Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE Home Gym (Refurbished) List Price: $1,599.00 Average Rating:

Description

Looking for a total body workout but you're on a budget? The refurbished Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE offers a compact total-body workout solution that allows you to perform over 70 exercises. It includes a Lat Tower that adjusts to two positions, leg extension for developing strong, muscular legs, an abdominal crunch shoulder harness to help you build strong, defined abs, and a 4-position lower pulley/squat station that helps in building your glutes, hamstrings, and quads...

Features

• Refurbished home gym provides a total body workout with over 70 exercises
• Provides 210 pounds of resistance via Bowflex Power Rods--upgradable to 410 pounds
• Includes lat tower, leg extension, squat station, and ab crunch shoulder harness
• Recommended workout area of 8' x 6' 5"; 300-pound maximum user weight
• Backed by full 6-month warranty

While you will pay more for Bowflex exercise and fitness machines, when compared to other similar products that are on the market, the fact remains that Bowflex machines are engineered and manufactured to a high higher level of standards. Is the Bowflex Extreme 2 any different in this regards or does it only come with a higher price tag.

Is the Bowflex Extreme New and Improved?

Like the name suggests, the Bowflex Extreme 2 is a continuation of earlier models that Bowflex has marketed and it is touted as being vastly improved in a number of ways. Is it only gimmickry or are there actual improvements in this newer model of workout machine that make an appreciable difference in how it is used and its overall effectiveness?

See for Yourself

Maybe its time to take a look and see what you think. One of the first obvious differences is its longer squat frame that accommodates up to four position variations during your workouts. Another new feature is a lat tower that now can be adjusted to two different positions as well.

75 Exercises is the Max of Any Machine

Add to that, that the number of available exercises that are possible to do on this newer model of Bowflex machine now stands at 75 and it really is starting to look like the Bowflex Extreme 2 does have a lot more to offer. In fact, 75 exercises is the highest number of exercises that any Bowflex model now has to offer.

Added Convenience and Ease of Use

Convenience is another feature that this new machine has to offer. To start with, it is a lot smaller, so it will easily fit into even the smallest apartment. Also, there is no need for cable changes when moving from one exercise to another. Still yet, this machine comes with a quick release padded adjustable seat.

210 – 310 or up to 410 Pounds of Resistance

The Bowflex Extreme 2 comes with a standard weight resistance factor of 210 pounds. While other machines come with a higher standard resistance factor, the Bowflex Extreme 2 can be easily upgraded to 310 and 410 pounds. So, this makes this machine a far better choice for women or men who aren't interested in starting out on a high wight machine.

Great Warranty, as Well as in House Financing

Of course, the Bowflex Extreme 2 comes with the same three year warranty on all parts and workmanship that is available on all of their fitness machines. Also, Bowlfex offers their own financing, which is still one more convenience factor to consider. So all things considered, this newer model of Bowflex fitness machine does truly have a lot more to offer.

Just set it back in its form fitting open case when your done. No clanging or floor scuffing because the entire system is completely coated with a durable and heavy layer of industrial grade plasticized rubber. It's designed to last a lifetime.

In the end though, all convenience and technology aside, if a system isn't better for building muscle then it's really all just whistles and bells. So then is there anything beyond the above listed conveniences and features that make the Bowflex 1090 better in that way?

Yes there is and it has to do with the speed and ease that the weight can be adjusted down during reps. You see with a standard dumbbell, you have to stop a rep to adjust down the weight as your arm becomes fatigued. It's time consuming and breaks concentration.

However; with the Bowflex 1090 switching down weight in increments is as easy as turning a dial. It's done in mere seconds. What this means is that you don't have to stop when your arm or leg becomes tired. Instead you can just click down the weight and keep on going for maximum gain.

See larger image Bowflex SelectTech 1090 Single Dumbbell (Sports) List Price: $399.00 USD New From: $299.50 In Stock

So I was particularly intrigued by all the phony reviews that fault this particular piece of equipment for being “too complicated”. They would like to have you believe that in essence that it has “too many moving parts”. Of course the implication being that moving parts are bad. That technologically we haven't quite come that far yet.

Well guess what? This is 2010 and I can tell you from a mechanical engineers perspective that your car is by far a substantially more complex piece of machinery. Plenty of complex moving parts all engineered to work in conjunction with one another. Mine works just fine!

I can also attest from my own personal experience that the Bowflex Treadclimber tc5000 is a marvelous piece of machinery and a joy to operate. It's comfortable, smooth operating and quite frankly, fun to use. By the way I don't own one but my son in law does.

The machine combines the effects of both walking and stair climbing, which is something that is basically impossible to do naturally. Basically it's the same as walking up a set of stairs while on a treadmill “if you can get that picture in your head”.

I try not to make a nuisance of myself when I go over to visit my daughter and her husband from time to time, but I really just can't resist getting on it. They don't seem to mind. I just love the heart rate monitoring functions too.

For those people out there who are writing the fake negative reviews that carp about the price. I say try checking out the non tangible price of being out of shape. The price of not feeling and looking the best that you can be. This machine is fantastic!

See larger image Bowflex TC5000 Treadclimber (Sports) List Price: $2,499.00 USD New From: $2,499.00 In Stock Used from: $2,400.00 In Stock Release date June 13, 2007.

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells List Price: $549.00 Sale Price: $398.99 You save: $150.01 (27%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:

Description

If you want to get a good strength workout at home, but don't have much space, the Bowflex 552 SelectTech Dumbbells are an ideal solution. Newly designed, the innovative pair of 552 SelectTech Dumbbells combines 15 sets of weights into one using a unique dial system...

Features

• Each dumbbell adjusts from 5 to 52.5 pounds; adjusts in 2.5-pound increments up to the first 25 pounds
• Lets you rapidly switch from one exercise to the next
• Combines 15 sets of weights into one, using a unique dial system
• Eliminates the need for multiple dumbbells cluttering your workout space
• Five-year warranty on weight plates, two-year warranty on parts

Now I'll be the first to admit that when I first heard about Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells, I was more than a little skeptical. Think about it. Who hasn't grown up without a set of standard dumbbells sitting around? They're basic and relatively inexpensive. Particularly if you pick them up used.

So in my mind, it seemed a little bit like an attempt to re-invent the wheel because dumbbells in form and function are about as basic as you can get. However; that was all about to change after I finally had a chance to try out a set of Selecttechs myself.

My buddy Dave spun the dials and set me up with fifteen pounds on each one, set them in the rack on their stand and told me to give em a go. So I reached down and grabbed them. Man, the very first thing that I noticed about them was their rounded ergonomic handles.

They felt great in the palms of my hand and my fingers wrapped around them perfectly. “Real comfortable”. So anyway, I started in doing a rep of ten curls then set them back in the stand when I was done, to rest my arms and let Dave have a go at em.

So what does Dave do? He reaches down and flips the dials around so I have ten pounds on each one of the Bowflex Selecttech 552 Dumbbells. Then he tells be to kick out another ten curls, which I did and once again I thought I was done.

So once again, Dave reaches down and quickly flips the dials so that I now have five pounds on each dumbbell and tells be to push out one last rep, which I of course did. Now this time for sure I was done because I knew that they can't go any lower than five pounds.

I'll tell you what! My arms were burning by the time I was done with those thirty curls! Dave just looked at me and laughed. “Now do you see why I've switched to Bowflex Selecttechs? “They're worth every penny cause you just can't get results like that with standard dumbbells man”.

All the Bad Press Aside

All the bad press about the recalls aside, the company doesn't even make and sell this model any more. Even so, if you look at the actual injury numbers that are involved in the recall, they really aren't that high. That is that some half a a million were made and sold and around forty injuries due to malfunction have been reported.

Something Else to Consider

Another thing to consider is that none of the injuries appear to be anything serious. Just the same, the last thing that anyone needs is for their bench to collapse in the middle of a workout of their lat tower to fall inward. However; if you're bound and determined to buy one, it's going to have to be used and the recall upgrade parts are available.

No Give Away Deals on the Bowflex Power Pro XTL

In spite of it all, give away deals on the Bowflex Power Pro XTL are relatively few. The reason for this is that the people who are looking to unload theirs, simply aren't willing to eat the loss. This in spite of the fact that the Bowflex Blaze is almost a duplicate model that mirrors it to a T.

210 Pounds and Upgradeable Twice

It comes off the shelf with 210 pounds of resistance and is upgradable twice. That's once to 310 pounds. Then again to 410 pounds. So it's a great machine for a beginner or a person interested in a lighter workout, yet it's also a great machine for the person who's interested in a more strenuous program.

Sliding Seat for Aerobic Rowing

The Blaze has a repertoire of some sixty different exercises and also includes a sliding seat for aerobic rowing, a lat tower with angled lat bar and leg extension/curl attachment. Also don't forget that when you buy a new Bowflex Blaze, you get the full warranty package that comes with with every other new machine.

See larger image Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym (Sports) List Price: $799.00 USD New From: $549.00 In Stock Release date September 22, 2008.