Bowflex Motivator Review

I decided that it was time to tone up and get in better shape before summer. I work out by performing cardio exercises on a treadmill or my spinning bike on a regular basis and decided to add strength training to my workouts.

I searched around at home gyms and narrowed my search down between a Body Solids machine (that is available at a local Sears) and the Bowflex. In the end I went with the Bowflex for a couple of reasons.

Reason number one is the weight of the machine. I'm in the military and when we move we have a weight limit. The Bowflex machine that I bought with the Lat and Leg attachment only weighs 30 more pounds than the weight stack on the Body Solids machine. The weight stack on the Body Solids machine is 155 pounds and I'm not sure how much the rest of the machine weighs but it looks like it could reach another 100 pounds. The shipping weight on all 4 boxes for the Bowflex totaled about 180 pounds.

Another reason for buying the Bowflex was its ability to fold up, I have to remove the leg attachment but it does a great job of folding up to make room if needed. The last big reason for buying the Bowflex was the wide array of exercises that can be performed using this machine for a total body workout.

I went to the Bowflex web site and ordered the Bowflex Motivator XTL for $1049 plus $99 shipping for a total of $1148. I compared training manuals on the Bowflex website and didn't see many advantages to buying the higher priced machines but the warranty gets better with the more you spend on higher priced models.

The Motivator XTL has both the Lat and Leg attachments and comes with the standard 210 pounds of resistance. 5 weeks after placing my order, UPS dropped off 4 boxes with the Bowflex name proudly displayed on each one.

I hurriedly dragged each box down to my basement and began to put my machine together. Total time for assembly with all attachments took about 2 hours. The assembly manuals did a great job of describing how to put the machine together and had a diagram of the actual size of the bolts and screws for you to compare against to make sure you used the right item.

I must say that the Bowflex is a pretty solid machine. I don't think that the website or Bowflex videos do it justice because it was a lot more "robust" than I expected.

Using the Bowflex is really easy. The Bowflex manual has a variety of training programs to meet your goals such as the better body workout, advance general conditioning, upper/lower body, bodybuilding and strength training and circuit training.

All exercises are pretty smooth and are illustrated in the included manual. It takes 30 seconds to change between exercises. To change resistance all you do is clip on a different power rod and off you go, no heavy clunky weights to mess with and no spotter needed.

One word about the exercises, I've noticed that the Bowflex must have been designed without attachments so almost all workouts can be performed with the basic machine. I feel that the attachments are worth the money but if you are on a limited budget, I suggest that you just buy the basic machine. To see what I mean, download the Bowflex Motivator training manual and compare the Lying Lat Pulldowns compared to the Wide Pulldowns using the Lat bar, this is just one example and I have found about 4 or 5 exercises that are duplicated using the attachments.

I've only owned my Bowflex for a week but can already feel some results and can tell you that the Bowflex will be staying at my house. Bowflex has a 6-week guarantee that you will make your goal or your money back. My goal is to tone up and lose 10 pounds in the process.

In one of the Bowflex information books that come with the free video to try and get you to buy a Bowflex, they claim that a group average for men is to lose 24 pounds and 14 for women. Hopefully, I will beat the average but I set my goals low because I don't feel that I'm in bad shape, and feel 10 pounds would be easy. I'm currently 5'10'' and weigh 178 pounds so I hope to get down to 168 pounds and tone in the process.

Now Bowflex has a lot of things going for it but there are a few negative items.

First negative is the cost. The Body Solids machine I compared the Bowflex to was only $799 compared to the $1148 I ended up spending for Bowflex with shipping. Next was the time it takes to get your Bowflex is crazy. I placed my order on 29 December 2001 and received my Bowflex on 5 February 2002. The website and my email confirmation said 4 weeks to receive my Bowflex but when I called to check the status of my order, customer service said 5 to 5 ½ weeks. I just wish Bowflex had been more honest about the shipping time up front. Last negative item about the Bowflex is their constant commercials on TV. I'm so sick of hearing the "Power of the Bow." I know that advertising cost are built into the price of the machine so I just helped them add even more commercials to irritate other TV viewers.

As time continues I will update my review to let you know if I met my goal using my Bowflex and how the machine holds up.

UPDATE: 11 March 2002. First the good stuff:

Well, it has been almost 6 weeks using my Bowflex and I must say that I am starting to tone up nicely. I am seeing some pretty good result especially in my arms and chest area. My wife has noticed my progress and is starting to use my Bowflex. The Bowflex still looks brand new and has held together nicely.

Now the bad:

My goal was to tone and firm and to lose 10 pounds. Well, I didn't lose any weight! I feel that I lost some fat and put on muscle but the Bowflex brochure states that you will lose fat and build muscle plus lose weight in the process and I didn't. I suppose that if someone didn't work out at all and started using the Bowflex they might lose some weight.

Since I didn't meet my goal I called Bowflex about their satisfaction guarantee. To keep me from sending it back they offered to credit me $100. I decided that I wanted a power rod upgrade to 310 pounds of resistance that normally cost $99 plus $10 shipping. Bowflex gave me the power rod upgrade and will ship it to me for free.

Bottom line is that I am getting in shape and the Bowflex is really helping me. I am still using the advanced general conditioning workout from the Bowflex workout guide. This workout takes about an hour and you perform it 4 days a week. I feel that someday I will get into the shape I want to and Bowflex will help me. Buy the Bowflex and you won't regret it.

--Glass Metsgar

Other Bowflex Owner Comments:

I've got the Bowflex Motivator and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm not sure if it'll stand the years as well as the higher end Bowflex models but hey the price was right. I think it is just as good of a work out as the other machines.
--Jason Felder, Federal Way WA

We have the motivator and I kinda wish we had gotten the power pro just so we could have the rowing. It's mostly a good bowflex though and better than the total gym which we had before.
--todd

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