BowFlex PR1000 Home Gym : Sports & Outdoors

10 reviews for BowFlex PR1000 Home Gym : Sports & Outdoors

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   J. Dunham – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Completely satisfied with the product.

   I received the product in a timely manner. The delivery people were very thorough and professional in making contact and ensuring it was delivered at a time when I was available. I’ve been studying different home gyms for about two months before deciding on this one. A couple factors I used was space, simplicity of use, durability, and how much of the body can be worked out effectively. I have been in fitness since the age of 16. I’m 45 now. So while I am not an official expert I have a lot of practical knowledge from reading, experience, and listening to others who know more than I do.Assembly was pretty straight forward. The gym comes in several large pieces and the manual was easy to follow for assembly. The manual suggests using two adjustable wrenches to attach the bolts and nuts. And while that will certainly work I think its better to use a socket and a combination wrench of the correct size. You don’t need many. Two maybe three different sized. Can’t remember specifically. Its just with using a combination wrench the possibility of it sliding off and slightly stripping the corners is a possibility. I put it together by myself with occasional assistance from my 9 year old (holding something while screwing it in) in about two and a half hours. The instructions are illustrated so you can see what goes where. The only thing i would add is a real size chart for the bolts because it is easy to get a couple of them mixed up. I would suggest reading the length of the bolt used and measuring it with a tape measure to ensure you have the right one. There are two sets of bolts that are very close in length and its easy to get them switched. Assembling the cables can be a little confusing especially since the directions let you figure out that there is a floating pulley. It shows the routing of the cable in a picture that is easy to understand and the pulleys themselves are numbered so you know you get the right order. Its really done well. Other than these few minor improvements that can be made, I was quite pleased.The users manual is what I think is the gem of this package. Someone put a lot of thought into this. If you are an experienced gym rat who lifts for years then just figure out the exercises and do your thing. But say you have never really worked out much in your life, it has really well thought out fitness plans for you to follow that are great and will help you meet your goals. Follow them. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.Now in order to be happy with your purchase and get people to not purchase something they don’t need I must explain what this gym isn’t. If you are a professional body builder or an extreme fitness person, this really isn’t the product for you. On Day one without having lifted in six years, I put on every single band of resistance it had and I pushed it out with ease on the bench press. Obviously I will need to purchase the additional bands to meet my fitness goal. Most men looking to build mass will be better served with free weights. Free weights are better….but they take up a lot of space. Free weights build secondary stabilizer muscles that track workouts don’t. And that is ok. That doesn’t make this unit bad. I’m just pointing out what it isn’t. This unit is for every day people who want to be fit from some light resistance training. Most people are not hard core fitness people or professional body builders. This gym is for you. Now there is another bowflex product similar to this one but this one is superior for one major reason. You don’t have to switch out the cables when you change exercises. When doing stamina strength training, rest periods become crucial between sets. You want to keep your heart rate up and you don’t want to be taking time switching cables out and cooling off. I super set and I kill it. Less than 15 seconds between sets.So to summarize, great product, easy to assemble, will work for the majority of people’s fitness goals, manuals are wonderfully thought out. I would buy this gym again. I am completely satisfied. Even though its not as effective as free weights, you don’t need to devote an entire room to the unit. It fits in a 4 x 6 space and 8 foot ceiling. If you are a man and want to do a little mass training, you will need to include the extra resistance package unless you just want to do 25 reps per set and burn out. Its not enough weight for larger men.

   46 people found this helpful
2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jon E. – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   High quality home gym

   After looking at several different Bowflex models, I bought this one. I was unimpressed with the PR1000 because it could not accommodate as many exercises as the Blaze. Other models (like the PR1000) did not have a horizontal bench. The Blaze is more expensive than the PR1000 – when following it for a while, the price usually was around $840; I got it when it briefly decreased to $650. But because I was spending $70 per month for a gym membership, once I received the Blaze, I cancelled my gym membership – so the Bowflex will pay for itself after a year of not having to pay a monthly gym membership.When I ordered the Blaze, I was instructed to select a delivery date and time; the earliest date was about 10 days after my date of order. The deliveryman took it into my home and was on time. Because the it comes unassembled, I took individual parts downstairs to my basement without difficulty (rather than moving the whole heavy box). My friend helped me assemble the Blaze. We did this leisurely over two hours or so while watching a movie on my TV. I could have done it myself in about the same time. Assembly was easy; the instructions were very clear. It only involved the use of allen wrenches (included) and a screwdriver.I also bought a mat for the Blaze at the time that I ordered the Blaze. It was difficult to find a well-rated mat that is as long to accommodate the bench. But I wanted to have the mat protect the carpet that my Blaze sits on. I ultimately found this one that is the right size and works fine:http://amzn.to/Q7r3J7I've been using the Blaze about every other day for 2-3 weeks now. I do about a 20-minute routine of upper and lower body exercises. The equipment itself seems very strong and durable. Most everything seems to be made of metal rather than plastic. I find the bench, handgrips, and leg pads to be comfortable. Some may not be as familiar with the resistance weights of Bowflex – rather than using weights, the metal rods are pulled by you, whereby the higher “weight” rods are really just heavier and thus provider more resistance that simulates more weight. I find it gives a great weight workout. The Blaze comes with an instruction booklet that contains many exercises (with pictures) to show many workout possibilities for the legs, arms, back, triceps, etc. Others can be found online by searching for Bowflex exercises.One disadvantage of the Blaze (and other Bowflex models) is that when you want to move on from one workout exercise (e.g., biceps curl) to another exercise (e.g., triceps pull down), you have to remove the metal clip at the end of one pulley and attach it to the carabiner/clip of another pulley. I find that by ordering your exercises in a logical way, you can minimize this. That is, I do all of my exercises requiring handgrips below, then I do all my exercises that require using the upper handgrps, etc., so to minimize frequent changes in attaching and detaching the equipment. Also, I order this based on weight as well, so I don’t constantly have to change from the 50 pound rod to the 30 pound rod, etc. I also minimize changes in equipment structure in that I bought some extra handgrips so I can always keep one set on the bottom carabiners, and another set on the top carabiners. I found these that work well.http://amzn.to/Q7rxySIn theory I like the idea that you can raise the bench and attach it (by screwing in) to the vertical bar, for storage to keep the bench out of the way. But we have young children who sometimes have their friends at our house, so I don’t keep the bench up because I’m afraid one of the kids will unscrew the bench and it will come falling down on them.I’m very pleased with this purchase. Actually love it.

   19 people found this helpful
3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Paul – August 20, 2025

   4.0 out of 5 stars

   Works Great, Couple of things however…

   Hope this helps… I recently had surgery, so I decided to put my gym membership on hold, while I use this piece of equipment for rehabilitation purposes. This turned out to be a good idea. Note: In conjunction with this system I use other home gym fitness equipment, so not entirely all the Blaze, but for the majority 80% of the weight training.The Good:1. The equipment was easy to put together, as all of the necessary items, bolts and miscellaneous etc.., were in the box.2. The equipment was deliverer in pristine condition, no scratches or dinged/dented pieces, as every piece in the box was wrapped and accounted for.3. All of the pieces work and have had no issues since purchasing x2 months of use and x5 a week heavy.4. The bands are holding up well, and the bench cushions and rollers are holding up well. I mention this because the cheaper equipment usually fails here first because of sloppy workmanship and poor engineering.5. I added the additional 100lbs of bands that fit into the system nicely and is working properly, took 15 minutes, a big plus!6. The leg curls and extension portion of the bench are actually working properly and fairly stable under weight. Had worries here because of past experiences with home gym failures. This is working, but does require smooth articulation during the exercise to limit slight left or right flexing. However, for this reasoning I see it as a plus and not negative. It forces you to place the correct weight and concentration on the exercise.7. The rolling seat is a pleasure to have. Of all the other products Bowflex offers, this is a great added value. Many exercises can be accomplished using the rower functionality. It’s practically up to you what you can accomplish with this. Not worried about the stand over for the other exercises, as you forget after a week or so and becomes a normal ignore.8. The system is a free range of motion capable weight training solution, so it leaves to the user the imagination of how many exercises can be completed. I’ve probably used +100 different options and find new exercises weekly. This is the best benefit of this system.The Bad:1. The squat capability on this system is a bonus, but has a slight problem. The base diamond plate for standing during the squat is flimsy and flexes heavily during heavy utilization. So much so, I find myself balancing with my feet at shoulder width apart normally, but during maximum weight and effor need to spread wider to compensate my weight against the flex. However, it is manageable but could be dicey for older folks, or unsteady gate folks.2. The mast (upright tower portion) is slightly off center and is a manufacturing flaw. It’s noticeable, but since the system is a free range of motion system, it’s not a deal breaker. It is however the reason for the 4 stars. It’s the main structure of the system and should be perfect, it’s not.Overall, this system provides more than adequate capabilities for the cost. I’ll continue to use the system for rehabilitation and upkeep during time away from the gym. If you’re a person looking for an IBBF World title, this is not your rig. If you’re an enthusiast, or a person looking to get some muscle and toning, this is your ticket for the muscle toning and building portion of your small home/garage gym. Used with a power tower and adjustable dumbbell weight sets, this would be an ideal solution.

   20 people found this helpful
4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   TasnimTasnim – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Outstanding machine! I love the Bowflex!

   The Bowflex Xceed is quite an impressive machine. We owned a Bowflex before (XTL Power Pro model) back in 2013 and had moved to a new state since. This version is a massive improvement over the older models in my opinion. After reading countless reviews, we had decided to go with the power rod version (instead of revolution), primarily because of the price and space dimensions. Don’t listen to the free weight junkies that says you can’t build muscles using this machine, you can DEFINITELY build size, you have to use it properly (quality reps, instead of moving weight around without good form and technique).Pros:* Fast and easy to change resistance* Does not take up a lot of space (most rooms will handle it just fine as long as you have about 6′ x 6′ space and enough height for the lat tower.* Built in lat tower for upper back and chest exercises* Upgradeable to 310 and 410lb of resistance* Highly effective for muscle building and fat loss* Very low maintenance, less complex parts, built solid* Outstanding customer service at Bowflex!Cons:* For those that are experienced gym goers, the included resistance may not be enough for compound exercises such as squats and bench press (however, upgrading to 310 and 410 LB should be enough for most folks.* The handles that come with the Bowflex are great, but I highly recommend buying shorter ones, that way you will get a LOT more resistance out of some of the exercises (such as bench press). The standard Bowflex handles are too long and doesn’t allow the rods to bend enough to get the full resistance in many exercises.Overall, we really love this machine and if you are looking to get into shape, build and maintain a good amount of muscles, this will do the trick as long as you progressively overload and challenge your muscles, eat right, and stay consistent.The 210lb resistance is plenty for me right now but it’s good to be able to upgrade down the road.**Update 07/2025We STILL use this machine, love everything about it! Bowflex’s customer service is fantastic, even with the new owner, they still stand by their products! We had upgraded to 310 lbs, it was a simple and straightforward process.

   14 people found this helpful

   

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Alicia Scharer – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   What a difference 20 years can make!

   First off let me say that I, Alicia’s husband, is writing this review. I have been an avid workout dude for 36 years. Started with free weights and continued to progress into a massive individual at 6′ 2″ 250lbs. When I turned 35 I decided to go a different route and bought a Bowflex Power Pro XTLU model. I had all the rods and accessories, even the squat station. The machine build was just o.k. The workouts were great, and I got stronger and cut, but for some reason I wanted to get bigger again. I dumped the bowflex and went back to dumbells etc., got ripped and then started to realize I had to spend a lot of time maintaining the mass. One day when working out I almost tore my rotator cuff, Realizing at 52, married for 20 years, and not have anything to prove to anyone, I sold that equipment and bought the Bowflex Blaze. Wow, what 20 years can do to perfect a product. This thing is a tank. High quality and way more bang for your buck than the extreme se 2. Blows away my Power Pro XTLU by a long shot. Bowflex advertises 60 + exercises when really there is over 80. They advertise the extreme se 2 as 70 + to get you to pay 500 more and truly not get the same variety of exercises. It is a marketing ploy. In addition, the no pulley weight change system on the extreme se 2 is ok, but having to hook a couple cables up is no big deal to me, and now that they are integrated in the Blaze it is much easier. The Power Pro XTLU was exhausting. The Blaze is the better deal. I almost bought the extreme se 2 and I am glad I did not ( of course the wife helped with that decision…haha) Look, if you want to stay in shape, build some muscle and tone the body this gym can do it. I know some might say I sold out, but at the end of the day it’s not how much you can lift but how ya look! You will not be disappointed. Delivery was excellent and I paid Amazon to build it. Would do it all over again.Fast Forward: Working out on it since Friday 09/08/17. Bomb! Works so much better than the Power Pro XTLU ever did. Sturdy and does not make a peep. Exercises create a great stretch. Love it. So glad we bought the Blaze. I bought the upgraded power rods specifically through Bowflex due to the low ratings and horror stories from the folks that bought them from Amazon. Sorry Amazon, just have to be real.Update: Its been over 3 weeks. I am having great gains. If you exercise as it says to at bowflex with breathing, reps, etc. you will get results. I have added the ez curl bar, tricep rope, and abdominal pad. Every workout I have done has had me sore the next day. This is not a beginner or intermediate machine. It is a machine for advanced to beginner. The exercises it shows are just the basics. There is a lot you can do with the lower pulleys. If you look at the exercises on the Bowflex Ultimate and Ultimate 2 you can see some more exercises that one can do such as barbell military press,reverse pull downs, reverse tricep push downs, deadlifts, stiff legged dead lifts, barbell curls (use squat straps or chain with ez curl bar) etc. You can really get over 80+ exercises that are just like the gym. I truly have not regretted my purchase. It is so nice to have a great workout with all the safety so I can reach my goals without injury.

   691 people found this helpful
6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Steve F. – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Home Gym Excellence

   First things first, no one piece of home equipment will replace a full array of Nautilus Machines, ergo, if your goal is to look like Arnie, you will likely not find this adequate. However, if you are like me, 55, overweight and flabby from a sedentary job, type 2 diabetic from no exercise, then this is not only adequate but a brilliant piece of exercise equipment.My wife bought this for me on Black Friday special for under $700 or about the cost of a family membership at my local YMCA. The Amazon experience was smooth as usual, and shipping by truck was smooth as well with the shipping company calling to confirm delivery place and time. The first workout came with carrying the components up my stairs as my exercise room is in the oldest son’s abandoned bed room upstairs. This is a great advantage as carrying in the 200+ lbs upstairs is much better than carrying the 400-500 lbs of a weight stack machine up stairs and then have all that weight bumping and banging upstairs. The entire machine is firm and stable even on my padded carpet floor. Assembly was simple, straightforward, and manageable by one person. I was at home sick that day, and even with taking my time and several breaks, it only took me about 2 and a half hours. You will need some padding for your hands as you assemble the components with the included hex wrenches.The cable system is simple and straight forward as well and, after a short time, you can learn how to structure your work out to cut down the number of times that you change cable stations. The cables are hanging or lying right there, out of the way, but where you need them when you change. I do about 20 different exercises per session at 12 reps each in about 30 minutes. Include an exercise bike warm up and cool down, and I have about an hour in a full body session minus the 30 minutes to drive to and from the gym.The power rods are a source of much confusion, I believe. It is true that the force to bend the rods increases through the movement of the exercise, but there are many home gym advantages to this. Since I’m usually alone, the full weight of hanging dead weights are not on my joints while getting into the position to do the exercise or between reps. This helps reduce the likelyhood of injury. Also, since the movement of the exercise gets harder as you go, the key is to make the movement SLOWLY. A slow rep with a rod weight low enough to complete the full range of motion, and pausing at the apex, is very efficient for a great workout. No doubt you have been to the gym and observed the weight guys pumping though free weights; however, that technique with the Bowflex will not utilize the advantage of the rods tightening at the apex of the movement because your only there for a split second before relaxing. Because of the SLOW technique, I still have the original 210 lb rod pack as it is completely adequate. I don’t do squats or leg presses due to bad knees and 12 reps are hard to do with big weights on the other exercises. Bottom line: I don’t care how much weight you can lift, nor do I care if you are impressed with what I can lift, I’m doing this for my life, and for that, this machine with power rods is more that adequate.If you are type 2 diabetic, resisted movement training is the best exercise for lowering your A1C and this is an excellent machine to accomplish that goal. It is quality made, easy to use, and smooth and comfortable. It saves time devoted to travel to the gym and allows you to get a workout in between your busy day. Along with a good piece of aerobic equipment, this is all you need to change your life.

   12 people found this helpful
7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Daniel M – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Loving It

   I’ve had the Blaze for just over a month and I am loving it. Before Covid, I went to the gym regularly and used weight machines often. I’m 45-50 and moderately active so I decided to set up a home gym after too many months of sitting on the couch waiting for the pandemic to end. The Blaze is a perfect (maybe somewhat tight) fit in a spare bedroom along with a treadmill.Assembly-Like others, I took my time putting it together but found the instructions easy to follow and I didn’t have any difficulties except it seemed to be one washer short in the packaging. It was not a big deal to buy a replacement at Lowes/Home Depot for around 25 cents. My best guess including the walk to the store for a spare washer, I spent 4 to 5 hours or so for the assembly.Excercises-I have to admit, even after a month I haven’t used all of the different setups and possible exercises. I tend to use it almost every day in short sessions (5-10 minutes) during the week and longer workouts (15-30 minutes) on the weekends focussing mostly on my upper body and the rowing configuration. Yes, ROWING. If I want to get my heart rate up quickly, that’s a great option. Overall, I’m able to get the same major muscle groups used over the course of a couple of days as I would at the gym. It’s a change for sure, but I don’t have to leave the house which is priceless. I don’t use the leg exercises (squats, leg press, leg curls, etc.) as much yet but they are available.Weights vs Tension Bars-This was something I didn’t really care about when I bought it. And I still don’t really, but, having used it for a month there are some pros and cons compared to a normal weight stack. I like that it is quieter and easier to move than a normal weight stack. I pinched my fingers a few times swapping out accessories until I got the hang of it. Changing the tension bars (weights) and switching cables can be done very quickly and easily (the max is probably 1 minute if you switch out the bench, change the bars, switch cables and add/remove the handles bars, leg curl bench, etc.) Overall, it’s super easy to use and I feel like I’m getting stronger each week (just as if I was going to the gym regularly). It does feel a little different than weights, but it gets the job done very well.Overall – I love it and am really glad I bought it. I would recommend it to anyone looking to set up a home gym wanting the ability to do moderate weight training. There’s an available upgrade for the tension bars if you want to do heavier lifting and I will probably buy that at some point.

   3 people found this helpful
8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Terry L. – August 20, 2025

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Great home gym, easy for beginners, less pain than weights

   Having worked out with free weights and weight-stack machines before, I had been recently using more resistance band workouts to reduce the risk of injury and stress on the joints, and thought a Bowflex system would have the same benefits, but also offer a more convenient and intense way of building and maintaining muscle mass. When I saw it for sale for $619 after Cyber Monday I purchased it, and I am pleased to find that it does do exactly what I hoped, and has made my workouts more enjoyable and pain-free.Delivery was easy to arrange, but the machine came in a very large unwieldy cardboard box weighing close to 200 lbs, so you definitely want the delivery people to take it to where you intend to set it up. It would have been impossible to move safely myself, and very difficult even if I had someone helping me. I found the packaging left much to be desired; parts were crammed in together seemingly at random, with ties securing everything together haphazardly. I recommend carefully unpacking each part and laying it out, being careful of some sharp edges and heavy pieces. Assembly is not too difficult, but does require careful reading of the instructions. The hardest part of the assembly is making sure the nuts and bolts are tight enough, which requires two-handed use of the included key wrench as well as an adjustable wrench. Working alone, it took me about 3 hours total over two evenings, and I’m the kind of person who likes doing this sort of stuff. It is a bit of a workout, and a helper will make things much easier.You will find criticisms online implying the Bowflex is made of cheap plastic parts, but this is definitely not the case. All load bearing parts are high-quality enameled steel tubing, well-machined and cleanly welded. The bench, leg attachment, pulleys and cables are also high quality, and an excellent bargain at this price point. Taking care to make sure that all the hardware is properly tightened during assembly, there should be no squeaks or rattles. The gym is smooth, solid and stable. You will want a foam or rubber mat (I used foam tiles totaling 48 square feet) under the machine to protect your floor.The enclosed instruction manual does provide pictures of all the possible exercises, but for someone new to Bowflex I would recommend Ellington Darden’s book, The Bowflex Body Plan. All the exercises in the book can be done on the Bowflex Blaze. He goes into detail about which exercises give you the most bang for your buck, and the proper way to do them. He also has a training plan that is clear and easy to follow, and takes you from beginner routines to advanced uses. So far, this book has been a great resource and has made the Bowflex much more useful to me.The Bowflex power rod resistance is different from what gravity does with free weights and weight stacks, but not radically so. Much is made of how weights provide a constant load while lifting, while Bowflex resistance increases as you progress to the end of your motion and your muscle contraction. Many people dislike how this feels, as the load to your muscles increases just when they’re weakening. But for most exercises on the Bowflex, it’s not really an issue. The rods start in a bent position when the cables are hooked up, and for most exercises the rods are not bent to their extreme, so the load essentially feels constant, just like with weights, and feels better than what one experiences with resistance bands. The one exception would be when using the leg attachment; the rods start out in a more bent position, so the increasing resistance does make itself felt and makes leg curls and extensions more uncomfortable, while limiting the range of motion (increasing the length of the leg attachment cable would help, Bowflex). However, the arm, chest and back exercises on the Bowflex all feel smooth and comfortable, with none of the shoulder discomfort I usually experience with weights. It is easy to change cables, power rod resistance, and accessories between exercises and takes almost no time once you are used to it.It’s only been less than a month since I’ve started using it, but there’s already been satisfying progress with my workouts, which as previously mentioned are more enjoyable and pain-free. This certainly helps with motivation and consistency. It’s probably not necessary to get the power rod upgrade right away, but I anticipate needing it in the near future. Overall, I highly recommend this machine, and would purchase it again without hesitation.

   33 people found this helpful
9. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   RT – August 20, 2025

   4.0 out of 5 stars

   The Blaze: Nice machine with a few subjective caveats

   I used a Bowflex Ultimate Xtreme (circa 2000) and I loved that machine. I put it together at the time and I can say the Blaze was much easier to assemble. They’ve improved in that sense.And I do like the Blaze, but there are some ways it differs from the Ultimate (at least the model back then) that I was disappointed in.First, there is only one incline position on the Blaze, while the Ultimate had holes up and down the seat rail so you could pick the position that best fit your height and arm length, particularly for reaching back to grab the handles, but also just for the general position of incline exercises. Luckily this was a fairly painless fix, as I just drilled two additional holes in the seat rail for the positions that suited me. (The position it comes with leaves me too far away from the mast to reach back and grab the handles with any ease.) WARNING: For anyone who might want to do this, assume it will void your warranty.I also wish it had a leg press, which I used regularly on the Ultimate. But it does have rows which is nice, and it has the lat bar, and really most of the other exercises the Ultimate had.Another subjective con is also one of its pros – which is that it can be folded up. The fact it can be folded up is nice, and also makes it easier to move if you need to wiggle it into a better position in the space it’s in (I also tie a belt around the mast /seat rail if I am going to move it just for extra insurance). But this feature comes with a big fat knob that screws down through the brace at the foot of the mast, into the seat rail, when the machine is in its usual configuration. What this means is that the flat seat position does not allow the head of the seat to be at the usual spot at the foot of the mast… you are laying further down the seat rail, again making it difficult to reach back and grab the rear handles, should you want to use those. So this was the second drill hole I made, to allow the head of the seat to lay at the foot of the mast. And I either remove the knob (temporarily) or put a piece of foam over it when I use that position.And while the Ultimate had pulleys in the same approximate position as the Blaze (by your feet while sitting), for some reason I find it awkward stepping around the Blaze while using it, because of the position of those pullies which seem to be exactly in the way of where I want to step when maneuvering around the machine, sitting back down on it after racking up, etc. An awkwardness I didn’t have on the Ultimate.To be fair, the Blaze was thousands cheaper than the Ultimate though they have all dropped dramatically in price since those early days.A final small thing is that the exercise placard attaches to the mast in the space where the head of the seat rests with my newly drilled positions, so the placard can’t go on the machine. Which doesn’t matter except that while the Ultimate came with a video or CD (forget which) to show you how to workout and various exercises, the Blaze only has the placard, and I can’t remember the exercises I used to do. So I set up a TV in my gym room and watch YT videos that Bowflex users have put together to take you through workouts… something I will do until I build a new routine of my own. And the placard is sitting nearby, though it’s not much use anyway.It would have been nice if Bowflex made workouts available for each of their machines on their site as a download. Could have placed that on a memory stick to put in a TV and watch. Cheaper than supplying CDs with every machine, and probably cheaper than making the placards.Overall though, I’m happy to have a Bowflex again and I like working out on these to get toned and generally fit, and stay there… and the Blaze does do most of the exercises. But I wasn’t as happy as I expected to be, having had that past experience with a different model, and having to modify this still-expensive machine to suit my needs.

   5 people found this helpful
10. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    southwestheat – August 20, 2025

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Overall a good machine

    PROS -1. You get to workout in the privacy and convenience of your home without having to lug free weights around, and/or without having to store a massive amount of dumbbells.2. It is MUCH safer than free weights in that you can perform heavy lifting routines without needing a spotter. Ever think you can do one more rep of a heavy bench press on free weights just to realize “oops” you can’t? It’s not fun rolling that heavy bar off of your chest. For the most part you don’t have to worry about injuries with the Bowflex.3. This ties into #1 but you don’t have to go to the gym. The time you spend packing your bag, driving to the gym, changing, getting to the machines (maybe they’re open, maybe they’re not), showering, getting dressed, and driving home, you can do at home with the Bowflex in probably half the time, or less.4. There’s something about it that makes it almost fun to use. You want to use it. Gym machines and free weights just don’t have that same motivating effect.5. If used properly you WILL see great results. I had an older model (Power Pro) a few years ago and used it religiously for heavy routines. People I didn’t know (like at the checkout counter) would make comments about how I look like I like to lift heavy things.6. Free weights generally need to be performed with a strict motion. Deviate from that motion and you just might pull a muscle, tendon, or worse. Bowflex gives you greater freedom to tweak the motions you use to better suit your body type, flexibility, etc.7. You can quickly switch from one routine to a completely unrelated routine (like going from shoulders to legs) all in the same place. The speed at which you can adjust resistance and muscle groups being worked is unbeatable by any other method/machine.8. It is a high quality piece of equipment, all the way down to the nuts and bolts. You’d have to tip this thing over and run it over with a tank to wreck it. After several years of hard use, the only things you might have to replace are the rods, hand grips, and cables. The rods are free for life, the hand grips and cables are covered for 5 years and after that are cheap (if not free depending on how your conversation goes with the customer service rep).9. Oodles better and oodles cheaper than the Xtreme models. Having the long bench is SOOOO much better than the upright chair and shorter rods on the Xtreme models. I used to have one that was fully loaded (got it for free) but reverted back to the Power Pro (which had the long bench like the Blaze).10. You get to work so many parts of your body (60+ exercises) on one machine. Many different machines advertise this feature, but only the Bowflex delivers on this.11. If used properly and creatively enough, you can probably ditch your cardio routine unless you’re already a hardcore jogger/runner.CONS -1. As has been stated by countless people before, the resistance ratings are overly generous. That’s why I put “lbs” in quotations for the remainder of this review. Performing a routine with any given “weight” on the Bowflex is noticeably lighter than free weights. But if this is your only piece of muscle workout equipment, it doesn’t really matter. Just know that if you can deadlift “200” lbs for example, that doesn’t mean you can pick up a box that actually weighs 200lbs. But for most people it would be impossible to max out the machine for all but bench press and leg workouts. So this really isn’t that significant of a con.2. The 200 “lbs” it comes with won’t be adequate for legs workouts or bench pressing. At least not for long unless you’re someone that has little muscle mass and plans to stay that way, in which case you should just buy a Motivator 2 for $600. For the rest of us that want to gain some good muscle mass, you will have to buy the two $99/each upgrades to get to 400 “lbs”. Once you factor those upgrades in, this machine is not such a great bargain anymore, but still much cheaper than the more expensive, yet inferior, Xtreme models.3. The leg press basically cannot be done. The strap that goes around your back DIGS in to the point of pain, unless you’re using such a low weight that you’re not even giving your legs a workout anyway. An easy alternative would simply be to do squats or lunges away from the machine using only your body weight until that gets too easy. Then buy one pair of cheap dumbbells and go from there. But I might try putting a throw pillow between my back and the strap next time.4. The 400 “lb” upgrade places the two rods behind the 5 “lb” rods instead of next to the other 2 50 “lb” rods. This gives a different feel to those distant 50 “lb” rods than the two that are next to each other. I wish Bowflex would have put all 3 pairs of 50’s next to each other. It’s not a huge deal though.5. Unlike the old Power Pro, the flat bench cannot be pushed flat against the vertical bar for a good military press. Instead the shoulder raises are done at an angle. I miss being able to do shoulder raises straight up and down.OTHER THOUGHTS -Unless you’re already very well versed in workout routines, I HIGHLY recommend the Bowflex iTrainer software. You have to buy it from Bowflex but it is so cool in that it plans your daily routines for you (you can edit them though) and provides small looping videos of how to do each exercise (instead of looking at a static picture). Get the iTrainer.I bought mine directly from Amazon for $800, as well as both the 300 and 400 lb upgrades for a total of $1000. A day or so later the price of the machine only (with 200 “lbs”) went up to 830, and as of now is 900 from Amazon partners. This is a decent machine but is overpriced at 900 or even 850 when you factor in the need to buy the additional rods. If you’re positive that you’ll never need the additional rods (but most men will, and some women will too), then you might as well buy the Motivator 2 for $600. The Blaze offers a few more things but the two are very similar.

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