Considering buying a Bow Flex

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:04 am

Mrs Dedman and I are looking into getting a Bow Flex. Has anyone here ever owned or used one? How do they stack up against free weights or other machines?

snoopy · Post by **snoopy** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:06 am

Free weights > machines.

(Free weights employ more muscles b/c you gotta balance & stuff)

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:14 am

Compair it against a Crossbow

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:16 am

snoopy wrote:Free weights > machines.

(Free weights employ more muscles b/c you gotta balance & stuff)

That is one of the percieved advantages of a Bow Flex over most other machines. It supposedly does a very good job of simulating free weights because you still have to stabalize.

WarAdvocat · Post by **WarAdvocat** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:48 am

Statistically speaking, most people who buy these types of things do not use them.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:56 am

I know, but I'm not a statistic.

Lobber · Post by **Lobber** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:29 am

You gotta ask your self one question: Do I feel like exercising with rubber bands... well do ya punk?

WarAdvocat · Post by **WarAdvocat** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:36 am

Realistically, if you're going to exercise, it's better to do it at home.

It's jst that it's also easier to find excuses not to.

In the end, results are what matters, and the Bowflex is supposed to be a superior machine for home gyms.

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:46 am

WarAdvocat wrote:Statistically speaking, most people who buy these types of things do not use them.

I'd like to read your source for the statistics. Link?

Capm · Post by **Capm** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:49 am

We have a bowflex, its great. Its like having a weight set, without the heavy weights. Its easy to move around and folds up into the corner when we need more room. Ours is one of the older ones that aren't so fancy, but it works.

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:03 pm

Nothing is gonna give the isolation of free weights other than free weights. However, the BowFlex is a good piece of equipment and is very useful. It has its advantages also as discussed above ...

WarAdvocat · Post by **WarAdvocat** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:06 pm

Stress: I'm sure I saw figures stating that the majority of home exercise equipment purchased gathers dust, probably in "Muscle & Fitness" magazine somewhere, probably on a page labelled "Special Advertising Section". DO your own googling, I'm intellectually lazy.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:19 pm

It's a lot better than the solo-flex I used to have.
It's not as good as free weights though.
On a scale of 1 to 10, the soloflex being a 1 and free weights being a 10 I'd put the bowflex at 6.

A rack of rubber cased dumbell pairs in a range of weight from 10 to 70 would probably be better imo.
You can do most of the stuff you need without the need for a spotter and it really takes up little room.
I have a olympic weight set and two dumbell bars and I find myself spending a lot of time changing plates out on the dumbells to do things...I wish I had bought the rack of dumbells.

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 1:14 pm

WarAdvocat wrote:Stress: I'm sure I saw figures stating that the majority of home exercise equipment purchased gathers dust, probably in "Muscle & Fitness" magazine somewhere, probably on a page labelled "Special Advertising Section". DO your own googling, I'm intellectually lazy.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions...

Pugwash · Post by **Pugwash** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:08 pm

STRESSTEST wrote:
WarAdvocat wrote:Stress: I'm sure I saw figures stating that the majority of home exercise equipment purchased gathers dust, probably in "Muscle & Fitness" magazine somewhere, probably on a page labelled "Special Advertising Section". DO your own googling, I'm intellectually lazy.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions...

I've seen that stat in print and on TV.