Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym Review

The Bowflex Xtreme SE home gym is highly rated by customers who bought this product.  What makes this home gym different from other home gyms?  Its unique design!

Here’s a customer review who bought the Bowflex Xtreme SE home gym had to say:

“Excellent construction and design, great if your workout space is limited, pretty fast switching between exercises, leg attachment is worth the extra bucks but watch for specials because you can sometimes get it added for free. Great overall deal!”

Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym Features

Most home gyms take up a lot of space and are equipped with heavy weights.  They typically have to be disassembled before moving them from one place to another.  The Bowflex Xtreme SE, however, has a small footprint ( L 58", W 49", H 83") and uses Bowflex Power Rods to provide resistance up to 210 pounds.  The entire shipping weight of the unit is around 150 pounds, so it’s a little easier to move than other home gyms.

Other features of the Bowflex Xtreme SE include:

• An integrated lat tower with an angled lat bar for building back and shoulder muscles.
• An attachment for doing leg extensions and leg curls.  This attachment can be removed to turn this area into a squat station.
• You can upgrade the Power Rods to provide up to 410 pounds of resistance.
• The frame is made of heavy-duty steel.
• The unit is protected by a 7-year warranty.
• Abdominal Crunch Shoulder Harness - Good for focusing on your stomach muscles to build and define.
• 3-Position Lower pulley/squat station - Use this station to do squats and build your glutes, hamstrings and quads.

The concept behind the Xtreme SE is to pack as much strength building exercises as possible in a compact area. Bowflex has been very successful at doing that and their sales numbers prove that fact.

Our Review: The Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym

The Bowflex Xtreme SE home gym is an interesting unit that actually seems to work quite well.  Most consumers who purchased this home gym were relatively satisfied with it.

One common remark about the Bowflex Xtreme SE is that the Power Rods take a little getting used to.  The resistance provided by these rods feels different than using free weights.  Some of the common complaints are the resistance may seem way too easy.  However, with controlled, repetitive movement, you will notice that the resistance increases through the range of motion.  You also have more range of motion than you have with free weights. 

If you feel you need more resistance, you can always invest a little more money to get additional 50-pound rods.

However, most people are satisfied with the range of exercises, the compact design and the results.

A couple of notes. First, the Xtreme SE is not really designed for serious weight lifters and body builders. It is best used for individuals who are not fanatics. Second, the infomercial hype of getting a ripped body with only 20 minutes a day of exercise is absurd. In 20 minutes you will see results, but have realistic expectations.

Customer Reviews

Reviews of the BowFlex Xtreme SE on Amazon where is received 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon.com (No longer availabe on Amazon, but still sold through BowFlex).

"This is a fantastic overall system. I have been using free weights for many years. I never thought I could get the type of workout from a machine but after only a few weeks you will see substantial results. You will be able to address every muscle group with only a few quick changes to the cables - Great overall workout in 30-45 minutes 3 days a week. I would highly recommend this for someone looking for a home gym."

"What I still don't like about the bowflex is that the rods don't represent the weight they are supposed to. I can't believe that I'm able to "pull" 300 pounds (150 each side) on the bench press excercise, while at a free weight machine I could barely lift 200. A little different if compared to a free weight machine but still does the job."

"Arrived in a timely fashion. Very well packed with good assembly instructions. Well made piece of exercise equipment. I have been using the equipment for 2-1/2 weeks now and can already see the results. I absolutely despise exercise and yet find myself motivated by the quick results to keep at it even when it has been a long tiring day. I would recommend this home gym for all ages, both male and female."

In addition, the BowFlex Xtreme SE received 4 out of 5 stars from four reviews on Epinions.com.

Also see the BowFlex PR3000 Home Gym Review. and the BowFlex Revolution Review.