legs. Then switch to the other leg. Works wonders. If you're really masochistic, strap on a backpack with some plates, heavy books, or sandbags inside. Another cool exercise is walking up the stairs, stepping on every other step. If your knees dislike you for this, I would find a cheap stationary bike or swim with fins at a pool.

 

[harkamus]

I don't think I would agree that machines are safer. I would still do free weights, start light and research. There are hundreds of different free weight exercises that you can do, and you can hit your entire body with limited equipment, it just takes some creativity. http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html Is a pretty good resource to check out what you can do.

I don't like machines because not everyone moves in the same way, they force you into unnatural positions that can be hazardous. Most machines are designed to isolate certain areas, and you are no longer working the stabilizing muscles. I much prefer compound exercises using free weights. Machines(some of them) have their place, but they are better suited to pros/bodybuilders who want to isolate and sculpt out their figure. They are working for symmetry and this way they can see where they need to add mass and isolate that exact area.
I don't have any personal experience with the Bowflex, I just feel like its too gimmicky.
However, I will say that if you go with machines, it is probably better than nothing.

There are also plenty of bodybuilding/lifting sites out there that offer a wealth of information, but you have to take everything you read online with a grain of salt. Lots of bro-science involved in this field.

As someone that's NSCA CSCS certified (certified strength and conditioning specialst...don't call any CSCS a personal trainer. Not the same thing) and degreed in exercise science, I agree with what crunky said.

Resistance from a machine is all well and good, but one major benefit overlooked many times is that free weights can help with declining bone mineral density which plagues men and women upon onset of age. Free weights stimulate bone mineral density because of the stress around the join capsules. Resistance machines do not do this because they have little in the way of a negative, where most stress takes place on the muscles and the accompanying joints. Major ups for linking that website. It's one I have bookmarked that I still forward to people.

But, you say you are limited in space, so you don't have many options unless you explore this route again. Hell, go buy a small adjustable dumbbell set and do a Turkish get up. That alone should do well for stressing multiple joints and muscles. You don't need to lift ungodly amounts to benefit from the bone mineral density stimulation.

 

[Spydiefan04]

The Bowflex may be the best piece of home fitness equipment ever, I've been using one for years. A Bowflex is NOT as good as freeweights for building muscle or increasing bone density, but they do allow free range of motion, and I find I am nowhere near as sore after a Bowflex workout than with machines or Freeweights. The only problem I have ever experienced with Bowflex is the narrowness of the pulleys for bench/incline/shoulder press, if I lifted heavy it made my shoulder hurt BAD, using adjustable pulleys and setting them wide for pressing exercises fixed that. One thing you can do to help up the negative resistance is to go slower on the return phase of an exercise, it actually says in the Bowflex manual to take at least 3seconds to execute an exercise and 3-4 seconds to return, but many people don't do that.

 

[Infi-del]

I had a bowflew but sold it after about a year. They're decent but I recently bought P90X and a set of dumbbells and it's kicking my tail way more than that bowflex ever did.

 

[harkamus]

but they do allow free range of motion, and I find I am nowhere near as sore after a Bowflex workout than with machines or Freeweights.

That's because it's the negative portion of an exercise that tears the myofibrils (muscle fibers). The bowflex, regardless if you take your time on the negative, by nature of all machines, cannot replicate that stimulation in the myofibrils. There's simply just not a good negative portion on any machine short of a smith machine, which is technically a free weight anyway.

FWIW, for most free weight exercises you're supposed to take a similar amount of time on the negative portion that the Bowflex manual recommends you take on the Bowflex machine.

 

[Spydiefan04]

Part of why I like my Bowflex is the lack of soreness, it allows me to work 8-12 hour days after a workout, and I get and understand about the muscle stimulation. Are you saying that even with the slow return a Bowflex does little for bone density, even for a person that is lifting heavy on it? I do Squats and Dead Lifts with mine 3x week.

 

[harkamus]

I totally get what you're saying about the lack of soreness. You're still doing exercise at the end of the day, which is better than not exercising at all. It's 5 am and my brain is fried right now. I'll see about explaining in layman's terms bone mineral density and weight lifting after I get sleep. It's a lot of physiology.

 

[cb4life_30]

I have a bowflex, mine is a little different than yours and it does have squat function. I use bowflex as part of my workout, I try to incorporate it into my workouts. I like the lat pull downs and for chest presses. I have also been doing the P90x thing,and love it. I also have a bowflex treadmill that my wife uses. I think the folks at bowflex make quality home equipment. I very satisfied with bowflex. You got one heck of deal on that, I don't even want to say how much mine cost new. I disagree with the people that say you can't build muscle with the bowflex as well as you can with free weights. Building size just means you have to increase the resistance and decrease the reps.

 

[tricker]

I believe it is a good workout machine for building some muscle strength, but the way it goes from 5lbs at the bottom of a movement to 150 at the top is just weird....I have a set of powerblocks and a set of ironmaster dumbbells that are my small gym and enjoy them much better than a bowflex....but again dedicated leg exercises are challenging.....i would supplement with some spinlock dumbells

 

[Blue Sky]

I believe it is a good workout machine for building some muscle strength, but the way it goes from 5lbs at the bottom of a movement to 150 at the top is just weird....

Progressive resistance. It has it's adherents, same as free weights, or the body-weight-only guys. Does it work, sure it does. They all do, in their own way. One of the few real truisms of exercise is that variety is key. You don't want your body to adapt to your workout. If it does, you plateau. Including time with each if possible will give the best results in any given time.

The Bowflex is a decent machine. The individual cables force some stabilization to occur like free weights, and one hand/side is not able to carry more than it's share. You can focus on negatives, I don't understand those who say you cannot. You can also alternate sides, like dumbells if you like. I think it will work out well for you.

 

[SkinnyJoe]

I disagree with the people that say you can't build muscle with the bowflex as well as you can with free weights. Building size just means you have to increase the resistance and decrease the reps.

I have to agree. The muscles respond to force, and they have no idea what kind of force you are using. As far as machines, I miss the old Nautilus equipment. Those things were built like tanks.

BTW, to get most out of your negatives, use more resistance and find a partner to help you do the positive portion.