WTF?  I've got an Extreme 2 on the way and tonight I see an add for this new "state of the art" revolutionary machine.  On their site reviews go back to Oct. 05.  Anybody seen one?  Know anything about it?  I'm pissed that Bowflex sold my wife the older model without even mentioning this new one.

Looks neat, but I bet most buyers will use it as a clothes hanger. Some day I will spring for a nice machine, till then my garage sale free weights get used.

I figure if I'm going to have an expensive clothes hanger it might as well be state of the art!  I don't want some 'out of date' POS rusting away in the exercise room.

did you check the specs on that? Max weight (non leg) is 300lbs.

Not sure what the extreme 2 maxes out at though

I read something about 600lbs. somewhere.  Either is enough.  I just want to know if an arfcommer has had any experience with the Revolution and should I send the Extreme 2 back before I open it?

The hive knows.

Quoted: WTF?  I've got an Extreme 2 on the way and tonight I see an add for this new "state of the art" revolutionary machine.  On their site reviews go back to Oct. 05.  Anybody seen one?  Know anything about it?  I'm pissed that Bowflex sold my wife the older model without even mentioning this new one.

It doesn't look like an 'older' model, just a diferent model. They've always offered different variations of their machines for sale.

As a side question, is this for you to use too or just your wife? Do you have only room for one thing?

It's for both of us.  It's going in a dedicated exercise room with a tread climber and some other stuff.

Tag for later...

Have you ever used a bowflex or similar bow type machine before? Are you really set on it for some reason?

I used to own a bowflex - one of the top of the line models. In all honesty, it's not much better than a machine like the weider max / weider advantage that you can find almost anywhere for $300-$400 (depending on sales). In some ways the weider is better in quality of construction. I had bench boards break, cables sleelves rip, plastic handles crack, and the machine dangerously 'pop up' while I was doing tricep press downs because of a desgin flaw (bowflex later issued a recall for that). I've had zero problems with the weider. And it gets used more often and harder than the bowflex was used.

If you have the space, you'd be much better off spending that money on a weider bow machine and getting something like a squat rack / cage for squats and should shrugs - two things that every bow type machine sucks at. You just can't get a good squat done on a bowflex. I've tried. It sucks.

I sold the bowflex to someone who wanted the brand name and pocketed the difference. It's not worth it, IMHO. It's sort of the BOSE of the fitness world - charge a lot for the image of innovation and quality when others do better for much less.

Not trying to bust your balls, but having used both of these types of machines, you'd be much better off spending $400 on the weider and $600 or $800 on a cage  (like this one: http://www.bodysolid.com/Item.aspx?ItemID=489&ItemLabel=GPR378%3a+Body-Solid+Power+Rack)  than spending the same amount (or more) on a bowflex.  Especially if you have the room for more than once piece of equipment.

Quoted: The commercials always just say "$19 a month!!" but how much do Bowflex machines really cost in total?

billions and billions.

Bowflex is good for geezers or rehab patients.
A retired Police Chief friend of mine has one.
He loves it due to his bad back. No 45# plates to pick up.
My main beef with B-flex is the lack of negative resistance.
There is worse home units you couild get

There is already a chinese knockoff being sold at Sams.   Saw one on Monday.

Quoted: The commercials always just say "$19 a month!!" but how much do Bowflex machines really cost in total?

$1000 - $1400 depending on the options you choose.

Quoted: Quoted: The commercials always just say "$19 a month!!" but how much do Bowflex machines really cost in total? $1000 - $1400 depending on the options you choose.

 The  Revolution is $2500.00 !!!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The commercials always just say "$19 a month!!" but how much do Bowflex machines really cost in total? $1000 - $1400 depending on the options you choose.  The  Revolution is $2500.00 !!!!!!

Go pick up a couple really nice Garands, and excerise your upper body at the range.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: The commercials always just say "$19 a month!!" but how much do Bowflex machines really cost in total? $1000 - $1400 depending on the options you choose.  The  Revolution is $2500.00 !!!!!! Go pick up a couple really nice Garands, and excerise your upper body at the range.

ive seen the range commandos...    it aint working..  

Fehhh!!! Bowflex is for wussies.

Real men like Chuck Norris use the Total Gym fitness machine for thier workouts!



"Chuck Norris began using the Total Gym over 20 years ago. He decided to become a Total Gym endorser because he has seen first-hand what a tremendous difference this machine makes to anyone who wants to build muscle, lose weight, boost cardio endurance, and increase overall fitness. The Total Gym is the only piece of home fitness equipment Chuck Norris uses!"

www.totalgymdirect.com/index.php

Quoted: Quoted: The commercials always just say "$19 a month!!" but how much do Bowflex machines really cost in total? $1000 - $1400 depending on the options you choose.

plus interest as most buyers are young and ignore the 26% interest rate so it ends up costing 20k and takes 35 yrs to pay off

"The Bose of the fitness world" - that figures.  Put your money in hype instead of R&D.  Bastids!

That's all I needed to hear.  The little woman is buying it, paying cash and I say screw it.  I'll do push ups, choke little Elvis and troll for small mouth ass.  That's exercise enuf fer me!

I have no experience with Bowflex largely because they look like an expensive way of separating someone from their cash.  I have a friend with one who never uses it. Just sits in the basement.

I bought my first set of free weights in 1972 when I was 13.  Cost $16 then.  I still have it and have added a couple of more weight sets to it(one was given to me).  Have a bench that is fairly portable that I got almost 20 years ago for $39.
Barbell, dumbells are adequate but adding a curling bar and a triceps bar can also help give you a better workout if you are inclined.  Nice to have enough stuff where you are not always changing weights.  I can go as high as 150# on the barbell I have as that is all I would trust on it. I have to do a lot of reps but BFD(28 on my first set of benchpress). 2 dumbells with 40# each and I can get a decent workout.  With your wife you would need some smaller weights.
I do bench, upright rowing, military press, tricep curls, bicep curls, situps and flys.  It is a decent enough workout for overall strength and toning.

I do wish I had a Lat machine as I have nowhere to do pullups.  That would get some serious use if I had it.

If I lived in town, or near, I would get a Y membership so I could lift and swim.  Swimming is great excercise if you can swim good enough to actually get a workout from it.  Most people can't and don't.  I see some of them swim for excercise and they are just wasting their time if you ask me.  I live on a lake so in the summer I can swim plenty but I would sure like a pool.  I am almost an hour away from the nearest Y though.

I also live in a forested area and hike alot. Bike some.

Just FWIW, with some variations in technique between sets you can do pushups, pullups and situps, working every upper muscle group. Might get boring though.  And that is something I tell people anyhow, do different things to keep it interesting.  Lift, jog, hike, bike, swim, etc.  More fun and better rounded excercise plan anyhow.  If you get bored with it you will probably quit.

Excercise is the one thing I have pushed harder on my patients then anything, incl smoking cessation.  I know if I can get them to excercise they will cut back on the smoking and it will amke it easier to get them to quit.

Long winded response.  Good luck.

I'm skeptical of the Bowflex compared to free weights.  When it comes to lifting, form is the absolute key to success.  I don't think these machines really teach a person proper form for weight lifting.  In addition, I've noticed that folks who machine train can't lift as much when placed on free weights.  My advice would be to return it and buy a real Olympic weight set complete with bench and attachments.  There are plenty of weight lifting books out there for men and women both that use conventional methods of getting in shape.  The old tried and true exercises really do work the best.  Plus, you can buy a complete weight lifting set up for much less than the Bowflex will cost you.

It really for the little woman, not me.  I can use it for some conditioning.  I'm already far stronger than I need to be.

Quoted: I'm skeptical of the Bowflex compared to free weights.  When it comes to lifting, form is the absolute key to success.  I don't think these machines really teach a person proper form for weight lifting.

no machine will teach proper form. An instructor does that.

Soloflox and other fixed bar machines can produce bad form. Bowflex and the weider advantage machine are actually great for developing proper form and getting the proper range / direction of motion for exercises.

The best thing they have over free weights is the resistance is not dependant on gravity. So you can quickly switch between bench presses, pec flies, and incline bench presses, and still maintain the proper direction of travel to develop each muscle. Plus, in certain exercises like a biceps curl,  they have an advantage over freeweights in that at the top of your curl,  you are moving more horizontally than vertically. With freeweights working on gravity, you're not getting the full benefit of the weight. With  the bow machines, you're getting resistance all along the range of travel.