Bowflex Reviews, Comparisons, and Tips

While going to the gym is highly beneficial for everyone, it isn’t necessarily the most convenient way to stay fit and healthy. Gym membership fees can skyrocket, the time it takes to get there may be inconvenient and costly and once you do get to the gym, you may have to wait for your turn to use the equipment.  Apart from the hassles and cost, going to and being in the gym can certainly take up time and when you don’t have that luxury, it simply is unwise to try to force and squeeze it into your schedule.  In comes home gym.  Setting up one could just be the solution for you.

You may have heard it being said before that going to the gym is more motivating than working out on your own but I personally think it isn’t true for all.  This is especially true when you consider the way fitness industries and companies are rounding up every nook and corner to come up with innovation for home gym equipment.  Newest models of home gyms breaking into the market feature ways to get you more engaged and to stay and get more motivated. Goals and games are just some of these features.

Whether or not you are into these new thrills or just really aim to get some fitness work done, there’s no question that the best place to do so when you’re pressed for time or budget is by setting up your own home gym.  It is convenient and can be inexpensive if you wise up before you actually buy an equipment or two for your home gym.

When setting up your own home gym, three of the most important things you should consider are your budget, your space and your fitness needs.  Not necessarily in that order.  With a ceiling for how much you are willing to spend, you will know which products to consider and which are out of the question.  A smaller space means you need to choose something compact or if at all possible, foldable equipment.  In terms of fitness needs, you need to evaluate first on whether or not you are after some cardiovascular workout, just toning, real muscle building, or a mix of these.  Once you’ve got that figured out, you should be able to shortlist the many equipment available for you.

This article should be able to help you learn a few things about:

• Choosing the right home equipment for you, whether you should get an all-in-one system, a cardio machine or both.
• All-in-one home gym systems, what they are, what they can or cannot do and how much they cost.
• The different kinds of cardio machines available (elliptical trainers, treadmills and treadclimbers), what each kind can do and what they cannot and how much they cost.
• Choose which all-in-one system and/or cardio machine works best for you in terms of need, budget and space.
• How you can score the best deals when purchasing a home gym equipment.

All-In-One Home Gyms: Weider, Body Solid, and Bowflex

All-in-one systems are a great way to bring the gym into your home.  They allow you to tone up or build muscles minus the travel time to get to the gym, the waiting time to use the equipment there and the bulk and clutter free weights and workout benches .  They’re compact, there are plenty of sizes and mechanisms to choose from and, lastly, they pretty much cost just as much as a gym membership or even less.

Home gyms have their limitations though and three of the more prominent ones are (1) most all-in-one systems or home gyms are purely for strength training alone and not for cardio except perhaps for the occasional units that include a rowing station like Bowflex.  In any case, when you get an all-in-one home gym, you don’t expect to do cardio with it.  (2) You can’t expect to build huge muscles with home gyms because most models have very limited resistance.  You have to be willing to shell out more money, provide more space or both to be able to do extreme muscle building with a home gym.  (3)The more compact ones make use of rods or bands for resistance and some people find that hard to get used to.

3 Reasons I Like Bowflex Home Gyms

There are plenty of reasons why people love Bowflex’s home fitness systems but my top three:

1. There is a wide range of price for every entry level from cheap models for beginners to pricey models for fitness buffs.  The models boasts of resistance that run from 210 to 400+ lbs.

2. The resistance is different from conventional weight, but that’s not a bad thing. The weight is consistent through out the movement, which will help prevent injury and promote an overall better strength.

3. Excellent support and training. Customer support is great and the manufacturer will deliver parts if broken.

A Look at Weider Home Fitness Equipment

For beginners and for those who are under a limited budget, Weider provides some of the most affordable entry-level home gyms in the market.  For as little as $100, you can avail of some pretty good equipment for toning like its Door Gym.  But the price usually comes with a payoff and in the case of the Door Gym, your door should be sturdy enough. The equipment is usually better installed from the outside too because of the additional support the door framing provides.  In any case, it is a good option if budget is your main concern.  But don’t expect much in terms of resistance, more exercises, warranty or quality.

Basically, what you would get from the Weider’s offerings are toning and not some serious muscle building.  Weider’s home fitness equipment mostly make use of body weight resistance with the highest additional resistance you can expect to hit only 240 lbs which you can get from the their most expensive offering, the Max Weight System.  While the brand’s home gym models may not exactly be true value for ones money, Weider Home Fitness Equipment are, in two words, “good enough” for any beginner to get started with when trying to get out of a gym membership and doing some toning at home.  You might need to look for exercise guides though because Weider usually do not include a handbook in their home gyms.  Check out these reviews from users of some of Weider more popular systems: the Weider X-Factor Plus Gym and the Weider Total Body Works 5000 Gym.

The Body Solid Gym Selection

Two of the biggest advantages of Body Solid home gyms among all other exercise systems are perhaps their excellent warranty and crazy sturdy build.  Other than that, the brand doesn’t provide much innovation but if you’re not into the frills to begin with, it could probably provide the best equipment for you.

Body Solid home gyms make use of stacked weights so you can be sure you’re getting a familiar gym feel compared to the bands or rods of most home gyms.  This does, however, also mean that you will not be able to move your exercise equipment around or tow it away for easy storage.  The brand’s units’ price range starts at a high $800 dollars and can reach to a little under $2,000. But you will get what you pay for and in the case of Body Solid, you will usually get a lifetime warranty (not that you would ever need it because like I said earlier, it has a crazy sturdy, solid build).

In terms of resistance, Body Solid home gyms only provide to as much as 210 lbs of resistance for the higher-end ones and just around 160 lbs for the lower-end models.  As far as I know, these aren’t upgradeable. If you’re thinking of bulking up to more than what any of these models provide, you might want to get a different brand of home gym.  In any case, Body Solid has pretty solid ratings in review sites although most often complain of assembly issues due to outdated guides.  Here are some of the more helpful reviews from users who say that they are “very satisfied with new Home Gym” and that Body Solid is a “great small home gym”.

Getting the Best Deal: Buy Used All-In-One Workout Machines

You can get the best deal by buying your home fitness equipment second-hand. Because many people buy their equipment and only end up using it for a couple months, then lose motivation, the equipment is often near-new.

Cardio Home Fitness Equipment: Ellipticals, Treadclimbers, and Treadmills

If you’re thinking of setting up your own home gym, you simply can’t do away without a cardio machine.  While you can do some dancing at home (which is what I did before I got a my own unit) or you can run outdoors, cardio machines have the advantage of being able to give you more intensity and allowing you to easily do interval training which is the best way to burn fat.  You also get to watch your progress as you go along through the built-in monitors. The more advanced ones can even provide you with various programs or goals to keep you motivated.  In fact you can even get some toning done with some machines; a rare feature to find but it is definitely included in some.  There are different types of cardio machine; there’s always something for everyone and no doubt there’s something that’s just right for you.

Treadclimbers

Treadclimbers are cardio machines that put together the mechanisms of a stair climber, an elliptical and a treadmill.  A treadclimber features two treadles that move up and down imitating the action of a stairclimber.  Each treadle carries a moving belt that mimics the function of a treadmill.  The combination of movements along with the soft padding of the treadles akin the treadclimber to an elliptical where you can get a low-impact, high-intensity workout.  You can work your muscles or tone through treadclimbers and not just do pure cardio.  However, these machines have limited speeds with most approximating at 4mph.  Treadclimbers are perhaps the most expensive cardio machines available to date with prices ranging from a grand for lower-end models to a little over $3,000 for brand new, home grade, high-end units.

Ellipticals

Ellipticals or elliptical trainers are low-impact, high-intensity cardio machines.  They are specifically designed for people who cannot withstand or would prefer to reduce impact on the knee joints caused by jogging or running.  Its main mechanism involves two foot pedals that are attached to a mechanical motor or drive system which functions as a control system for the intensity of your workout. The controls for the motor or intensity of the machine are connected to a dashboard and with a touch of a button you can make your workout either easier or harder.

You simply step on the pedals and use your leg to power or start the elliptical.  Leg power will drive the pedals to glide up and down and you do not need to lift your foot.  The movement mimics the natural movement of the legs when running, walking, jogging or climbing stairs ( at least that is how it should work ideally) but you won’t be lifting your feet as you would with a treadclimber or treadmill.  How natural a movement you are going to experience depends on the make of your elliptical so choosing a good one is of the essence.  Most elliptical trainers also allow you to work your upper body through the grip or handles that you can use to power the machines as well. Toning can also be a part of ellipticals if you find the right one.

Good, durable and reliable elliptical trainers usually sit within the $600.00 price range and above.  A feature-laden and commercial grade one can run to as much as $6,000.00.  I’ve seen a few brand new ones that cost just below$100 but these are usually mini trainers or elliptical-like trainers.

Treadmills

A treadmill can be defined simply as a cardio machine that allows you to run, walk or jog in place.  This works through a conveyor belt that moves either through manual or electric power.  Manual treadmills stay stationary unless you start stepping on the belt and walking or running on it.  These treadmills are often smaller and portable and sensibly a better choice for home use.  Although, currently there are plenty of electric powered ones that are as portable in the market that is affordable and provide better motivational goals or programs.

Electric-powered treadmills have better features with programs that allow you to do interval training through varying inclines and treadmill speeds that can be manually entered into the dashboard or imbedded in the machine’s built-in programs.  Treadmills have been around for a long time and are very reliable especially if yours come with a good name.  Dependable treadmills that can withstand regular use stand cost about $1,000.00.  If you’re using it with someone else who also regularly uses it for running, you have to start looking at a $1,500-$2,000 price tag. For state-of-the-art treadmills, the price can go to as high as around $8,000.00

With more and more people taking personal fitness more seriously more people are now taking a closer look at Weider Home gyms. With so many peoples lives revolving around their far too busy schedules there is an obvious need for high quality and convenient exercise equipment. While the Weider Home Gyms are not inexpensive they are priced very competitively with other home gym equipment on the market today. What differentiates Weider Home Gyms from other similar products on the market is that Weider Home are designed for home and not professional use. This makes a big difference because it makes Weider Home Gyms the perfect choice for the non professional fitness enthusiasts such as yourself.

One common mistake that far too many people make is that they tend to buy fitness machines that are far too advanced for their particular needs and this can make adhering to a fitness regimen very difficult. Another feature that separates the Weider home Gym from its competitors is that Weider Home Gyms feature the revolutionary CRS resistance system that easily delivers a full range of motion for complete and ultimate strength training results. The revolutionary new Compound Resistance System delivers a full 240 pounds of baseline resistance with the capacity for an easy upgrade to 440 pounds for those who require more from their workouts.

A listing of the features that the Weider Home Gym System comes stock with include a high pulley system that easily allows for working your back and lats. Three separate stations and a fully adjustable back support that allows for complete diversity. With the Weider Home Gym you can and will feel complete weight distribution with all of your workouts and its so easy to add an aerobic workout to your routine with a built in rowing seat. Of course you will always find the best deals on Weider Home Gyms online and they can be easily e perfect weight distribution for any workout with the included bars, and add aerobic exercise to your workout with the built-in rowing seat. Of course you will always find the best deals on new and used Weider Home Gyms online but be sure to include the cost of shipping when you are calculating your final costs of buying your Weider Home Gym. Now is the time to make a firm commitment to getting and staying in shape.

Enjoy the perfect weight distribution for any workout with the included bars, and add aerobic exercise to your workout with the built-in rowing seat.

On this page you'll find:

• The pros and cons of the soloflex.
• The advantages and disadvantages of the bowflex.
• Some insightful user comments at the end.

While the Bowflex and Soloflex have something common, they are both home gym fitness equipment, this is where the similarity ends. If you want to find out who wins in the battle of the soloflex vs bowflex, read on.

Soloflex's Advantages

1. It's easy to assemble. While this point may seem pretty much moot in the long run, you don't want to be banging your head on the wall trying to assemble it when you get it, either. The beauty of the Soloflex is that it has only two basic parts to worry about and it's assembled with only one single bolt.

2. The Soloflex is also easy to use and operate. You won't have to bother with cables or anything like that.

3. This piece of home gym equipment can also easily adapt to use freeweights. This is something you cannot do with the Bowflex - the Soloflex is more like classic weight lifting machines than the Bowflex is. The Soloflex is similar to using freeweights, only you aren't going to need a spotter.

4. Plenty of resistance to play with. The Soloflex comes with 425 pounds of weight straps. You can even add another whopping 500 pounds of weight to bring the total to 900 pounds. With this kind of resistance, serious weight lifters are going to have no qualms with the Soloflex.

5. The Soloflex is a quality home fitness machine made of heavy steel. It's one of the most rugged home gyms I have come across.

Soloflex's Disadvantages

1. With only two models available, the Classic Soloflex ($1,600) and the Soloflex with Attachments ($1,950) you'll have no choice but to spend well over a grand to get this machine.

2. The weightstraps are problematic in the long run. The rubber bands are going to stretch as you use them, and the resistance will lessen. The smaller straps can even break. While they do have a gaurantee to replace broken straps, it's still a pain in the butt. Also, many people complain that they just don't like the rubber band feel of the Soloflex.

3. Limited pull-down weight. It's impossible to put more weight onto pull down exercises for more resistance. This is one of the areas the Bowflex takes the advantage over the Soloflex.

Now that you have seen everything the Soloflex has to offer, it's time to check out what the Bowflex can do.

Bowflex's Advantages

1. Ease of use and operation. Changing exercises and resistance with the Bowflex is very simple and uncomplicated.

2. A wide variety of exercises in one compact machine. With over 60+ exercises to choose from with many Bowflex models, you will have a great time varying up your exercise routine so you can give yourself a highly balanced workout. This has always been important to me, since I don't want to focus on one area of my body too much over another.

3. Different models to suit different tastes. Whether you're a beginner or experienced exercise enthusiast, Bowflex has a model that fits you. Bowflex also has models to fit your budget, and you don't have to break the bank if you don't want to. For example, both the Bowflex Sport and Bowflex Motivator 2 can be had brand new for around $700.

4. Space saving design. Home gym fitness equipment from Bowflex is great for someone who has limited space, like an apartment dweller. It can be folded up and placed right into a closet.

Bowflex's Disadvantages

1. Price. Some Bowflex models like the Bowflex Revolution fetch a high price tag at over $2,000+. While this is a disadvantage if you're looking to buy those models, there are cheaper ones you can go for instead.

2. Not for professional weight lifters. For people who are looking to bench press 500 plus pounds, the Bowflex is probably going to seem like a toy to you. Home gyms like these are mainly oriented towards the average person who just wants to stay fit and in shape.

Bowflex Vs Soloflex - In Conclusion...

As you can see in this detailed comparison, both home gym machines have their advantages and disadvantages over each other. Depending on your specific lifestyle and tastes, you're probably going to want to choose one of the other. Whatever home gym fitness equipment you decide to go with, remember that you can save a significant amount of cash if you opt for used home gym equipment.