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Reviews on Bowflex Ultimate Bowflex Ultimate: The True Ultimate In Home Gyms! 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 happ...

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I am skeptical of reviews of products written in the first weeks of use (”I’ve just assembled my Bowflex and here’s what I think after an hour”), so I waited a year before contributing.

My BF Ultimate is well made, well designed, and has made me look forward to getting up at 6 AM to exercise. The quality of construction is high, and this machine looks and works as well as it did a year ago– no loose parts or bad cables (just some broken handles that BF replaced in 2 days w/o any hassle). This is after using it at LEAST 4 days a week for over a year. I tried to compare it with the new Crossbow at a local Sears, but the CB was too damaged from customer use to even try all the basic exercises (the clerk told me that they are replacing the CB “all the time” as the display models wear out fast). As so many have said, you get what you pay for… (I expect that the Crossbow will be next summer’s garage-sale special in lots of neighborhoods). The BF does take up some space: I’ve never folded it up, and with the leg attachment on it easily uses a 7X7X7 space.

The number of exercises can be overwhelming. I think you really need to write out a workout plan or risk getting lost in all the possibilities. This is a real plus for me, as I get bored with a routine and find the sheer number of possible exercises for each body part keeps my workouts fresh. (I work chest/back, arms/upper legs, and shoulders/lower legs on successive workouts, and do abs daily). The workout manual provided is good, and the video is detailed and comprehensive–a rather clinical/dry review of all the exercises, but with emphasis on correct technique. I recommend reviewing it every few months to keep your technique fine-tuned.

The resistance feels good, and allows me to work each (post-warmup) set to failure; there is no need for a spotter, so I can push myself past where I would feel safe/comfortable with free weights. I do NOT think the resistance translates into free weight equivalents; I now bench press, squat, and leg press all 410# on the BF, and estimate I could probably do about 3/4 that at a gym, so I would make a ~75% adjustment when comparing the two.

Unlike a universal-type gym, the range of motion is much greater, so you are not locked into a fixed muscular movement/path. I find this particularly important with my shoulder routine, as I had developed a persistent discomfort using my previous universal gym doing shoulder presses. With the BF I have made big gains in size and strength, and have no pain at all. Very gratifying. (I saw a Crossbow ad where the model was doing a lateral deltoid raise on the Bowflex from an obviously incorrect position, and had to laugh at the chicanery. The range of motion on the BF is one of its strong points, and at 6 ft. I have not “run out of cable” on any properly done movement)

The squat attachment has gotten mixed reviews from some users. I find it a great exercise, and as noted I can safely go to failure as no spotter is needed. My only complaint is that 410 pounds is really not enough resistance for my legs anymore. After 6 months I was up to 4 sets of 15-20 reps at 410 # on the squat and leg press, and there is no way to add more resistance. (I compensate by doing a slowww eccentric phase of the movement, pushing over a 2 count but trying to lower the weight over 10-15 seconds, which is harder than it sounds!)

I have made some modifications to my BF routines to emulate some gym exercises. I use a triceps rope for my tri pushdowns ($15 at the locals sports store), and modified the rowing exercise using a short piece of coated chain and a V-shaped rowing handle from an online gym supply outfit. Do I need any of these things?–not really, but after a year I know this machine so well that I can make little changes to enhance my workout and add variety.

So after using the BF Ultimate for a year, 4 mornings a week minimum (I really have trouble adhering to my “off-days”, which says a lot), I have the same enthusiasm and excitement about my workouts that I had that first week, when I almost wrote this review… I’ve lost 20 #, have a much stronger body, had to buy all new clothes (needed them anyway) and feel the BF is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Period.

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