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Bowflex Ultimate 2 Power Gym During the late fall and winter season I gain a lot a weight.It comes from not using my body as much as I do during grass cutting sea...

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...

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 and have pretty much the same outlook as I did for the Power Pro.

To recap, I “slammed” the Power Pro because I felt that your money could be better spent on a fitness center than a piece of equipment that you are bound to become bored with. I also suggested looking into a few pieces of individual equipment- free weights, a bike, etc- as an alternative to the Power Pro. Finally, I had a few annoying maintenance problems that still pop up from time to time.

I have seen the Ultimate in various the Dick’s Sports of the world, but had never used one until I recently spent a week at my sister’s home in Florida. Her husband purchased the Ultimate a month or two back and has been using it frequently since he has a varied and hectic schedule that makes getting to the gym difficult. I spent seven full days working out as much as I would at home and got a pretty good working knowledge of the Ultimate. One thing I must say I missed from my last trip to Florida- one that involved a ton of running- was the fact that the Ultimate does not allow me to see 85 year old women in thongs and men sporting speedos. Whoooo Hoooo!!!

With that, what did I like about the Ultimate?

FLEXIBILITY: The machine has numerous different exercises and allows you to truly get a full body workout. The Ultimate has a number of leg exercises that are not present with the Power Pro- a much needed feature. After a good workout, you will feel it.

EASE OF USE: The Ultimate is relatively easy to use, but can take some time to get accustomed to. I have experience with how to use a bowflex machine; for a beginner there is definitely a ramp up period.

EFFECTIVENESS: The Ultimate definitely provides a full workout. You will feel the same burn as you do when working out at your fitness facility. The negative is that you cannot entirely isolate individual muscles as you can with individual machines and free weights.

GUIDE BOOK: The guide book is quite helpful. You can troubleshoot, learn about the new exercises and what muscles they work, and it will show you how to get started. A nice addition is a video to help you get going.

WARRANTY: The Ultimate comes with a five year limited warranty on all parts. With the number of moving parts that are involved with the machine, this is a huge plus. The more moving parts you have; the more likely you will experience a problem. My brother- In- law has the same problem with the Ultimate that I had with the Power Pro- one stubborn screw that does not want to stay tight.

MAINTENANCE: The Ultimate needs a little bit of upkeep from time to time. It helps to grease the pulleys a little bit when/if the start to make noise. The seat can get to be difficult to slide and dusting takes a couple of years at the least. All in all, the upkeep is not too demanding.

The above does not read much differently from what I wrote two years ago. There really are not that many differences between the two machines. The biggest difference is that the Ultimate provides a few more upper body exercises, runs a little more smoothly and allows you to work your legs. The Ultimate provides 90 “different” workouts. I use quotes for the word different because the exercises are really not all that different. You simply put a little more work into a muscle group than another exercise may.

The problem I have with the Ultimate is that the price is $2000. The Power Pro runs for $1000. Are the leg exercises really worth $1000? Sure, there are a few upper body workouts that are not available with the Power Pro, but not enough to justify a 100% price increase. While we all know that the legs are important and should be included in any exercise/workout program, why not find alternative means of working the legs? For instance, running is free. A bike can be had for a few hundred dollars and an elliptical machine for a few hundred less than the Ultimate. Why not purchase the Power Pro and a completely separate piece of equipment?

What about the Ultimate’s particulars? In other words, what does the machine consist of? Here is a run down:

* 90 exercises (30 more than with the Power Pro)

* 300 LBS of resistance (able to upgrade to 400 LBS)

* Lat tower

* Leg extension/ leg curl station

* Lower pulley/ squat station

* Built in adjustable pulley system

* T bar

* Leg press belt

* Training manual with instruction video

* Five year limited warranty

* Six week results guarantee (Good luck asking for your

money back when you do not see the results you expect.)

In addition, the Ultimate is 7″ high, 8″ long and 2.5 feet wide. Bowflex claims that you fold and store the machine easily. Simply fold it up and roll it away to get it out of the way of the diner guests. Though my brother- in- law has never tried folding and rolling, I can tell you from experience that moving something as cumbersome and unwielding is never easy as it may seem.

What is my suggestion when it comes to the Ultimate? I think it is a pretty good piece of equipment, but would not purchase it. The reasons are pretty simple and come down to what you get for what you pay. Quite simply, I do not think that the $1000 more that you pay versus the Power Pro amounts to much. The extra cost basically gets you leg exercises/workouts and a few additional upper body workouts. Do you really need to be able to work your triceps six different ways? I would guess that five is more than enough unless you want to look like Fabio (and if you do, I feel for you).

I would suggest adding a set of free weights and perhaps an exercise bike to your workout routine rather than spending the extra $1000 on the Ultimate. You will save a few bucks and actually get a more comprehensive workout. A good machine, but not one I can recommend.

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