Bowflex Ultimate

Pros: Lots of exercises, adequate bench; rower
Cons: Much too expensive

If you are just passing by you may not have read my review of W eider CrossBow Home Gym. I am going to attempt to review as many Bowflex machines with which I am familiar. It seems they keep coming out with yet another ...

Pros: More Features
Cons: More Expensive

Bowflex is probably the most widely used home gym system available on the market. You see ads for them all over, especially on late night TV, and their telemarketers keep your phone ringing. With a "convenient" monthly payment plan and that ever...

Pros: Can now do leg work, a few more options
Cons: A bit pricey and not enough additional options to justify the price, minor maintenance problems

How time flies. It has been a year and a half since I "slammed" one of the most highly rated products on epinions; the Bowflex Power Pro. My opinion has not changed on the Power Pro, but I have now had a chance to try the Bowflex Ultimate for a week...

Pros: Well built, configurable, flexible, good instruction
Cons: No cardio option, inconsistent resistance across rods, storage size

I read many reviews here before ultimately deciding to buy my Bowflex Ultimate. My wife's trainer uses an Ultimate 2 as part of her setup and loves it, but I was unsure about what type to buy or if Bowflex (or a home gym at all, for that matter) was the ...

Pros: Portable complete strength training home gym. Very sturdy with many exercises.
Cons: Expensive. You must be a dedicated strength trainer to need this machine.

I purchased a Bowflex Ultimate with all the bells and whistles in July 06 from the Home Fitness Club. They had a sale that included all the extras, floor mat, free weight scale and I added 100 bucks for the rod upgrade; brings total weight to 410 ...

Pros: Easy to use, great workout, flexible number of exercises, small space requirement.
Cons: price. But you get what you pay for...

BACKGROUND: I'm 6'0 200pds and my wife is 5'3 105pds. We're both in our early 30's and were moderately active. I needed to drop about 15 pounds and tone up. She needed to put on some muscle mass and add some shape. We live in a small 2 bedroom place ...

Pros: Effective. Minimal space required. Good value. Durable; safe to use, no spotter needed.
Cons: Not much. Prices down, resistance different but equal to free weights.

First, I want to bring up the effectiveness of the Bowflexes, from the Ultimate to the Elite to the Sport. I mention this because upon reading the reviews you'll invariably find some who disparage it for several reasons. As a long-time weightlifter who ...

Pros: Comprehensive exercise choices, smooth, right size for larger people, worth the money
Cons: The only minor con in my book is the bolt on the leg attachment

Reasons I bought it
I purchased the Bowflex Ultimate because I wanted a effective workout at home, with most of the benefits of the type of equipment found at a gym. And it certainly meets my requirements.

Being a gym member for...

Pros: Well made, great variety of exercises
Cons: Costs a bunch

I am skeptical of reviews of products written in the first weeks of use ("I've just assembled my Bow ...

Pros: Quality of machine, Ease of exercises
Cons: Takes up a good amount of space when in use

I've had my Bowflex Ultimate XTLU for about 2 months now and this is one of the best investments I've ever made. I was in high school when Bowflex first came out and I was not in to lifting or strength training at all. With all the exercise crazes that ...

Pros: Great Features, Really Works, Looks Awesome, Flexibility
Cons: Expensive

I currently own the base model of the Bowflex Power Pro line. I own the basic Power Pro model which I bought for $1,098. I can't be any happier with it! Ever since I bought that, I fell in love with the Bowflex line of equipment. Since then, I managed to...

Pros: Sturdy; Compact; No spotter needed; Changing resistance is easy; Lots of exercises.
Cons: Expensive; Limitations on some exercises; Not enough resistance for heavy lifters.

Like many people, I thought the Bowflex was typical infomercial junk...until I tried a PowerPro on display at a local Fitness Depot outlet. The salesperson was very helpful and let me spend almost an hour testing the machine out in every way I could ...

Pros: Lots of exercises, no spotter needed, sturdy construction
Cons: Expensive, user needs a lot of willpower to get the benefits

PART 1: MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE OK, so we all get flabby and lazy as we get older, right? Me, I used ...

Pros: Quality of materials, heavy-duty construction, range of exercises.
Cons: Initial cost.

I want to take a moment to clear up some of the misinformation out there in this and other websites regarding Bowflex products, at least as far as their newest offering--the Ultimate--is concerned. I have no affiliations with Bowflex other than as a...

Pros: Better quality than lower models. Includes all the attachments
Cons: A little expensive. Takes up a bit more room.

After studying the different machines Bowflex makes, I finally decided on the Ultimate for its higher quality and the fact that it includes the pull-down accessory and the leg exercise accessory.

First, if you have any thoughts you might want...