If you hear “Bowflex” and a ’90s infomercial comes to mind, think again. The company, which has been developing home workout equipment for more than 30 years, is at the forefront of the industry — and its home gym remains popular today.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many people out of traditional gyms, forcing a transition to home workouts. Today, it’s more important than ever to maintain physical activity.
In fact, one recent study found that people who performed more than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity or more than 15 minutes per day of vigorous physical activity had a lower risk of prevalent depressive and anxiety symptoms (1).
While you don’t need fancy equipment for an effective workout, home gyms may provide many of the perks you’re missing from a traditional gym setting. Bowflex currently offers two home gym models.
This article explores the Bowflex home gym options, discussing their pros, cons, and costs, as well as whether they’re worth the investment.
While you can still purchase the company’s older home gym models, Bowflex currently offers two new models of its home gym: the Revolution and Xtreme 2 SE. Each offers unique features.
The Bowflex Revolution home gym costs $2,899. It comes with 220 pounds (100 kg) of SpiraFlex resistance — a type of technology that replaces weights — and can be upgraded to 300 pounds (136 kg) at an additional cost.
You can execute up to 100 exercises on this machine, which features a Freedom Arm system that adjusts independently based on your workout. The Revolution requires a 10-by-7-foot (3.1-by-2.1-meter) area, according to the company.
Who it’s best for: Because of the wide range of exercises it supports, the Bowflex Revolution is great for those who want to be able to switch quickly between exercises. Because of the range in resistance levels, it’s also a fit for families with multiple people of different weightlifting abilities.
The Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE home gym comes with 210 pounds (95 kg) of Power Rod resistance and can be upgraded to 410 pounds (185.8 kg) for an additional cost.
You can perform 70 exercises on this model, which features a lat tower with an angled lat bar and a no-change cable pulley system. Floor space of 8 by 6.5 feet (2.4 by 2 meters) is required, according to the company.
At $1,499, the Xtreme 2 SE model is less expensive than the $2,899 Revolution. This article focuses on the Xtreme 2 SE model.
Who it’s best for: The power rod system gives a proper amount of resistance without straining joints or muscles. This makes the Xtreme 2 SE ideal for those looking for a full body, lower impact strength training workout.
Its lower price point compared with the Revolution makes it a good fit for beginning to intermediate users. By paying for the upgrades, it can also advance as users get stronger or be appropriate for more serious athletes.
Bowflex’s Xtreme 2 SE home gym is based on its trademarked Power Rod resistance system, which provides resistance that feels comparable to that of free weights but without the associated inertia. Free weights may pose a risk for injury because they aren’t fixed.
In fact, in a study of emergency room cases involving gym accidents, overexertion was the most common cause of injury, plus the main cause related to general free weight activities. Crush injuries due to falling weights were common for all free weight activities as well (2).
Another benefit of the Xtreme 2 SE home gym’s resistance system is the no-change pulley apparatus, which relieves you from adjusting any cables or handles when moving from upper to lower body exercises, for instance.
Atop the machine, a lat bar tower allows you to target your upper body, such as your back and shoulders, with exercises like lat pulldowns and rows.
At the bottom, a four-position lower pulley station lets you do squats, deadlifts, and other lower body exercises. There’s also a leg extension bar off the seat to target your quads.
Five-way handgrips and ankle cuffs are included with the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE home gym, as well as a squat bar and ab crunch shoulder harness.
Sample workouts are also available in the manual. The manual offers seven workouts for those looking for some guidance on how to use the machine:
The Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE provides a full-body workout. Some exercises you can perform on it include:
Maximize your time by picking a few of the exercises from each area — lower body, upper body, and core — for a full-body workout, or target each area individually once per week.
The Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE home gym is a versatile option for someone looking to get a full-body workout at home. Its benefits include:
The Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE home gym has a few drawbacks, such as:
The Bowflex Revolution includes SpiraFlex Technology, Freedom Arms with 10 positions and 170-degree adjustments, and a leg press station with up to 600 pounds of resistance. It also has a preacher curl attachment, vertical bench press, and leg extension.
The Bowflex Revolution offers 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of resistance. (This can be extended up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) with the additional SpiraFlex resistance plate upgrade.)
The machine is 112 inches by 37.8 inches by 73 inches (284 cm by 96 cm by 185.4 cm), but it can be folded up to a size of 55 inches by 38 inches (140 cm by 96.5 cm).
The maximum capacity of the machine is 300 pounds (136 kg). It has a 10-year warranty on parts and 90 days on labor.
For an additional $199, you can purchase the Revolution Accessory Rack. The SpiraFlex resistance plate upgrade costs $99. The Bowflex Tricep Rope is also available as a separate purchase for $34.99
The Bowflex Revolution comes with a workout DVD, and there are others you can purchase as well to provide motivation and instruction for proper exercise form.
You can perform over 100 exercises (and over 400 variations) with the Bowflex Revolution. These equal a comprehensive core and abs workout, chest exercises, back exercises, shoulder exercises, arms exercises, and leg exercises.
An included DVD provides ideas and instructions for proper form.
Some examples of possible exercises include:
Bowflex isn’t the only company selling home gyms. There are lots of options out there.
Some competitors provide tons of equipment (and sleek ways to store it), while others take advantage of technology to minimize equipment and bring studio-style classes and personal trainers to you through mirrors.
Here’s a quick look at some of the other options available and who they might be best for:
Bowflex’s Xtreme 2 SE and Revolution are versatile home gyms that provide full-body workouts.
The Xtreme 2 SE’s high price tag and lack of a bench may steer some people away, but this product comes equipped with 210 pounds (95 kg) of resistance, a user-friendly pulley system, and a great warranty.
The Xtreme 2 SE is a great choice for not-so-serious lifters who want a good at-home strength workout.
Similarly, the Revolution’s even higher price tag and lack of a media rack might be deal breakers for some, but you can perform 100 different exercises on it from the comfort of your home.
If you have to or prefer to work out at home, either of these home gyms offers many of the basics you would find at a commercial gym.
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