Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym (Discontinued)

I will openly admit that I was highly skeptical of the Bowflex for a long time before I actually bought it. Simply put, it seemed a bit too much like one of the many fitness gimmicks or fads out there. I had previously been going to a 24 hour fitness gym routinely (i.e., 2-4 times a week) for the past 2-3 years, which I liked and enjoyed. However, after I had a baby, my time starting becoming increasingly limited and so I finally decided to gamble on a Bowflex from Amazon. I have had it now for a little over 3 months and wanted to wait to review it because I really wanted to spend some time evaluating it (again, was very skeptical). I feel comfortable doing so now. I will list my observations below: 1. The price and free shipping through Amazon were unbeatable. Although you can pick this older version of the Bowflex up at Academy Sports and many other big chain stores for a similar price, having it delivered to your garage was very nice and convenient. 2. Assembly was really very simple, and I'm not mechanic at all. It took me about an hour and was very easy/unproblematic. 3. The machine is very sturdy -- sturdier than I anticipated in fact. I don't see it failing structurally anytime soon. 4. The power rods are also very sturdy. I actually set out with the mindset that I'm going to try to break the damn things (not literally, but not hold back on them) and just see if they hold up. Thus far, they have been amazing. 5. The versality of the system -- while obviously not a full gym -- is really pretty amazing. You can get a nice full body workout with it. Granted, you will lose the ability to do some of the exercises available in a full gym or on some bigger much more expensive systems, but I've honestly gotten more ripped and in better shape with the Bowflex than I did after years of going to the gym doing free weight and machine training, so that downside is really minimized or offset by the end result. 6. I was very concerned about the seemingly low resistance weight (supposedly 210 lbs, which seemed like a joke), but not anymore. I am an average sized guy (5'11", 175) and it is more than adequate. Granted, I'm not trying to become a body-builder with this thing, but instead trying to get a good, strong resistance workout and have been able to do just that with resistance weight (rods) to spare. No concerns at all with resistance level/weight (some folks have complained about the weight being lighter than what it is supposed to be, but even if it is, it hasn't affected me at all. Just find your preferred resistance and you are set; the numbers really don't matter once you learn the system, which is quick to do). 7. Using the machine is incredibly efficient. I can now get nearly the same workout I was getting at my 24-hr gym in literally half the time (or actually less) with no waiting and super quick change outs between exercises, the latter of which I was initially worried about being too burdensome. It's not at all. Super fast and efficient. 8. Regarding the size, it is about what you'd expect from a standard bench press set-up, only it folds up nicely. I have mine in the garage and have no complaints about its size or space and neither does my wife. 9. Regarding the resistance exercise vs. standard weight and machine training issue/debate, there is a difference and it does take a little bit to get used to, but I did within the first work-out or two and now very much prefer resistance training. You get resistance both ways and have a greater range of motion than most gym machines (and with free weights you often need some type of support). That is about it. I have come to love this thing and am very glad I got it. I can now workout at home anytime I want to without waiting and really enjoy it. It is super fast and efficient and very sturdy and challenging. It is a brilliant machine and concept and I highly recommend it if you have the right expectations.

This is exactly what I wanted! I LOVE it! It is easy to use. The movement is smooth, it feels substantial, not flimsy. I have been doing the 20 minute Better Body Workout for a month now, three times a week. I can see a LOT of improvement in my muscle tone already, and I have replaced some fat with muscle! I am a 58 year old, post menopausal woman, so yes, you CAN see improvement even if you are not young! I would NOT miss a workout, it is so much fun and so enjoyable. You will need some room for this machine, it is pretty large. I have a bedroom I keep it in, which is now my private gym! I love being able to just go into the room, put on my workout music, and have a private workout session. I had help putting it together, well, actually, I had someone do it for me. It took him less than an hour to put it together. Update: Almost 3 months later, I cannot BELIEVE how much improvement I've seen in my body composition! I recently had a checkup and my doctor was impressed with the improvements also. I've lost about a size, I would say. My body is much leaner and fit, and my chronic pain I lived with for years is very much diminished. I combine the Better Body Workout (in the manual you get with the machine) with some crunches, some yoga, some stretching.. in all about an hour's workout 3 times a week. My diet has not changed that much, I was already on a carb controlled diet and that was not really helping. I was already walking 30-60 minutes a day and that was not really helping. THIS helped! I feel better than I have in YEARS. It is worth EVERY DOLLAR!

Read many reviews on many websites. And after looking it all over, I figured I knew enough about working out, how to use equipment, and that the huge difference in price between the PR1000 and the next model up was not worth it. Overall, I'm glad with my decision to purchase the PR1000. Free shipping with Amazon and about $75 cheaper than picking up at my local Walmart, so this was a bonus. Got in one day after I ordered it. Came UPS right to my front door, so this was another bonus since I didn't have to go through the store process of getting it to my door by myself. Assembly was easy. Probably an hour to put together. One negative that influenced my purchase was that I have seen in some reviews that you can max out the weights (especially with the leg press) and you cannot upgrade it. I completely understand this, however, I think for 90% of owners, the 210 lbs it came with is not going to be a factor. The whole idea with this machine is to go SLOWER than using free weights. You also get the force of the rods in BOTH directions of the exercise. So if you are doing a bicep curl, for instance, you would be taking 2-4 seconds to do the upward motion against the resistance rods and then 2-4 seconds going back down against the resistance rods...with each complete motion you are getting DOUBLE workout. If you are doing it in a paced controlled manner, getting up to the 210 lbs weight limit doing 8-12 reps of 4-8 second motions...times 2-4 sets of reps...this is a LOT of working out for one exercise. If you are a gym rat, yes indeed you could be saying that's not enough weight for you. But if you are Joe/Jane Public getting your 30 minute workout each day, you will have trouble getting out of bed the next morning maxing out the rods on your exercises assuming you are doing them with the suggested methods. And quite frankly, you are beyond home gym and need to get into a real gym at that point. So the big negative I read about not being able to upgrade the weights may or may not ever be reached by me given my workout habits. I'm just looking for strength training and so far after a couple of weeks, I'm super pleased with it overall. Only takes about 30 seconds to change over from bicep curls to leg curls or a lat pull down. Its really really simply. All the pulleys, attachments, and surfaces are nicely built and comfortable to use. I don't have any negatives so far other than that I wish you could lay down on the bench and somehow do hamstring curls. You can only do it standing in an awkward fashion, but it does concentrate right on the glutes and hammy. Comparing the weight numbers on the resistance rods to what you can do in free weights...well, you can just forget that. Since you are using a machine, you do get a bit of a mechanical advantage. However, its not as easy as you think that you can do more weight. You are pulling at angles that don't necessarily give you the mechanical advantage you expect. And when you are doing the exercises in a slow and deliberate manner, the 10th rep feels 5x heavier than the 1st rep. Its deceiving and you need a few workouts to work out your ideal weight resistance rods. Folding it up and down is very easy. I hate to say it, but even my wife can do it without help ;) Once she used it a few times, she doesn't need my help at all on how to switch out to do another exercise; what handle goes where, etc. I would assume for most people that your experience would be the same and you could quickly change from one exercise to another. There is a manual that comes with it that covers most exercises that would concentrate on a particular area. It also includes a couple of varied training regiments with suggestions for Day 1, Day 2, etc. Very useful, I think. Overall, I think it was a great purchase for $450. I easily get a quality workout on professional quality equipment. Compared to my days of going to the gym and spending more time waiting inline for equipment than using it, I LOVE my BowFlex.

After years of focusing on cardio to lose weight (and not seeing any results - zip, zero, zilch, nada, not a pound), I've returned to intense, focused weight training, which I did 12 years ago when I lost 50 lbs to drop from 215 to 165. I realized that since I'm now 40 years old, my metabolism is faltering, and my knee and ankle joints preclude me from running, weight training is the answer. Well, "weight training" is a misnomer here. It really is resistance training. The Bowflex is an incredible example of ingenuity and engineering. I was never skeptical, but I didn't expect just how rigorous the workouts would be. As plenty of others have noted, the resistance rods force you to engage your primary and stabilizing muscles. Gym machines are fine and all, but they do a lot of the work for you. When using the resistance rods, your muscles WILL tremble as you engage all of them. I was doing incline chest presses and my forearms quivered and I squeezed out that last rep. It was great. Tremendous burn. Expect to feel the impact for awhile afterwards. It's amazing just how many muscles you can work with these simple, yet brilliant rods. You can hit every major and minor muscle in 20-30 minutes a day. That's much better than an hour on a stair master or elliptical machine. Color me impressed. The assembly was probably a bit more complicated than it could have been. I believe numbering or labeling the screws would have been very helpful (I'm not mechanically inclined, at all). All in all, it took a couple of hours, but once set up, it's very stable and durable. No one's going to knock it over. My only knock on it is that I find leg extensions a bit uncomfortable. The pads, in my opinion, don't offer enough cushioning. But I'll adjust. I also purchased The Bowflex Body Plan book here on Amazon. I was able to get it for about $4.50 used after shipping. I highly recommend it. The control study cited in the book indicated that the average six week weight loss for men was 25+ lbs for me and 17 lbs for women. That's not unsubstantial. Lastly, take a look at the difference between sprinters and marathon runners. Which do you want to be? Sprinters are sleek, svelte, muscular and, in my opinion, much more pleasant to look at. Sprinters weight train. That's the key. Count me among the converted.

I purchased this from Amazon a while ago - wanted to get some time using it before writing a review. As always, my experience with Amazon was a good one - it arrived in excellent condition much sooner than the estimated delivery. All the pieces were in the box and nothing was damaged, bent, dented, broken or messed up in any other way. I was able to assemble the product myself - the only parts not included are two adjustable wrenches (and you will very likely need TWO). The assembly wasn't any more difficult than many other things I've assembled - just read and follow the directions carefully and it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Some of the steps were a little tricky by myself so having another for a few things probably wouldn't hurt, but as I said I was able to do it without any help and I didn't go crazy or anything like that in the process. My only complaint with the assembly was a few of the small pieces that I had to hunt for. I noticed during the assembly, and now from using it, the equipment is very sturdy. Not cheap plastic or anything like that, so you're definitely getting something that won't easily break. As far as the exercising, I was basically looking for something with a wide range of strength exercises to supplement an existing routine I was already doing. It needed to be something that could do a number of things, but that I could use safely on my own. I looked at a few different pieces before settling on this and I'm glad I got it. It supports a wide number of exercises for different muscles, and the manual that lists them was a nice addition - there were definitely some exercises in there I wouldn't have thought to try with it. When you first start using it you may find it a little awkward, especially since each hand is working a different set of flex rods without the stability or support of a solid rod like normal weight lifting. After a bit, though, you'll get used to it and won't really notice it at all. It didn't take too long to get used to adjusting the rods and doing the exercises and after a week or two you'll have no trouble setting the machine up for whatever you need. I wouldn't call this a heavy, heavy strength training machine - it's not gonna turn you into a 1980s Schwarzenneger, but for most people looking at strength training equipment this is a good choice. A few people did mention they didn't think the max 210 was enough for their legs, but I would agree with some others that if you're performing your reps in a slow and controlled manner then you'll find yourself getting a good workout. A few other things - as I said it comes with a manual that outlines different exercises along with some routines that you can follow throughout the week to get started, so even if you're not familiar with the exercises there's stuff there to get you going. The bench can fold up, and it's very easy to do so - no hassle to get it up and down like some other equipment I've used. So overall I'd certainly recommend this to home exercisers - it made a very good addition to my routine and probably will for you as well.

**Update 2 years later below***This review is for the Bow flex PR1000 and my use of it over the last 3 months. I don't think it's necessary to go into great detail concerning the shipping etc. but the machine is packaged very well. Assembly time- With me and a friend it took about 1 hour. Quality- I was surprised on the quality of the machine. It is sturdy and very well made. After three months it is holding up as it did on the first day. Workouts- There is a lot of workouts you can do on this machine. I would highly recommend the bow flex body plan book as it is a valuable reference. Concerning the workouts the point of the Bow flex is resistance. Each motion of exercise should be controlled. Workout results-With dieting I have lost 35 lbs. and using the bow flex only 3 times a week for approx. 30 minutes a workout. Other Models- I was somewhat overwhelmed at the different models and Bow flex nor do reviews on Amazon really help in this area. After doing exhaustive research I found the main difference between this model and the Pr3000 is mostly the Pr3000 comes with 100 extra lbs. of resistance. For another 500 bucks, they can keep it. *Side note. There are numerous articles and videos showing how you can add more power bars/replace with higher weight without buying a more expensive model. It's actually quite easy. Free weights vs. Bow flex. You will have friends and so called experts argue one over the other. Through my own experience now and in the past, the bow flex concentrates on and makes you use smaller muscles you thought you never had. Will you top out the weights/power bars is a concern I had when buying this. At this point the answer is no. If you're looking to be the next Mr. Olympia then you wouldn't be buying this anyways. But the short answer is this will get you in shape, tone or add some bulk, depending on your workouts. And will continue to do so for years to come. Space required- This is not a small machine so a good 8x10 area is recommended for use. Does it work? - The answer is yes as long as you use it.You will see results as long as the machine is used and you diet. Overall rating- The Bow flex pr1000 definitely is worth the money. The machine is well made and will do its job. **Update Two Years Later* This machine has helped me lose 60llbs of fat in a healthy way, that is not starving myself but by exercising. I have been going to a local gym and still the use bow flex when I am short on time or the weather is bad. I can now speak from experience from using both the Bow flex and free weights in a gym. The bow flex will still do its job and do it well. The key is still to do the exercises slowly. For example, when doing a bench press don't jerk up, push up counting to three, hold, and then come down in three. It will hit the little muscles and will really sculpt you. Works excellent, rods are fine, it has stayed together nicely. The bowflex works if you use it!

After 60 days with the product, I can say that I have found it very useful. After trashing my shoulders lifting heavy free weights and father time beginning to flex HIS muscle, I knew that I needed something challenging and beneficial but not as high impact as free weights. I was very skeptical of the whole "home gym" process. The gym went together very quickly, instructions on set up and excercises were very clear and the quality is absolutely great. The Bowflex has been fantastic in helping me regain strength and flexibility as well as loosing 15lbs (so far). I'm not a big diet person. If I were disciplined, I certainly would have lost more. I've seen near immediate results in upper body definition and the included bands offer enough resistance for me to feel like I've gotten a very thourough workout provided I spend enough time on the machine. For me that is typically 60 minutes 4-5 times per week. There are some cons. For leg excercises, this model is simply inadequate for anyone that is fairly athletic. I get the impression most of the excersises were designed for upper body first and then the engineers figured out the best way to incoporate some leg excercises. Another other notebale drawback is the amount of resistance. For my wife and teenaged sons, there is more than enough resistance for their long term activity. I've found that I can use all of the bands and still do 4-6x15 sets (yes...correctly) without much trouble for several of the exercises. I should note that I spent several years strength training and was not surprised to reach the max resistance quickly. Finally, if you are very tall, the range of motion may be limiting for you. At 5'7", I can get full extension without issues. Taller than 6' may prevent you from doing some of the excersises just because the bands and cables will reach their maximum length. If you are obese, this is not the place to start. The bench requires balance and core strength when laid down flat; it's not bolted on. Overall, for the price and quality of the product, I am very happy. When I have lower back tightness or shoulder pain, I can count on the time spent on the Bowflex to help allieviate those symptoms. I fully expect to lose a few more pounds and continue to see positive results. If you use the machine as it's designed with proper posture, rep volume and consistency; I would be surprised to hear anything but positive results.

Let's just say that Amazon is AWESOME!! Instead of paying over 150 dollars for shipping and over a hundred for tax, this was worth every penny! Assembly was really simple except for the seat bar, you almost need two people for that one to balance it out...but I got it on with some patience. Everything was easy to put together and the machine looks incredible! Now I have worked out on free weights for over 8 years now, getting the Bowflex was a big step for me, but I wanted a gym at home instead of joining a gym and wasting money on membership fees and having to wait in line for the weight area to become free. The first exercise I did was bench press, I was immediately impressed by how great the machine made my muscles contract. My arms shook a lot in the beginning probably because I was not used to doing bench press without a bar, but I got down to the rhythm of it in just a few repetitions. After using the machine and getting an amazing ab workout, I woke up this morning feeling like a truck hit me...which is exactly how I like to feel the morning after a good workout! Sore is a good sign that the machine works! My max on bench press is 275 pounds and 285 on decline, so for a machine that has a max weight of 210 pounds to give me a great workout is just what I was looking for. I would recommend this machine to anyone because 1.) The price you can not beat with free shipping and no tax 2.) It works your body just like free weights do 3.) You will probably spend the same amount that you pay for this thing over a two year period with a gym that does not belong to you at all 4.) MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! You can work out at home ANYTIME you want and not have to worry about how you look, the weather or the extra expense of driving all the way over there! I think this is a great product, and so far it has made my entire body sore, exactly what I was looking for. I hope the review helps :-).

It arrived 3 days early, dumped on my driveway. Luckily it is heavy, so no one stole it. Who knows how long it had been sitting out there in broad daylight! It was quite a heavy box to slide and lift up against the house so I could park my car. That was the first workout! And it was a doozy. The movement of the machine is smooth. It is a joy to use, and really does make your muscles work out. There are so many exercises you can do that you will probably never get bored. This machine is definitely great value for the money. This is a great machine for women, older individuals, people rehabilitating from disease or accident. It is not a great machine for men who are already pressing lots of weight. It is also less expensive than a gym membership, so if you think you can self-motivate to exercise in the privacy of your own home, this is the first piece of equipment I would recommend you buy. Next on the list would be a treadmill for cardio (or a stair stepper), followed by teaching yourself how to do stretches (free) and balancing exercises (also free - think yoga poses). There you have it, all you would need to keep healthy for life when you add in healthy diet and good sleep habits. (Oh, and of course, quit those bad habits, you all know what I am talking about.) For set up, a socket wrench and vise grips make it quick and easy. My first recommendation is to measure the bolts, and place them on the page that indicates the parts list. Makes it easy to find which one you need when you need it. This is important, because some of those bolts are only 1/4 inch longer than the others, so it is easy to confuse them. Set up is very easy if you take your time. It does help to have a willing partner, but set up can be completed by one person. Unpacking the box actually seemed to be the hardest part of set up. There are 2 metal plugs with holes in them that come tied to the seat bar. There are no instructions for them. They fit into the holes that you use to bolt the seat rail to the upright part of the machine. The instructions about the bolt that is used to keep the seat rail raised when not in use, or set into the seat rail when in use, are not clearly defined. When is use, the bolt with the large handle grip should be screwed into the seat rail, up close to the upright part of the machinery. When the machine is not in use, and you want to raise the seat rail to free up space in the room, the bolt goes into the hole on the right hand side of the plate where the machine swivels. You have to look to make sure you line up the two holes properly before inserting the hand grip bolt, but you will get the hang of it. The rail goes exactly upright, 180 degrees from the floor, not leaning in towards the upright parts. It is very important to put this bolt in place to avoid injuries to yourself, children, pets, visitors, your floor. The upright will stay up without the safety bolt, but it will also fall if jostled. And believe me, if it fell something or someone would get hurt. It is very heavy. Stay safe. Play safe. I know the explanation above could be clearer if I knew the correct terms, but I did my best. Good luck. Better instructions than what came with the bowflex. When lowering the seat rail, stand to the side, and be prepared for the weight. This is very important the first few times you lower it, as you will be surprised at how heavy it is. You want to control the machine, not the other way round. One more small note, the exercise descriptions are wonderfully laid out, but if you are a non-exerciser, I suggest you look on the net for further descriptions of each exercise. It is really easy to misinterpret the pictures, and the explanations are somewhat lacking.

For the price and what you can do with this basic Bowflex unit, it's a pretty good deal. You can buy all sorts of machines that will do just one thing for the same price or more. It's fairly easy to assemble and the construction is solid. Officially, you can do 30 exercises with this model, but there far more possibilities than those included in the manual. Butterflies and reverse wrist curl as an exemple. The leg station could have used the extra parts needed for Lying Leg Curls, without them, the whole front of the machine serves only for leg extensions. My only real problem with the machine so far is the resistance of the power rods. 210 lbs isn't enough for calf raises and leg presses. The 5 lbs power rods seem useless. They don't offer enough resistance to be worth the space they are taking on the machine. I know it's possible to replace the 5 lbs rods with a pair of 50 lbs, but in my opinion, an extra pair of 30 lbs rods should have come with the machine by default.

I'm very impressed! It was delivered today. The box was pretty rough looking so I was a bit worried when I unpacked it. But luckily it is packaged very well on the inside so nothing was bent or damaged. Just a small scratch on one of the pieces. Putting it together was actually easier than I expected. The parts are all well made. The instructions were easy to follow. Took about 90 mins. Tried it out to see how it felt and the resistance rods really do make a difference. I love the resistance the whole time you do reps. You really feel the burn in your muscles! I'm a female who works out a lot and I think this bowflex is great for just about anyone since you have so many options for the resistance and different exercises. I highly recommend this!

*NOTE* I revised my review and took away a star because this unit is NOT UPGRADEABLE! If you use this unit for a while like I did (6 months), even though I was small to begin with (125 lbs), I've now maxed out on some routines especially leg exercises (press, calf raises) even if I've gained only 20 lbs. You will not be able to use 310-410 lb rod upgrades with this machine! I was excited about getting back to working out this spring! Though I was not interested in a membership at a gym, I figured the price-tag for the PR1000 alluring. I have a spare bedroom, albeit a small 14 x 14 room and the bowflex fits perfectly with plenty of room for other accessories. Even if I expected a bit of a hassle putting it together, the instructions could have been just a tad more precise on what was needed as tools, and what parts (the bits and pieces) were which. Took about 2 hrs to put together. All one really needs is a pair of vice grips, an ajustable wrench and some patience! A great, fun tool to get back into the grove. Mainly for upper body workout though...

noisy and machine is stiff...wish I could get a refund.