23 replies to this topic

[athanatos]

I did a search to see if there were any topics about the pros and cons of using a bowflex and I couldn't find anything, so I decdied to make my own. I've been planning to buy myself a bowflex for a while now, but I can't find any information that tells me whether its better, worse, or just as good as using free weights or other machines. Has anyone had experience with both a bowflex machine and free weights? If you do, could you tell me which way is best to go? Is the bowflex even worth it?

[Kalepha]

It mostly depends on your goals and circumstances, athanatos. If you're not training for any kind of sport, including competitive bodybuilding, you can go a long way, and save some money and time, with just a Bowflex machine and some knowledge about nutrition and exercise physiology. The only thing you're really missing from free-weight training, if you're just interested in noncompetitive physical fitness, is that it promotes bone mineralization more so than machines.

If you're mostly concerned about aesthetics, on the other hand, it really depends on what you perceive as aesthetic. You can still go a sufficiently long way with the basics, as mentioned. But generally, for aesthetic purposes, you can achieve more at a health club, because free-weight training targets larger regions per exercise and aerobic machines or classes can help you maintain consistency, if you require psychological boosts, with your aerobic training, which you need to stay lean (to show muscles) if you're generally inactive.

Personally, I like to optimize and no longer utilize health clubs or machines but use dumbbells and tools such as a heart rate monitor. But if you're into any kind of competitive, physical sport or want to make your body a canvas, you'll likely benefit the most with a health club.

[athanatos]

I'm planning to get stronger, probably on the same level as someone in a sport like competitive bodybuilding. I'm not looking to get much bigger, I just want to get a lot stronger. I think the gym will be a good idea but I'm still too young to start driving so until then I want to just use the machines I can get. A good friend of the family is offering his bowflex to us for 650$, he spent $1850 on it and then bought a bunch of additions to it so getting it for $650 would be great. It's supposed to be able to provide 310 pounds of pressure and it can be upgraded, for now I can only bench 185lbs. so I don't think I'll be passing the 310 pound limit anytime soon, when I do I can upgrade it. Anyway, I think the bowflex should give me the same type of workout as using free weights would, even if it doesn't I'll be going to the gym religiously starting in a year or two...I would just like to know if anyone else has experience with this machine in paticular and if it gave them pretty much the same results as free weights would.

[Kalepha]

If you want to get stronger and are planning to join and workout religiously at a gym in a year or two, $650 for a Bowflex machine is a waste in my opinion. For about the same amount or a little less, you can buy a bench with some free weights, and it'll be much more effective. Machines aren't adequate for strength training. Experience with a Blowflex in particular, which falls under the category of machines and shares characteristics of machines such as less muscle incorporation per exercise type, wouldn't change that fact.

[Shepard]

It's better than nothing, and decent for your average person. Ellington Darden has a pretty good book on how to get the most out of your Bowflex.

However, if you are mainly interested in strength, a Bowflex can't compare to free weights, in my opinion. Dumbbells are going to be the best thing. You will incorporate more muscles into your lifts, as well as further your coordination ("mind-muscle connection"), which is a big part of overall strength.

[biknut]

a bow flex is a very good machine as far as bodybuilding machines go. we have one of the $650 ones in our kung fu school. it is a good quility machine even though it is the lowest price unit bow flex makes. compared to the free weights that we also have, it takes a lot less time and gets better results.

[athanatos]

Yeah, thats what I thought might be the case... My problem is pretty much space. The only place in my house that I'll be allowed to store all this stuff is in my room. If I go for an olympic weight set it'll take up 3/4 of it, I probably wont have enough room to use the stuff I've got. Maybe if I get some dumbells I could use them to do a full body workout, but I don't think I'm going to pass up the Bowflex. As shepard said, it's better than nothing, and I know that with just dumbells I won't be able to exercize everything. I think until I start going to the gym the bowflex will be enough, I'll just do every one of the 95 workouts it offers, and I'll do them as hard as I can, I doubt it will be that much different than using free weights.

[Kalepha]

It seems to be your only choice. So yes. It's better than nothing. But don't try too hard to make yourself believe that it won't be much different than free weights. It is, if your purpose is strength. If you're just starting out with weight training in general, for the first six months or so, there probably wouldn't be much of a difference in your growth rate between by using the Bowflex and free weights. But not much beyond that, free weights are superior for strength training.

[eternaltraveler]

For me, more importantly than how good of a workout you would get from an at home machine, is the fact that I wouldn't use an at home machine. Going to the gym means that I will actually work out. Having a machine at home means that I can workout at anytime, which only means that it becomes very very easy to put it off.

I'd get a membership at some kind of health club. Free weights for most exercises are vastly superior.

[scottl]

Free weights for most exercises are vastly superior.

Powerblock makes great adjustable dumbells and with a bench you have a good setup.

[athanatos]

Whats Powerblock?

[Shepard]

http://www.powerblock.com/

[athanatos]

Wow, very cool. I defenitely need to start using google more often...

[sub7]

I think the gym will be a good idea but I'm still too young to start driving so until then I want to just use the machines I can get. .

If you are too young to even start driving, I would not use either bowflex, dumbells or free weights. This may be a little too early for any of that stuff. Now you may be 15 and just under driving age, and could, in theory, do a gentle resistance training routine that will not hamper your growth. However, it sound like you will definitely not have access to supervision, hence I would say focus on bodyweight exercises and some other sport such as wrestling, Judo, athletics etc... that will give you still a lot of strenght and functional ability. Later on, when you find out that strength is the limiting factor in your success in these sports, you can add resistance training....

Sub7

[Karomesis]

athanatos, my reccomendation is to forego the machine in favor of an olympic weight set and get started with olympic lifting. It is extremely fun and addictive to do clean and jerks and snatches, also;I can provide you with studies proving it's effectiveness in reducing blood pressure, resting heart rate, injury, and enabling you to become more powerfull, flexible, and strong. There are only two machines I would reccomend, and they are both over 10K$ [:o] . If you would like more info, pm me.

[scottl]

athanatos, my reccomendation is to forego the machine in favor of an olympic weight set and get started with olympic lifting. It is extremely fun and addictive to do clean and jerks and snatches, also;I can provide you with studies proving it's effectiveness in reducing blood pressure, resting heart rate, injury, and enabling you to become more powerfull, flexible, and strong. There are only two machines I would reccomend, and they are both over 10K$ [:o] . If you would like more info, pm me.

Are you really suggesting that he do olympic lifts without any instruction? Don't get me wrong, olympic lifts are great, but it is enough to learn good form on simpler lifts.

[Karomesis]

yes. If he is intelligent enough to understand the basics he can go on to excell at the O lifts...... I was. [:o] and now after 1 year of practice; snatch-200lbs clean & jerk 235 for reps. bodyweight 200lbs. bench press 300lbs, dip with 120lbs for 5 reps, squat 400lbs for 3 reps, ect. If I could reccomend 1 thing, it would be the O lifts without hesitation. Start with the basics, and progress to the classic snatch and clean & jerk. The one arm snatch is also very challenging, but not for the begginer.

[sub7]

Sorry if I missed it but has the thread starter revealed how old he is? This individual is not old enough to even drive and you are suggesting that he get a weight set and do Olympic lifts, and wihtout instruction nonetheless??? IMO not a very good idea...

Sub7

[scottl]

Sorry if I missed it but has the thread starter revealed how old he is? This individual is not old enough to even drive and you are suggesting that he get a weight set and do Olympic lifts, and wihtout instruction nonetheless??? IMO not a very good idea...

Sub7

Agreed (for most people).

The one arm snatch is also very challenging, but not for the begginer.

I don't understand this comment (unless you're talking about one arm BARBELL snatch). One arm DB snatch is the only oly exercise I can really do at the moment (well OK high pulls too) and is fun and will kick your ass without much training:

http://www.stumptuou...icle.php?aid=82

scroll down to the third exercise

[scottl]

Oops "will kick your ass without much training:" is supposed to mean you don't need an instructor to show you. You can get the idea from the web and some practice.

[athanatos]

I'm 15, I'll be turning 16 in a couple of months. I've been lifting weights since the summer I turned 13, but the weight set I have right now is at its limit, and I'm ready to get somthing new. I only have a total of 190lbs of weights overall, I cant even fit them all on my bench press bar, and I'm benching 185. The weight set I'm using it what my mom used a long time ago, its outdated now. I don't think I'll be able to find weights that actually fit on it. I was thinking about getting a whole new olympic set and everything but I don't have the money or room for all that. The bowflex doesn't seem like its what I'm looking for, so I think I'm going to go for getting the free weights. If weight lifting is going to stunt my growth I think it already has...I haven't grown more than an inch since the summer after I turned 13..I'm still 5ft10 though so its not that much of a loss..

[Karomesis]

scott, Yes I was reffering to a barbell 1 arm snatch [:o] It is extremely difficult.

sub7, a progressive training regimen starting with a barbell and leading to weights eventually is not that difficult, I have instructed my 60 year old out of shape mother to clean and jerk 60 lbs and snatch a 45lb barbell, a teenager is in much better shape to O lift wouldn't you agree? don't get me wrong I also reccomend weighted yoga, gymnastic movements, and martial arts; a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

[sub7]

I agree but, if this gentelemen has no one around to show him how to perform the exercises, it is pretty hard to know if he is doing them right. I would suggest that he get some instruction at least for a few hours before starting to train entirely on his own

Sub7