Home Gym Suggestions?

[JasonRR]

I'm really just hoping to find something basic and simple, and hoping to spend around $300. It's not hard to find a bench & bar with weights for well under that, and that's what I was looking at when I started to see all of the Bowflex products out there.

I'm headed out of town for the holidays today, but when I get back I'm going to start looking on CL again for stuff.

[UserX]

Throw a couple 4x4's in the back yard with a chin up bar and some olympic rings. I love working out with rings, so effective and fun.

[03trubluGT]

If you wanna think that you can bench press 500lbs, its a great piece of equipment.

A little common sense goes a long way.

Max out a bowflex and your good for a solid 185 bench.

There are a lot of men that cannot bench 185.


What's your point?

[turboskull1]

Just don't see a bowflex being all that great for any type of leg routine, they don't call squats the king of exercises for nothing. If you don't have the space or cash for decent equipment then go to the gym. For what your worthless piece of a used bowflex will cost, you should be able to get a year membership at a decent gym. Going to the gym can become a motivating factor in itself for some people, hell everybody likes to check out trim, and you also will get the opportunity to meet some great new people, just watch out for douche bags and you'll be okay.

[Memo]

Get an old school bench and the Bowflex Selechtech 1090's dumbbells. You can pretty much do anything with them. They're pricey but you can get them on sale all the time.

[exlude]

A little common sense goes a long way.



There are a lot of men that cannot bench 185.


What's your point?

I was kidding, kind of, but I think I have several legitimate points against a Bowflex.

1) You don't get a full range of motion. At the beginning of the rep you get little to no resistance. It maxes in the middle and then again lessens toward the finish.

2) Durability. The more you use a bowflex, the less it resists...they wear down over time.

3) Difficultly/awkwardness doing certain compound lifts such as deadlifts, squats and standing presses. For beginners especially, it can lead to poor form.

[Binky]

Jason, ive Got a bowflex XTR that i never finihed setting up (bought it used from my boss).

I've gone a different way and want to convert the room into an arcade, so if you want it i'll give ya a DFWS discount and let it go for $50.

[JC316]

Max out a bowflex and your good for a solid 185 bench.

I disagree, especially on the bowflex that goes to 500lbs. I was maxing out at 220lbs on free weights and the 210lbs on the bowflex was working me good in three sets of ten. I maxed out at 50lbs per arm on curls, boxflex took 85lbs to max me.

[jdgregory84]

I disagree, especially on the bowflex that goes to 500lbs. I was maxing out at 220lbs on free weights and the 210lbs on the bowflex was working me good in three sets of ten. I maxed out at 50lbs per arm on curls, boxflex took 85lbs to max me.

Wait! You maxed out at 220lbs and could rep 3 sets of 10 with a bowflex?...and you're supporting it?

Get outta here.

[JC316]

Wait! You maxed out at 220lbs and could rep 3 sets of 10 with a bowflex?...and you're supporting it?

Get outta here.

Not supporting it at all. Just saying that no one is going to bench 185 and be able to max a 500lbs model boxflex. Just figure 30% more weight on the boxflew than free weights.

[exlude]

I disagree, especially on the bowflex that goes to 500lbs. I was maxing out at 220lbs on free weights and the 210lbs on the bowflex was working me good in three sets of ten. I maxed out at 50lbs per arm on curls, boxflex took 85lbs to max me.

hy·per·bo·le/hīˈpərbəlē/Noun: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

FWIW, I could max out the 210 bowflex when I was lifting around 135 free weight.

[03trubluGT]

I have the extra 100 lb set on the Bowflex (310 lbs), and when I do sets of 10, I'm sore as hell the next day. It really hits the center of my chest.

[stangin4lyfe]

I have the extra 100 lb set on the Bowflex (310 lbs), and when I do sets of 10, I'm sore as hell the next day. It really hits the center of my chest.

Primary(pressing, wide, normal grip, etc...) movements aren't targeted towards the center of your chest, hence why secondary movements are used.

BowFlex is junk compared to the iron, plain and simple.