Bowflex or Freeweights?? - Exercise & Fitness Message Board

NEwBuilder21 · 03-06-2006, 09:36 PM

Ive Been looking into the idea of a bowflex for a few weeks. they look good but im wondering if you get the same results as if you are using real weights .Im not looking to get to be as big as arnold but i wanna know if the bowflex can give me some size or if its just a definition type workout machine? any suggestions or comments would be helpful good or bad thanks

p.s. if you could give some pros and cons to the bowflex if you own or have used one it would be appreciated.

F.R.O.S.T · 03-07-2006, 01:49 AM

Freeweights > Machines. Get the weights.

Naxis · 03-07-2006, 08:10 AM

My gut reaction would be to say that freeweights are always going to be better, but I have actually heard many good things about the BowFlex. The fact that it isn't a lever system gives you a range of motion similar to freeweights. However not having owned a BowFlex, I don't have any experience to cite. Check the customer reviews on Amazon for the different models. There seems to be some good info there. I'm kind of thinking for basic fitness and muscle tone it would fit the bill.

MaxOT26 · 03-07-2006, 08:46 AM

A good buddy of mine who works some jacked up hours has a Bowflex. I have messed around on it a couple of times. It is a good piece of gear. Is it better for building muscle then free weights? No. Nothing is. But you can definitley acheive some pretty good strength and muscle gains by using it. All in all if you are the kind of person that would rather workout at home, and aren't a die hard bodybuilder it will suit you fine. It is the best all in one home gym I have seen or messed with.

Domani · 03-11-2006, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxOT26

A good buddy of mine who works some jacked up hours has a Bowflex. I have messed around on it a couple of times. It is a good piece of gear. Is it better for building muscle then free weights? No. Nothing is. But you can definitley acheive some pretty good strength and muscle gains by using it. All in all if you are the kind of person that would rather workout at home, and aren't a die hard bodybuilder it will suit you fine. It is the best all in one home gym I have seen or messed with.

I agree with that. I think it's more for the people who don't have the time for the gym, and those who aren't interested in becoming huge.

I've gotten in for myself, but I'm just a teenager trying to get in good shape. :P But I absolutely love it. I thought it would be annoying to deal with the resistance bars, but it's not at all. My only complaint is that it's hard to figure out the technique of the exercise just by looking at it in the manual.

I think it just depends what you're used to working with. But it's definitely not one of those peice of crap exercise machings you see on T.V. that don't live up to what they're built up to be.