Bowflex Home Gym Review
 This review of the Bowflex Home Gyms is designed to go beyond the infomercial hype, and give you the low-down on the most popular strength building fitness equipment.
The Hype - The biggest hype is that Bowflex home gyms will get you ripped with the perfect body in only 20 minutes a day — Get Real. Those extremely fit models they show in the infomercials did not get that way in just 20 minutes a day. They are probably exercising hours per day.
Note: You can buy Bowflex Home Gyms direct at Bowflex.com . They are currently offering free delivery and $100 off per gym. Financing is also available.
The Facts - The Bowflex home gyms can give you a full body workout, and several of their models also offer a cardio workout. What can you expect from 20 minutes a day? If you are out of shape you can expect to see some toning and reduction of fat mass. If you workout consistently you will see a vast improvement in your body.
If you are overweight, you will find that the Bowflex home gym will help you lose weight. However, to get slim and trim you will also need to include cardio workouts in your exercise routine. And of course, you need to eat right and eat less.
Benefits of the Bowflex Home Gyms
 A Generous Selection of Exercises - The various Bowflex models offer anywhere from 60-100 different exercises. This means you can target just about any part of your body for toning. In fact, some of their home gyms have the "Freedom Arms", which adjust 170° to work muscles from various angles. With some limitations, the Bowflex home gyms offer just about all the exercises you would find in a row of strength machines at a health club. That is one of the reasons they are so popular.
Compact Design - One of the major benefits of the Bowflex home gyms is the small footprint. In fact, several home their models can be folded for even less space. A typical home gym that uses weights and pulleys can take up to twice the space as a Bowflex machine. I own a Body Solid home gym and it occupies a good part of my garage. The Bowflex gyms offer more exercises in less space than any other strength machine. This is the other reason they are so popular.
Issues with the Bowflex Home Gyms
Not Free Weights - Bowflex has two types of home gyms. Several models use "Power Rods". They are rods that bend to provide resistance. The Revolution models use SpiraFlex Weights, another form of resistance exercise. Some customers, particularly serious body builders, complain that the resistance strength training is not equivalent to free weights. However, the majority of customers found the resistance training to be to their liking.
 Suggested Weight Limit - Some customers felt the suggested weight limit was overexaggerated. For example, several models have a maximum weight resistance of 210 lbs. There were some complaints that in comparison to free weights, the designated level of resistance on the Bowflex gyms was not realistic. For example, a person who might press 150 lbs. on the Bowflex, might not be able press, above 100 lb. with free weights. All models allow you to buy additional strength resistance.
Assembly - There were some complaints about the difficulty of assembly the machines. If you plan to buy a Bowflex allow a few hours of your time and expect some head scratching. These machines consist of numerous parts. The same is true with a weight and pulley home gym. My Body Solid machine took over half a day to assemble.
Customer Reviews - Bowflex Home Gyms
Of course, if you go to Bowflex.com you will read glowing reviews on how these machines changed people's lives. And I am sure there is a degree of truth to these testimonials. However, Bowflex only shows you the positive reviews.
A good source for Bowflex customer reviews is Amazon.com. Amazon sells several Bowflex models under different model names. Generally, the Bowflex home gyms received a four out of five star rating. Which is not bad. Most customers were very please. The negative reviews focused on the issues listed above. There were also a couple of complaints about the timeliness of the delivery.
Epinions.com, a popular customer review site, also ranked most Bowflex machines four out of five stars. As with the Amazon reviews most customers were very satisfied with their purchase. A couple complained about the quality of the construction.
Our Review
Is the Bowflex home gym the ultimate machine that will gives you a muscular and toned body in only 20 minutes per day? No, but it will give you a complete workout, that will target all parts of your body.
It is the next best thing to going to the health club and using 20 different strength machines. You get the benefits of a health club in the convenience of your home. And in a relatively small space.
There are some limitations, as mentioned above. However, the overall benefits outweigh them.
One suggestion is to buy the machine that compliments your fitness goals. You don't necessarily have to buy the top of the line Bowflex home gym. But if you have the extra money, it is nice.
Got to Bowflex.com to learn more!
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