How can Bowflex possibly work?!

[VBboy]

Bowlex, the workout machine, is based on a system of flexible rods that provide resistance when bent. I'm sure you've all seen the infomercials.

However, the more the rod bends, the more resistance it provides (like that physics experiment with a spring being stretched out). So it is more and more difficult to do the exercise as you pull on the rod. How can you possibly work out, then? You would start with say a 20-pound resistance equivalent, but end with say 50 when the rod is bent. With free weights, the resistance is the at the beginning and the end of exercise, in contrast to this increasing-resistance rod system.

Anyone got this machine? Comments, observations? Please write.

 

[mrCide]

survey says..

bowflex sucks, if you want to workout get a gym membership

 

[Daxxax]

Bow Flex blows...Get a bench with free weights.

 

[SnapIT]

Originally posted by: Daxxax
Bow Flex blows...Get a bench with free weights.

Yup... or better yet, a gym membership...

 

[Zugzwang152]

unless you're getting stuff to show off in a home gym..in which case...a dumbell/barbell set and a few benches and a big mirror is much better

 

[KGB1]

I own a Bowflex... It works man. I was 210 back in August. I'm down to 185 with the help of the bowflex. I don't even follow the diet that's given. Eat 1500 calories or less... BS I'll eat 4 slices of pizza don't give a krap. I started 40 pounds..... 2 sets... 12 reps for 1 hour every OTHER day. I bench now 180 and squat 250. Free weights suck. I got the whole Bow flex system though. With leg extension and pull down lat bar ( I do pull ups on it also) But I RUN everyday for 45 minutes too. Bowflex I use for getting lean muscle.

But if you want ABS... get on the floor buddy.. no bowflex is gonna help you. Get a 10 pound weight and start doing REAL crunches.

I live far from any gym (and have to pay a TOLL to get to it..) 45 minutes to go to a gym... work out and come back in 45 minutes... screw it daaawg. Mostly 4 hours to do a 1 hour thing. Its like driving 3 hours to see a 2 hour movie... makes sense? Maybe in Poland but not in US.

 

[Spac3d]

Originally posted by: KGB
I own a Bowflex... It works man. I was 210 back in August. I'm down to 185 with the help of the bowflex. I don't even follow the diet that's given. Eat 1500 calories or less... BS I'll eat 4 slices of pizza don't give a krap. I started 40 pounds..... 2 sets... 12 reps for 1 hour every OTHER day. I bench now 180 and squat 250. Free weights suck. I got the whole Bow flex system though. With leg extension and pull down lat bar ( I do pull ups on it also) But I RUN everyday for 45 minutes too. Bowflex I use for getting lean muscle.

But if you want ABS... get on the floor buddy.. no bowflex is gonna help you. Get a 10 pound weight and start doing REAL crunches.

I live far from any gym (and have to pay a TOLL to get to it..) 45 minutes to go to a gym... work out and come back in 45 minutes... screw it daaawg. Mostly 4 hours to do a 1 hour thing. Its like driving 3 hours to see a 2 hour movie... makes sense? Maybe in Poland but not in US.

Um, how are you measuring those weights? What do those transfer too into real weight?

Spac3d

 

[mrCide]

i'm doing 150 DUMBELLS..

kills me.

 

[SnapIT]

Originally posted by: KGB
I own a Bowflex... It works man. I was 210 back in August. I'm down to 185 with the help of the bowflex. I don't even follow the diet that's given. Eat 1500 calories or less... BS I'll eat 4 slices of pizza don't give a krap. I started 40 pounds..... 2 sets... 12 reps for 1 hour every OTHER day. I bench now 180 and squat 250. Free weights suck. I got the whole Bow flex system though. With leg extension and pull down lat bar ( I do pull ups on it also) But I RUN everyday for 45 minutes too. Bowflex I use for getting lean muscle.

But if you want ABS... get on the floor buddy.. no bowflex is gonna help you. Get a 10 pound weight and start doing REAL crunches.

I live far from any gym (and have to pay a TOLL to get to it..) 45 minutes to go to a gym... work out and come back in 45 minutes... screw it daaawg. Mostly 4 hours to do a 1 hour thing. Its like driving 3 hours to see a 2 hour movie... makes sense? Maybe in Poland but not in US.

Oh please, you cannot even begin to compare the blawsucks to a real gym...

It sucks, it sucks more than using your bed and bike for weights... it is so sucky that it's more sucky than the suckiest suck...

I would pay 50 cents for it and use it as target practice...

 

[SnapIT]

Originally posted by: mrCide
i'm doing 150 DUMBELLS..

kills me.

I suppose you mean kg's or are you a wuz?

 

[A5]

But I RUN everyday for 45 minutes too

That probably has a lot more to do with your losing weight than the Bowflex.

More muscle = More weight. A good example of this is me; during the football season, when it's hot as balls and I'm running around alot, I lose weight. But in the off-seasion, when we do a lot of weight training (5 days a week for around an hour; 3 days of upper body and 2 days of lower body, all with free weights), I put all of that weight plus some back on.

 

[MrChicken]

This is an old, ongoing argument. Bows and bands act just like you say. I have a Soloflex and I have measured this effect for myself. The first inch or two is very light and resistance ramps up very fast, by the third inch it is at the rated resistance and goes above that by roughly 10 percent throughout the movement. I dont know the curve of the resistance on a bowflex.

Why it is not a big deal:
You are supposed to position yourself to take up that first inch or two before starting the exercise. As an example you set the bar an inch or two lower than your chest and you slide under it to do a bench press.

One of the real positive thing that bands and bows do is to curb momentum. Watch a guy doing lat pullswith weights. Chances are good that he will jerk the weights to get them moving and use the momentum to carry him through the rest of the movement. Only disciplined lifters actually do the reps slow and steady to avoid using momentum.

The issue of which is better should not be the resistance curve, but range of motion. Any machine or device that forces you out of a natural range of motion is, IMHO, a bad thing. No gym will avoid this unless you have it custom made for you as arm and leg and torso lengths vary from person to person.

Range of motion is the plus of free weights, no hampering fo range of motion. The negative to free weights is that unless you are very disciplined lifter you will cheat and eventually injure yourself.

 

[KGB1]

Um, how are you measuring those weights? What do those transfer too into real weight?

When you bend the bar all the way its EQUIVALENT to the weight it is representing. When it is NOT bent all the way its not the same weight, about 1/3 less than it says on the bar. Free weights DO SUCK. You are not controlled, nor are you doing it CORRECTLY. Most people I see who are doing free weights have wonderful strecth marks now (thankfully I looked after my weight training and controlled how much weight I added to the reps) I don't have any stretch marks from the weight loss.

It sucks, it sucks more than using your bed and bike for weights... it is so sucky that it's more sucky than the suckiest suck...

Why so much resentment on a product you obviously never tried, but probably just tired of seeing on TV.

I guess you never like something untill you try it.. My friend also tried it.. he benches 225 mininum on free weights and be barely did 180 (just like mine) on the FLAT bench. Its not as easy as most people think. Also the Bowflex has a great side afffect..even if you don't work on the fore-arm muscle. They still get HUGE. It's like Popeye's; veins popping and everything. Feels good and looks impressive to everyone else.

 

[SnapIT]

Originally posted by: KGB

Um, how are you measuring those weights? What do those transfer too into real weight?

When you bend the bar all the way its EQUIVALENT to the weight it is representing. When it is NOT bent all the way its not the same weight, about 1/3 less than it says on the bar. Free weights DO SUCK. You are not controlled, nor are you doing it CORRECTLY. Most people I see who are doing free weights have wonderful strecth marks now (thankfully I looked after my weight training and controlled how much weight I added to the reps) I don't have any stretch marks from the weight loss.

It sucks, it sucks more than using your bed and bike for weights... it is so sucky that it's more sucky than the suckiest suck...

Why so much resentment on a product you obviously never tried, but probably just tired of seeing on TV.

I guess you never like something untill you try it.. My friend also tried it.. he benches 225 mininum on free weights and be barely did 180 (just like mine) on the FLAT bench. Its not as easy as most people think. Also the Bowflex has a great side afffect..even if you don't work on the fore-arm muscle. They still get HUGE. It's like Popeye's; veins popping and everything. Feels good and looks impressive to everyone else.

Ok, i have been in the iron game for more than 15 years, i have tried every product available...

The Bowflex is still one of the worst products for weight-training... use whatever weight you can, it is a better solution...

 

[SnapIT]

Originally posted by: KGB

Um, how are you measuring those weights? What do those transfer too into real weight?

When you bend the bar all the way its EQUIVALENT to the weight it is representing. When it is NOT bent all the way its not the same weight, about 1/3 less than it says on the bar. Free weights DO SUCK. You are not controlled, nor are you doing it CORRECTLY. Most people I see who are doing free weights have wonderful strecth marks now (thankfully I looked after my weight training and controlled how much weight I added to the reps) I don't have any stretch marks from the weight loss.

It sucks, it sucks more than using your bed and bike for weights... it is so sucky that it's more sucky than the suckiest suck...

Why so much resentment on a product you obviously never tried, but probably just tired of seeing on TV.

I guess you never like something untill you try it.. My friend also tried it.. he benches 225 mininum on free weights and be barely did 180 (just like mine) on the FLAT bench. Its not as easy as most people think. Also the Bowflex has a great side afffect..even if you don't work on the fore-arm muscle. They still get HUGE. It's like Popeye's; veins popping and everything. Feels good and looks impressive to everyone else.

ROTFLMAO!!! yes, huge forearms are soooo impressive....

 

[KGB1]

Originally posted by: A5

But I RUN everyday for 45 minutes too

That probably has a lot more to do with your losing weight than the Bowflex.

More muscle = More weight. A good example of this is me; during the football season, when it's hot as balls and I'm running around alot, I lose weight. But in the off-seasion, when we do a lot of weight training (5 days a week for around an hour; 3 days of upper body and 2 days of lower body, all with free weights), I put all of that weight plus some back on.

True the running does help.. but I started running in November when I lost weight with the bowflex. I wasn't able to run or barely jog for that matter. The bowflex helped me get rythem in my breath intake during reps and I applied the same system to my running. But I still consume alot of food (3000 + calories a day) I just work intensely and do cardio workouts on the bowflex now... I rest about 10 second after each exercise to keep my heart pumping.

I have to get a better diet though man.. I can't workout all the time to keep my body looking good. By now I'm suppose to lower my reps and sets, but because my mom makes awsome food I can't say no it. and no way am I eating healthy choice frozen dinners/
I have to keep working out the same (I dont add weight any further so I dont become buff... or else the weights now don't do much)

 

[KGB1]

ROTFLMAO!!! yes, huge forearms are soooo impressive....

They are.... I got a pretty slick body now.. but my forearms are way bigger and just show the strenght when I'm just wearing a t shirt.

The Bowflex is still one of the worst products for weight-training... use whatever weight you can, it is a better solution...

Sure being a 15 year iron man competetor makes you very knowledgable about the body and weight training. But I tried that route in HS and it got me no where.. only built certain areas while other *important* areas were not utilized. I still the bowflex bench for situps..inclined crunches... and weighted situps. But bowflex is easier for me...

But whatever floats your boat man... I don't weight train on it.. I CONTROL my WEIGHT on it. I can't build muscle on dumb machine, I need to pick up huge rocks and stuff, thats the only way

My friend got a Total Gym.. he got mad skinny on that.. and he was 250 (it barely supported him at first) If you REALLY want to lose the weight... bowflex will help you get the weight down.. build some muscle and keep a person FIT for life.

 

[VBboy]

Cool! Thanks for all the feedback and info. I was just curious. I actually work out (when I have time) on my Total Gym (against my own weight). It's simple but effective for the things I need.

 

[KGB1]

Originally posted by: VBboy
Cool! Thanks for all the feedback and info. I was just curious. I actually work out (when I have time) on my Total Gym (against my own weight). It's simple but effective for the things I need.

Use the total gym man.. my bud used it... he's down to 150 now from 250. Sooner or later you can ADD free weight to the total gym for more muscle building workouts. The Bowflex is for the select, few, well to do individuals who take great pride in.. umm whatever...

this patriotic quote is not going well....

 

[Nutdotnet]

Go get yourself a gym membership or go invest in a decent bench, free-weights, and a power-rack.

Yes, a bowflex will get someone in shape, but it is not nearly has good as free-weights and cardio. If it was don't y'all think that professional bodybuilders would use it?!?!? I mean it HAS been out for quite a while.

You don't have to take my word for it though, head on over to MuscleMag.com go to their forums and do a search on bowflex.

 

[MrChicken]

Professional athletes and Serious BB's dont use home gyms because they dont offer the variety and weight capacity needed for them. It does not work for them.

There is a very good market for home gyms, people that arent as strong and dont have the time to use all the varieties of machines and equipment at a gym, as well as people that simply dont want to go to a gym.
Any decent home gym will work for the average Joe. The real issue is whether the average Joe will put in the work on the home gym.

A gym membership, or well setup home gym is good advice, for some people. A person that wants work out at home and doesnt want to dedicate a room to weight lifting would find that a Bowflex/Soloflex or other home gym more acceptable.

 

[no0b]

Originally posted by: SnapIT

Originally posted by: mrCide
i'm doing 150 DUMBELLS..

kills me.

I suppose you mean kg's or are you a wuz?

No he means grams

*runs away in fear...

 

[beer]

Alright

The idea of variable resistance is not a bad thing. Bands and chains are common among powerlifters for squat and good morning motions, also for bench. The logis is that on a squat, you are always more strained down in the hole so for a better working, add more resistance as you come up. With bands and even moreso chains, you can change a 300 lb load in the hole into a 500 lb load at the top of the motion.

It's part of what is called the 'westside barbell' training regimen. Do a search. The problem is that Bowflex does it poorly, since it is not free weight.

And yes, free weights are vastly superior and yes, your bowflex is a POS.

 

[VBboy]

Again, I never said I OWNED or LIKED BowFlex. I just wanted to know how it could work.

And again, thanks for your feedback

 

[slikmunks]

my dad got the ultimate, and it works... the resistance increases, but it just makes it harder, and imho, harder is better... it provides good resistance throughout the full range of motion, pretty much... and it works your stabalizing muscles a lot more than other machines and equipment