Home Gym Workout Systems

I ordered this back in 2020. 5 years later it's still in perfect working order. The seat has slightly worn but nothing drastic. This is probably one of my best purchases of 2020. This machine has lots of different work outs you can do with it. It's basically a total gym. The only issue i have is that I have maxed out on the weights, they are to light for me now. I just need to look into Buying a heavier resistance bar set. I have also been through 2 moves with this machine, the first time I took it mostly apart to load it into a SUV, it survived. The 2nd move i loaded it into a uhaul. It survived that. Yes it does take a bit of time to take it apart to then load it into a vehicle but honestly it's worth it. Putting it back together is pretty easy. You can also find instructions on how to put it back together online if you lost the instructions manual. One thing to note, because these are resistance bars and not normal weights you have more control over them so it feels different vs normal weights. Also make sure when you are done using it you unhook the resistance bars from the cables so it releases the tension on them, otherwise they will lose their resistance.

I waited about 18 months to write this review, as I felt that how the thing aged and how I felt about it after using it a while would be important elements in giving useful feedback. Tl;dr version: it's a solid, well-built machine that is a great fit for certain people, but probably not for everybody. I've used every imaginable piece of workout equipment, and this one is pretty unique amongst the resistance training options out there. I feared that the resistance would feel hokey, maybe more like resistance bands with pulleys and handles than real weights. However, this is not the case. While it does not feel exactly like a weight stack, it's a reasonable facsimile up through medium resistance levels (really high resistance does feel funny and unsatisfying). What you get in exchange for this sacrifice is a machine that can work any possible muscle and muscle combination with a fraction of the weight and floorspace of an equivalent free-weight setup. I've religiously tied the rods back up after every workout with a strip of velcro, and they're still providing similar resistance to what they provided out of the box. The $100 plastic gizmo they sell for this is not at all necessary to achieve this: an shoelace is just as effective. Having to change the pulleys and carabiners between exercises was annoying at first, but once I got used to it it was fine. I know there is a more expensive model that has extra sets of pulleys and thus less changing between exercises, but I don't think it's worth it. At the end of the day, it doesn't take any more time than changing plates on a bar, changing machines, or racking dumbbells like you would in a gym. Who this is NOT for, in my opinion, is the following: --Someone looking to seriously bulk up and get ripped. I'm pretty sure the guy in the promo photos did not get that way with a Bowflex machine. It's less effective and less natural at high resistance, and I'm pretty sure buying the extra power rods to really challenge a serious weightlifter would not change this. --Someone obsessed with tracking improvement over time in a very precise way. The power rods are numbered with weight values, but they don't seem to have much to do with actual pounds, and the resistance they provide is such that it can be hard to know what's progress and what's a rod that you've been using for an hour and is just getting a little tired. --Someone for whom the machine is meant to be the primary fitness outlet. I don't think it's meant for that. On the other hand, if you want an endlessly variable set of resistance exercises to stay tone and/or support other primary activities (running, cycling, golf, etc) and you don't have a ton of space for a stack and a mountain of free weights, this is a solid option. Setup was time-consuming but straightforward, and after maybe 100 workouts it's as good as new.

Needing to get back in shape after a debilitating injury, I decided to give the Bowflex a try after reading the positive reviews. This review will be an 'initial impressions' review, and once I've had a few months on the machine, I plan to update it. PACKAGING: **** The PR3000 arrived in a single large box of considerable weight. The freight delivery service consisted of one guy, who was reluctant to take this to the 2nd floor of my house. I needed it up there, so I offered to lift one and and carry it up the stairs. Trust me, you WILL want this box to be delivered to the room where you will use the machine. It took almost probably 45 minutes just to unpack the box - every part was wrapped in large quantities of bubble wrap and duct tape. Also, many of the components were zip-tied together with heavy-duty ties (your typical scissors might not be up to the task). I used wire cutters. ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS: *** I've seen much better assembly instructions. The system contains 20 pulleys, almost all of which were numbered with a stick-on number. Nowhere in the assembly document were any of these numbers referenced! Threading the cables through the pulley system had to be done by CAREFULLY inspecting the drawings. Also, the leg assembly has three different positions for the ankle pads, but there is no advice for determining which position you should use. Similarly, the seatback has holes for permanently attaching it at one of 3 positions, but again there is no advice for where to properly position the seat-back. Finally, if you do order the extra 50lb rods (which I did), there is no mention of how/when to install them. I can tell you that you will have to tilt the Bowflex on its side to add them after the fact, because there are bottom-mounted screws. EASE OF ASSEMBLY: **** As long as you are very good at following instructions and are detail-oriented and mechanically inclined, assembly is fairly straight-forward. None of the attachment hardware is labelled, so some intelligent deduction is required. QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION: **** There are many powder-coated steel parts in this unit - everything fit together well, with no hole alignment issues. I am subtracting one star for the quality of the seat and seat-back. It is obvious that they tried to save some money there, with a vinyl-covered padded seat (covering plywood, I think). The seat is somewhat slippery, and the vinyl is attached with not-too-many staples. I don't expect the seat to hold up. I used to own a Soloflex back in the 90s, and it had a molded rubber bench attached to a metal plate. I would have MUCH preferred a seat like that, and would have no concerns about its longevity. EXERCISE FLEXIBILITY: ***** This unit provides enough flexibility to work all of the same muscle groups I used to work at the gym. For the most part, moving from one exercise to the next is pretty simple. Bowflex advertises a cable change-free system, which is not entirely accurate. In order to go from an exercise like the bench press (which uses the lower set of handgrips) to any standing leg exercise, you will need to: 1) Disconnect each of the lower cables from the leg attachment; 2) Remove the leg attachment; 3) Remove one set of handgrips from the middle or upper pulleys; and 4) Attach the handgrips to the lower pulleys. This is an annoyance to be sure, and you will want to structure your exercise routine so as to minimize any changes other than changing weight. They should have included an extra set of handgrips to allow you to keep the other ones in place at all times. At least they can be ordered as an accessory. NOISE: ***** The system has the potential of being very quiet, although I am getting some grating sounds when the pulleys shift on the metal loops that attach them to the supports. I think a little strategically placed lithium grease will take care of it. RESISTANCE FEEL: **** The change in resistance feels pretty good to me. It is much better than the resistance band-based Soloflex was, with the changes being more gradual as you reach the end of travel for a rep. One note for taller people - there is very little, if no resistance at the beginning of a lat pulldown. There simply isn't enough distance between the seat and the handgrips if you have a long torso and chimp arms like me. My arms are not even fully extended when the seat is at its lowest position. If you're used to a pulldown machine at a gym, you'll be a bit disappointed. More vertically challenged people will not find this objectionable. VALUE: *** For the number and type of exercises you can do with one machine, it's a decent value. I purchased it at a "Lightning Deal" price, but wouldn't have paid Amazon's regular price for it. The warranty is stated as: Machine: 1 year Parts: 60 days Power Rods: 7 years They don't explain what they consider to be 'Machine' and what they consider to be 'Parts'. After 3 hours of assembly time, I consider it all to be parts. I wouldn't expect anything on this system to fail in less than a year. OVERALL RATING: **** I think I will be able to accomplish my objectives using this machine (namely a full-body workout with minimal down time between exercises). It is fairly compact in size, although to perform all of the exercises listed in the manual, you will need a free space of almost 8 feet in width and 9 feet in depth (for the standing leg kickbacks). If you don't have that much depth available, you can still do a lot of exercises with about a 7 foot depth. That's all for now... will be back in a few months with an update.

First off let me say that I, Alicia's husband, is writing this review. I have been an avid workout dude for 36 years. Started with free weights and continued to progress into a massive individual at 6' 2" 250lbs. When I turned 35 I decided to go a different route and bought a Bowflex Power Pro XTLU model. I had all the rods and accessories, even the squat station. The machine build was just o.k. The workouts were great, and I got stronger and cut, but for some reason I wanted to get bigger again. I dumped the bowflex and went back to dumbells etc., got ripped and then started to realize I had to spend a lot of time maintaining the mass. One day when working out I almost tore my rotator cuff, Realizing at 52, married for 20 years, and not have anything to prove to anyone, I sold that equipment and bought the Bowflex Blaze. Wow, what 20 years can do to perfect a product. This thing is a tank. High quality and way more bang for your buck than the extreme se 2. Blows away my Power Pro XTLU by a long shot. Bowflex advertises 60 + exercises when really there is over 80. They advertise the extreme se 2 as 70 + to get you to pay 500 more and truly not get the same variety of exercises. It is a marketing ploy. In addition, the no pulley weight change system on the extreme se 2 is ok, but having to hook a couple cables up is no big deal to me, and now that they are integrated in the Blaze it is much easier. The Power Pro XTLU was exhausting. The Blaze is the better deal. I almost bought the extreme se 2 and I am glad I did not ( of course the wife helped with that decision...haha) Look, if you want to stay in shape, build some muscle and tone the body this gym can do it. I know some might say I sold out, but at the end of the day it's not how much you can lift but how ya look! You will not be disappointed. Delivery was excellent and I paid Amazon to build it. Would do it all over again. Fast Forward: Working out on it since Friday 09/08/17. Bomb! Works so much better than the Power Pro XTLU ever did. Sturdy and does not make a peep. Exercises create a great stretch. Love it. So glad we bought the Blaze. I bought the upgraded power rods specifically through Bowflex due to the low ratings and horror stories from the folks that bought them from Amazon. Sorry Amazon, just have to be real. Update: Its been over 3 weeks. I am having great gains. If you exercise as it says to at bowflex with breathing, reps, etc. you will get results. I have added the ez curl bar, tricep rope, and abdominal pad. Every workout I have done has had me sore the next day. This is not a beginner or intermediate machine. It is a machine for advanced to beginner. The exercises it shows are just the basics. There is a lot you can do with the lower pulleys. If you look at the exercises on the Bowflex Ultimate and Ultimate 2 you can see some more exercises that one can do such as barbell military press,reverse pull downs, reverse tricep push downs, deadlifts, stiff legged dead lifts, barbell curls (use squat straps or chain with ez curl bar) etc. You can really get over 80+ exercises that are just like the gym. I truly have not regretted my purchase. It is so nice to have a great workout with all the safety so I can reach my goals without injury.

I received the product in a timely manner. The delivery people were very thorough and professional in making contact and ensuring it was delivered at a time when I was available. I've been studying different home gyms for about two months before deciding on this one. A couple factors I used was space, simplicity of use, durability, and how much of the body can be worked out effectively. I have been in fitness since the age of 16. I'm 45 now. So while I am not an official expert I have a lot of practical knowledge from reading, experience, and listening to others who know more than I do. Assembly was pretty straight forward. The gym comes in several large pieces and the manual was easy to follow for assembly. The manual suggests using two adjustable wrenches to attach the bolts and nuts. And while that will certainly work I think its better to use a socket and a combination wrench of the correct size. You don't need many. Two maybe three different sized. Can't remember specifically. Its just with using a combination wrench the possibility of it sliding off and slightly stripping the corners is a possibility. I put it together by myself with occasional assistance from my 9 year old (holding something while screwing it in) in about two and a half hours. The instructions are illustrated so you can see what goes where. The only thing i would add is a real size chart for the bolts because it is easy to get a couple of them mixed up. I would suggest reading the length of the bolt used and measuring it with a tape measure to ensure you have the right one. There are two sets of bolts that are very close in length and its easy to get them switched. Assembling the cables can be a little confusing especially since the directions let you figure out that there is a floating pulley. It shows the routing of the cable in a picture that is easy to understand and the pulleys themselves are numbered so you know you get the right order. Its really done well. Other than these few minor improvements that can be made, I was quite pleased. The users manual is what I think is the gem of this package. Someone put a lot of thought into this. If you are an experienced gym rat who lifts for years then just figure out the exercises and do your thing. But say you have never really worked out much in your life, it has really well thought out fitness plans for you to follow that are great and will help you meet your goals. Follow them. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Now in order to be happy with your purchase and get people to not purchase something they don't need I must explain what this gym isn't. If you are a professional body builder or an extreme fitness person, this really isn't the product for you. On Day one without having lifted in six years, I put on every single band of resistance it had and I pushed it out with ease on the bench press. Obviously I will need to purchase the additional bands to meet my fitness goal. Most men looking to build mass will be better served with free weights. Free weights are better....but they take up a lot of space. Free weights build secondary stabilizer muscles that track workouts don't. And that is ok. That doesn't make this unit bad. I'm just pointing out what it isn't. This unit is for every day people who want to be fit from some light resistance training. Most people are not hard core fitness people or professional body builders. This gym is for you. Now there is another bowflex product similar to this one but this one is superior for one major reason. You don't have to switch out the cables when you change exercises. When doing stamina strength training, rest periods become crucial between sets. You want to keep your heart rate up and you don't want to be taking time switching cables out and cooling off. I super set and I kill it. Less than 15 seconds between sets. So to summarize, great product, easy to assemble, will work for the majority of people's fitness goals, manuals are wonderfully thought out. I would buy this gym again. I am completely satisfied. Even though its not as effective as free weights, you don't need to devote an entire room to the unit. It fits in a 4 x 6 space and 8 foot ceiling. If you are a man and want to do a little mass training, you will need to include the extra resistance package unless you just want to do 25 reps per set and burn out. Its not enough weight for larger men.

First things first, no one piece of home equipment will replace a full array of Nautilus Machines, ergo, if your goal is to look like Arnie, you will likely not find this adequate. However, if you are like me, 55, overweight and flabby from a sedentary job, type 2 diabetic from no exercise, then this is not only adequate but a brilliant piece of exercise equipment. My wife bought this for me on Black Friday special for under $700 or about the cost of a family membership at my local YMCA. The Amazon experience was smooth as usual, and shipping by truck was smooth as well with the shipping company calling to confirm delivery place and time. The first workout came with carrying the components up my stairs as my exercise room is in the oldest son's abandoned bed room upstairs. This is a great advantage as carrying in the 200+ lbs upstairs is much better than carrying the 400-500 lbs of a weight stack machine up stairs and then have all that weight bumping and banging upstairs. The entire machine is firm and stable even on my padded carpet floor. Assembly was simple, straightforward, and manageable by one person. I was at home sick that day, and even with taking my time and several breaks, it only took me about 2 and a half hours. You will need some padding for your hands as you assemble the components with the included hex wrenches. The cable system is simple and straight forward as well and, after a short time, you can learn how to structure your work out to cut down the number of times that you change cable stations. The cables are hanging or lying right there, out of the way, but where you need them when you change. I do about 20 different exercises per session at 12 reps each in about 30 minutes. Include an exercise bike warm up and cool down, and I have about an hour in a full body session minus the 30 minutes to drive to and from the gym. The power rods are a source of much confusion, I believe. It is true that the force to bend the rods increases through the movement of the exercise, but there are many home gym advantages to this. Since I'm usually alone, the full weight of hanging dead weights are not on my joints while getting into the position to do the exercise or between reps. This helps reduce the likelyhood of injury. Also, since the movement of the exercise gets harder as you go, the key is to make the movement SLOWLY. A slow rep with a rod weight low enough to complete the full range of motion, and pausing at the apex, is very efficient for a great workout. No doubt you have been to the gym and observed the weight guys pumping though free weights; however, that technique with the Bowflex will not utilize the advantage of the rods tightening at the apex of the movement because your only there for a split second before relaxing. Because of the SLOW technique, I still have the original 210 lb rod pack as it is completely adequate. I don't do squats or leg presses due to bad knees and 12 reps are hard to do with big weights on the other exercises. Bottom line: I don't care how much weight you can lift, nor do I care if you are impressed with what I can lift, I'm doing this for my life, and for that, this machine with power rods is more that adequate. If you are type 2 diabetic, resisted movement training is the best exercise for lowering your A1C and this is an excellent machine to accomplish that goal. It is quality made, easy to use, and smooth and comfortable. It saves time devoted to travel to the gym and allows you to get a workout in between your busy day. Along with a good piece of aerobic equipment, this is all you need to change your life.

The Bowflex Xceed is a wonderful workout machine thus far. I am reasonable And got this as a public gym replacement. 2020 had those closed a few months and this was less than the monthly membership. Build: First let me say a friend is essential to put this monster together in a reasonable amount of time. The issue is there are tight tolerances so loose fitting all the screws then tightening them at counter points is a must. Also the parts are labeled in tiny print at each bolt is named by size, thread depth and not an easy alphabetical system. Seriously you will be squinting and thinking you are crazy. It will work out. The item is sturdy and fits me at 6'3". It will eventually rust as it is steel which is normal for home gym equipment (only perfectionists will care but they will). It is well made and built like good home gym equipment. Buy Rogue if you want nicer and hate your wallet. Nothing out of the norm. The bench can also be improved with more resistance rods. Ohhhh yea the box it came in was a total mess on delivery and I was shocked the machine inside was unscathed. I was shocked it lacked blemishes given how tenuous the box's existence was. Moving this box was the first workout this machine provided then assembly was the second. Workouts: It does what cable pull machines, free weights and barbells can do. Basically replacing a bench press station, leg presses and putdown machines. It giving about 3 feet of travel on the wire. So you can do most actions excluding dead lifts. Again think bench press station. This is good for what it is. The Xceed allows most of what the higher end machines bow-flexes provide. However you will be using caravanserai to change from task to task. This is easy enough but quicker carbeaners can really speed things up. I also like to leave spare or additional grips on at the same time to speed up transitions. The X2SE does not require wire manipulation and thus is nicer but sorks humbrid vs shwift teen humbrid on the official bow-flex web page is a lot. Resellers are making a killing in 2020. Some reviews are fixated on comparing this to gravity workouts, they are not the exact same. Gravity can offer more resistance but is much more expensive and space consuming. Most people will never get to the point of outgrowing this machine. Those that have outgrown this machine flood the reviews with dumb but honest stuff. But this is a nice machine if you know it is easier than gravity. But a nice gravity bench and lat pull down, leg machine is some coin. Buying the wight plates puts you up at the X2SE price and not the Eceed. Basically if the price is good you get so much more for your money. People who bring up the discrepancy over resistance are not wrong, it is true. But they miss the point, this machine is inexpensive for what it provides the resistance is astonishing. two 50 lb barbells are currently half the price of the machine. Also the resistance rises the cooler the nylon rods are. Like a memory foam mattress. Who should get this: Reasonable goals and working people with limited space/time/budget. My big advice on getting a bow flex is they are a great start point for working out. It is self contained, looks nice and holds up well. Also you can start with super low resistance and work up. Also the way it sits makes watching TV and working out easy. The gentle resistance is good for rehabbing injuries and allows you to move up in resistance as well as keep both sides of your body honest and balanced. The machine is also good if you are older as you can set it to what you need. The machine will get you pretty big if that is a goal. But reasonably so. 400+lbs resistance is more than most will ever get to. If you are a lifter/bodybuilder you will need a gym. As a former swimmer and martial artist, it will make you look good by those standards. Line backer..... probably not. Cross-fit.....Buy a box and an old truck tire then play on the local jungle gym. Close: Again, for the real price this machine is hard to beat for a workout from beginner to advanced workouts. Expert and professional level is something else but this can get you to needing that next level. Which, again for the price is amazing.

This is an EXCELLENT product... I've read quite a few different opinions on it, and also the "should I get the PR1000 (basic model) Bowflex or the Blaze" argument so I wanted to offer my advice. A few things to mention (I'll keep it as short as possible): 1. This is an exceptional home gym for people of nearly any fitness level... Unless you are a serious bodybuilder or play college football, this machine will do great for you. I am 27 and have lifted weights since I was 13... I have done everything from this Bowflex, to free weight home gyms to gym memberships at multiple different facilities. In my prime, I could bench 310 lb w/ barbells... I'm not quite at that point anymore, but the Blaze offers enough of a challenge to give me a fantastic workout every time. I purchased the Blaze in January and wasn't in the greatest shape or fitness level (I'm 6'2" and weighed maybe 180 at the time). After only 3 weeks (exercising 2 days per week for ~1 hour per day), I was back to 195 lbs and my strength had also increased dramatically. I have been using it regularly ever since and I am stunned at the strength gain, muscle increase/toning, and fat loss I have been able to achieve. I also started training my friend on the machine and his results are even more impressive since he had not worked out in years. 2. The resistance is enough for people that are quite strong/athletic... but you need to AT LEAST get the 310 lb upgrade. I bought the 310 and 410 lb expansion rods along with the blaze and I'm very glad that I did. The only thing I cannot attest to is the leg exercises. Even 410 lb may not be enough for more serious athletes that want to use the Bowflex for squats; I have a severe back injury from a few years ago so I tend to try to keep the weight light & the reps high so I don't injure myself. 3. People point out that the rod resistance is less than free weights - Of course it is... that's the whole point; it's a different exercise. As long as you have enough resistance from the rods to challenge yourself it does not matter. As someone who has used every type of equipment out there, I can tell you I'm happier with the results of the Bowflex than I was with the free weights (it's best for people that want some size but a ton of bulk, and are looking to get cut and VERY strong). I feel like the Bowflex improves your functional/everyday strength much better than free weights (you can get more angles & do a TON of different workouts). 4. About the Blaze vs the PR1000 issue - take my word for it and get the Blaze. I actually bought the PR1000 years ago (I still have it, but don't use it) and bought the Blaze because it had what I was missing. These are a few things that by themselves are enough to warrant spending a little more and getting the better model: - Can upgrade from the starting 210 lbs of resistance (HUGE) - It has a set of pulleys on the floor... I can't tell you how helpful this is. You can do SO many more exercises with these, or they allow you to do PR1000 exercises far more effectively. Let me tell you... there are zero good ways to do shoulder shrugs on the PR1000 (also not nearly enough resistance) - Comes with some nice add-ons (the leg attachment has another set of pads for hamstring exercises, comes with a lat pulldown bar which is absolutely necessary if you are taller/have long arms) - Overall much more solid & superior design/construction... The PR1000 can feel very rickety if you're using the full set of resistance rods; you don't get that feeling with the Blaze. They made so many minor improvements to help with the functionality - i.e. there's a base to stand on under the bench to secure the equipment and keep it from lifting & the resistance starts at earlier points in the rep due to better cable length/management 5. Ab workouts - A legitimate critique is that it does not offer much in the way of ab exercises (unless you invent your own, which is entirely possible and not that difficult to do). The machine only lists a standard abdominal crunch as an option... But to be honest no home gym is going to be very effective at working abs; most machines just aren't good at it. If you want an ab work out, just spend $15-$20 and buy an ab roller wheel with a mat & throw it in between every set... It's far superior to any exercise you'll get on a machine. I don't know why people try to complicate ab workouts so much... 6. It's great for rehabbing injuries or staying in shape with injury concerns - As I mentioned above, I have a severe, lingering back injury that prevents me from really pushing myself with free weights. You do not have that restriction with the Bowflex... It is so low-impact that you can go as hard as you want without much concern. Also, since there are so many different exercises available to do, you can easily replicate a physical therapy regimen on it with low resistance and it will help a great deal with recovery. 7. Price - I got my Blaze for something like $650 though it usually hovers in the $850 - $1000 range... Just be patient and keep checking; Amazon cycles the price and if you wait a bit you can get it at a steal. Hopefully this was helpful to at least some people looking at this!