What is the Bowflex®?

Many people like to go to the gym for exercise, but others prefer to stay at home. One of the ways an individual can experience a workout in their home is with a Bowflex® exercise machine. Nautilus® Inc. makes different machines under their Bowflex® line, including home gyms and treadmills. The Bowflex® name likely was made popular by their home gym line—especially because of the use of Power Rod® technology. This and other types of technology allow the machine to do away with free weights and can allow for an effective gym workout in the home.

One of the features that makes some models of the Bowflex® home gym unique from many of the other type of exercise machines is the Power Rods®. These rods bend as you use the machine in order to create resistance for building muscle. This resistance simulates the effect of lifting free weights. The rods also allow for more resistance throughout the entire range of motion for the exercise as compared to free weights. All this may make for a more effective workout in the home.

Some models of the Bowflex® home gyms use SpiraFlex® technology. It is this same technology that astronauts use to help prevent their muscles from atrophying since free weights are of no use in space. SpiraFlex® technology uses an elastic material that is coiled around a core. The technology is housed in what Nautilus® Inc. calls SpiraFlex® resistance plates. These plates may not weigh much, but the resistance created by the stretched elastic straps can offer far more resistance than the weight of the plates. For example, 40 pounds (18.2 kg) of resistance can be achieved with a 4 to 5 pound (1.8 to 2.3 kg) plate.

Typically, a person can do almost every exercise on the Bowflex® that he can do on machines at the gym. Also, the Power Rod® and SpiraFlex® technology tends to offer no momentum, so a person is less likely to rush his way through an exercise. Such a machine does have its drawbacks, however. It tends to be pricey and is difficult to assemble yourself, which means there could be additional costs to hire someone to put it together.

Another possible concern is its size. Some machines can weigh upwards of 200 pounds (90.7 kg). The dimensions of some machines can also exceed 6 feet (1.8 m) high and 9 feet (2.7 m) long. Some models of the Bowflex® home gym, though, can be folded down for storage.