Bowflex Tips

Want a Bowflex . . . which one to get? My husband and I are planning to buy a Bowflex - should we get a Bowflex Sport Plus Home Gym that I can get for a good price used, or is it ...

Bowflex Sport Home Gym Brand:BowflexFitness Type:Weight Training EquipmentSports Type:Personal FitnessWeight Training Equipment Type:Home Gyms • Weight Tra...

There are many models of Bowflex machines. I have been working out for over 25 years and am a Personal Trainer. I am spending considerable time using these various models. I have reviewed several models and have briefly compared them. This is a stand alone review of the Bowflex Sport however when I think it will help you I will make mention of other models. The Sport is the least expensive of the Bowflex models. It is also most like the Ultimate series in looks but it has fewer features keeping the price significantly lower. I will also be duplicating some information from other reviews of mine when necessary.

Details about the Bowflex Sport:

There are many different types of machines. The ones you may be most used to use stacks. That means the weights are stacked one on top of the other. A pin goes into the amount of weight you want whether it is 20 pounds or 200. You may also have experience with machines that use resistance digitally or benches where you put on plates to give you the amount of weight you want.

The Bowflex uses what they call Power Rods. These power rods are made in the USA and are specifically engineered for strength and long life. They are made using a proprietary (meaning we do not know nor do they have to disclose it) process that is tested to ensure quality, durability and strength. Having really taken a look at these rods, I am coming to the conclusion that the rods are stronger than but similar to Weider’s Crossbowthey are stronger than machines made by Weider but similar to the Crossbow. Note -if you are comparing the two the Sport is $300 more than the Crossbow.

The Sport comes standard with 210 pounds of power rod resistance. You can add more resistance and upgrade to 310 or 410 pounds for $99.00 each. The way the rods work is that they are hooked to a cable pulley system. You can hook one, two, three, four or all of the Power Rods to the cable pulley system and go from as little as 5 pounds all the way up to 210 or the upgraded resistance. The 210 pounds is the same as many of the models that Bowflex offers but is 100 pounds less than the Ultimate.

When I wrote my review of the Crossbow I mentioned that you had to twist a bit which for people with shoulder problems or who are large may not be a comfortable way of changing resistance. The Bowflex Sport works like the other Bowflex models which is much more to my liking. I have to stand up to change resistances. I don’t reach around. This has its pros and cons. On the one hand I think it is a safer machine for anyone over 40 years old who may be more prone to injury. On the other hand it takes longer than any machine I have seen to change resistance weights. I have had shoulder injuries so I am very sensitive to this difference.

What you get:

You will get an adjustable seat with Polyurethane cushion. The seat has a rail that allows me to slide so I can use my machine as a rower. I think if you are looking at “universal type” machines and don’t have a piece of cardio equipment having the ability to row is a plus. However I am going to recommend this machine for the beginner; perhaps even a female beginner. If you are a large person and/or a body builder this machine will not offer you enough. If you upgrade to more weights then I think it is time to look for another model.

I also use this seat to do leg press. Leg presses work my quadriceps (upper thighs) and hamstrings. This is the same seat I do leg curls on. Leg curls are an isolated exercise and only work my quadriceps. It is a great feature to have on the machine versus buying a machine and then having to get the leg curl as an attachment. Note that this attachment is not standard on the Ultimate. The leg attachment is easily put on and off with pins and will have to be taken off to do some exercises

A difference I noted immediately is the lack of a separate upper pad which you will see on some other machines notably the Xtreme XTLU. This is an issue of comfort and convenience more than anything else. I move the bench from a lying position to an upright position. I would use the upright position for example if I wanted to do seated bicep curls and wanted support behind my back.

The bows are quite flexible and are identical on the Sport as on other more expensive models. The Sport has an adjustable pulley system, which is designed to change the angle of resistance. This means that I can do a chest press fairly easily with the bows in a bent shape. Each bow has a loop on it which attaches to a cable. Essentially that is all there is to the Bowflex. It is simple to use; requires no knowledge of programming and you get the ability to do over 60 exercises. I must say that many of these exercises are really working the same muscle group. So technically I can do a seated and standing bicep curl and that counts as two exercises, I am still working the same head of my bicep. It is easy enough though to move the handles to the side and change positions of the head of my bicep muscle I am targeting.

The Sport has a lat tower. The lat tower works the latissimus dorsi muscles in the back and in my opinion is a must have piece. Note that the Ultimate series does not have an integrated lat tower so this is a really nice feature to have at this price.

The Sport comes with workout handles which I use for my biceps, chest, triceps and my legs. These handles can be put around my foot to so leg lifts which work my buttocks. The Sport has a lower pulley/squat station which is also a great feature for an expensive machine. This allows me to do low rows for my back and work my entire leg doing squats.

It comes with a fitness guide; has a no time limit warranty on the power rods and a 5-year limited warranty on materials and workmanship.

The Sport measures a little over 7’ in height x 7’ 6″ in length and it is 3’ 2″ wide. The Sport folds to 52″ long x 38″ wide. My opinion is not to fold a piece of fitness equipment unless you have it in the middle of your living room and are having company.

My Final Thoughts:

I have gotten to like the Power Bows although when I was first introduced to them I couldn’t fathom that they wouldn’t be breaking all the time. They don’t. That isn’t to say you won’t break one but with the lifetime warranty you shouldn’t have to worry. I haven’t heard of too many complaints about the company’s customer service being non responsive.

The Bow technology is different so if you are used to using stacks or cables it will take you a bit of time to get used to. Still the Sport is more expensive than the Crossbow but I am feeling good about the quality of Bowflex machines.

The Sport is a great beginner’s machine. You may get better warranties on other models. You may want more resistance; you may want a more compact machine. The Sport is not for everyone. The Ultimate will give you over 90 exercises which the beginner doesn’t need in my opinion. I like the Sport and am recommending it.

One more important point. I have received e-mails from shorter people who have trouble using many of the fitness pieces I review. That is true of this machine as well. If I had it in me I would start a company that made machines for women and/or shorter people. Since women’s bodies are different from men’s there are many pieces of equipment that are not comfortable. To name one it is the abdominal crunch in the gym. The upper pad hits my chest at an uncomfortable place. The point of this is that I do know these machines are not going to be comfortable for some people. We will have to make adjustments until some company comes up with equipment designed for women. Thanks for reading. jo

Feel free to leave me a question or comment.

My Bowflex reviews:

What you should know about the Bowflex Brand • Bowflex TreadClimber TC 1000 ~ Bowflex Treadclimber TC3000 • Bowflex HighTech Select Dumbbells • Bowflex Xtreme XTLU • Bowflex Ultimate•

Bowflex Motivator 2

My other fitness related reviews can be found on my profile page.

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