The end of ‘Body by Bowflex’

A few years ago, before I was deployed to Iraq, I bought a Bowflex Ultimate. I had every intention of tracking my fitness progress using this machine as a metric. However, I’ve given up that idea. After spending a year working out with free weights in Iraq I realized that a Bowflex simply does not provide the same quality of muscle building and muscle toning as dumbbells can.

I’ve disassembled the machine and am going to trade it in for more dumbbells. So that project, despite the fact that it is one of the most popular search results on my blog, is over. Sorry, readers. The facts are simple. A Bowflex will not give you the same quality of workout as properly used free weights.

If you’ve got a huge home gym and just want something to add variety to your routines then one of the new Bowflex models might be a nice changeup every so often. The truth is that these machines are grossly overpriced and provide only a moderate quality workout.

I am sure a few will disagree with me, but I am very pleased with the muscles I’ve been building using dumbbells routines mixed with cardio.