Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym
March 1, 2010 by admin
Filed under Home Gym Reviews
| Brand: | Bowflex | ||
| Average Rating |
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There is no denying that most individuals don’t have time to go to the gym and work out. Despite the strong desire to have a perfect body it is still not enough to get them driving to the gym where they can work out and sweat their way to fitness. This is because they spend too much energy at work and by the end of the day they are too tired to do anything, even workout. This is also the reason why some workaholics are overweight because they do not only deprive themselves of physical activity but they also rely too much of high-fat, high-calorie diet. However, if you can’t go to the gym then make a gym right in the comfort of your own home with Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym.
The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym is everything that you need to bring the gym to your home. Unlike in the gym wherein you have to transfer from one machine to another the Bowflex PR3000 is all those machines in one package. You can do a full body workout using this machine without having to change the cables or transfer to another spot. You can do several exercises with Bowflex PR300 Home Gym like bench presses, inclined bench presses, shoulder shrugs and many more. Also this home gym machine will help you work the muscles on your back that are often neglected.
The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym is designed to help you develop muscles on different areas of your body. This machine will help you isolate the muscles that you want to develop like the biceps, triceps, the chest muscles and even the abdominal muscles.
Since this product is a package there is no need for you to worry about changing cables because the Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym is designed to help you exercise without ever having to think or do the cables. In addition to that the materials used for this are of the best quality so you can be sure that you will get your money’s worth along with the body you’ve always wanted.
Workaholics can now stay trim and fit right in the comfort of their own home with Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym.
So, if you are looking for a space- and time-saving workout, all at a great price? The Bowflex® PR3000 is a home gym value leader with more than 50 strength exercises and no cable changes needed between sets – all in a compact, space-saving design. more info
Bowflex PR3000
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using the Bowflex PR3000 for 3 1/2 weeks as of this writing. I’m very over weight and I had read reviews of different exercise machines and the Bowflex was always at the top. I decided to give it a try. So far in 3 1/2 weeks I’ve lost 17 pounds and have put on a nice amount of muscle. I’ve followed the diet plan in the manual as closely as I can and I’ve found that I’m not as hungry as I used to be. I can also fit into some old pants that have been extremely tight and uncomfortable for several years. It’s a satisfying feeling to stand on the scale and see the weight gradually coming off, to be able to fit in pants I had lost hope for fitting into again and feeling like I have some real muscle power now. I could not be happier with this machine! I must say though that I work out at least once a day, and most times twice a day: once in the morning before work and once when I get home after dinner. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do the recommended advanced weight loss workout in the Bowflex manual, and every other day plus weekends I just do crunches, curls, bench presses and calf raises.
Ellegant way to workout.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Good for an older person. The bow technology is easy on the muscles but gives a sold workout.
More of a Supplemental Machine
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I tried this out at a local sporting goods store before buying it. If you are an experienced weight lifter, you will find that this machine is not for advanced workouts (as evidenced by the included workout poster, which only has Beginning and Intermediate programs). The resistance will feel easy and the range of motion limited. However, it is good as a supplement to your other equipment (my home gym includes a Smith Machine, 2-stack weight tower and free weights). To get any muscle gains, it is absolutely critical that you vary your routine to introduce muscle confusion. By adding the Bowflex exercises to your daily regimen, you will achieve this. The flyes, curls, rows and pulldowns on the Bowflex feel very different from my other machines. Also, forget about staying with the base 210 lbs.–this only provides a challenge with bicep curls, but with every other exercise there is not enough resistance. You will absolutely need a 310 or 410 lb upgrade.
Overall, a good piece of equipment to vary your weight lifting routines. But definitely not meant to be the primary machine in your weight lifting arsenal.
Nice gym but if breaks, the guarantee is not good
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
After using this Bowflex gym for a few months on a regular basis, the 30 lb rod snapped/shattered. And this was done by a woman who is a senior. I’ve attempted to have it replaced but with NO luck. I called Bowflex as well as emailed in the receipt twice with a message…all to no avail. The gym is now collecting dust. Based on their inability to back up their guarantee, I don’t recommend this gym.
Mostly Satisfied
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have spent a lot of time in many different gyms using various types of equipment in my life (30 years old). Its not always easy to get away from the family (especially young kids) to go and workout 4-5 times a week. So I purchased the PR3000. For the most part this machine does what its supposed to do…..so far. First my disappointments: I expected better. When I assembled the machine (I should add at this point that assembly took about 2 hours)and tried it for the first time, I was surprised that with all of the power rods attached to the pulleys that I was able to do almost any exercise with almost no problem. Now that I’ve used it for 3 weeks, the exercises have become even easier and I have to do more sets and more reps.
Now, the things I like about this machine: It really is easy to use. The cable changes are quick and easy keeping you going right to the next exercise.
Finally a few things that I have learned from my experience with this machine. If you are thinking of buying a bowflex, keep in my that the machine is a HOME gym. If you expect the same quality as the stuff you use at your regular gym, then you will be disappointed. Also, purchase the 100lb upgrade. I don’t know how the resistance of 210lb power rods equates into real weight but I know for a fact that I can’t shoulder press 210lbs in the gym! When you assemble your machine, it speeds things up if you have 2 socket sets and an adjustable wrench.
Good luck.
A great system for building your body up.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I saw improvements in just a couple of weeks at 3 sessions/week. What I really appreciate is that the varied “bow” weights let you really evaluate how you are doing. Just following someone who demonstrates the moves doesn’t give you anything like the feed-back this Home Gym does, and I’ve had a lot of experience trying different approaches. I’m a senior citizen (female) who was a tennis whiz in my youth and I’ve always tried to keep fit.
well engineered
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
You always hear how Bowflex machines are overpriced because of all of their expensive marketing. Perhaps, but the added sales volume does offset their fixed engineering costs, and this machine (PR3000) is one very-well engineered machine. It comes in one box, with all the pieces well cushioned in their allocated cubbyholes. 2 of us built it in 3 hours — again due to good product engineering. The finished product looks like it will last forever; certainly nothing cheap about the structural steel, cables, etc. My end cost (with shipping) was $899; I don’t see how Nautilus/Amazon makes money on this.
I’m not a gym guy, so can’t comment on the effectiveness of this kind of machine for strength training. I am 6′6″, and for many exercises I can barely fit the machine and get adequate cable travel. But I do fit, and after a month I am discernibly fitter.
I wouldn’t waste money for a mat; my tile floor shows no wear at all (rubber feet keep the metal off the floor) and it is nice to be able to yank the machine around for fine-tuning its placement.
Cons: The manual has many silly mistakes, a very limited pallet of exercises, and is not much help for designing a workout plan. The bows themselves stay somewhat bent after exercises, giving the impression that they will lose their effectiveness or break over time (no doubt that the reason Nautilus gives 7 years on this particular part is to reassure the end user). The resistance number on the bows are not only larger than free-weight equivalents, but not even self-consistent — each side has a 50 lbs rod that has more resistance than the sum of all the other rods on that side, nominally 55 lbs.
But all of the above quibbles are just that, quibbles. The machine is beautiful, takes little room (but you’ll want plenty around it for leg exercises), and has motivated me to exercise regularly. For the price, a real steel.
Great bowflex but not the best
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bowflex is a great product because its compact design lets you perform many different exercises with one machine.
The good-
1. The price is much more reasonable then the newer models.
2. This is a solid machine and very sturdy.
3. The pully system is designed so you don’t have to change cables when switching between the three grips.
4. You can upgrade the weight, however I think it should automatically come with 310 lbs.
The bad-
1. It does not have as many exercises as the newer bowflexes.
2. I wish the middle grips were on adjustable wings like the newer models, however there are multiple bolt holes so you can move them in closer or further apart.
3. 210 lbs is not enough weight if you are looking to bulk up. Bowflex rods provide increasing resistance which is good for the joints but does not provide a steady resistance throughout the rep. This means that the wight is no where near the listed resistance until you reach the maximum bend of the rods and then it is still underwight. You can easily bench almost twice the rod resistance as you can bench free wights.
4. Not directly related with this machine but I ordered the 100 lb upgrade rodes and one of the rodes is very noticably weaker then the other by about 10-20 lbs. So now when ever I us the extra rodes I have to adjust the weight by that much to balance it out. The good news is that all the rods that came with the machine were balanced. I wonder if these rodes are produced in lots with differing resistance levels and I happened to get two from different lots.
If you bench over 140 lbs then I would suggest you purchase the 100 lbs upgrade also. My max in the gym is around 200 lbs and I could easily bench 210 on this. Some people may not like the resistance feel to the rods but I do. If you workout the correct way, each rep lasting around 4 to 6 seconds, then you will feel a burn that you don’t feel with traditional weights. If you are over weight don’t plan on this machine magicaly burning off the fat. 20 minutes a day is not enough if you want to see real results quick. You will never get a body like the ones on the comercials working out only 20 minutes a day 3 days a week. For a nice tone body, plan on at least twice that long for three days a week, with cardio training at meadium to high intensity for at least 20-30 minutes 3 days a week, and eating only low calorie healthy food.
Tall
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
When you read the size its around 56″ tall but to stick the top on you need around 70″ at least, I had to lay mine one the side and take the top bar off and I still put a 3 foot mark on my Ceiling( my ceiling is 60″) but after that its Quite nice, but if I move I will have to leave it, had to jump on one sided to force it to stand up since I didnt have clearence. and know tilting it back or to the front dose not work. take even more space.
Worth Every Penny!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ll keep it short and sweet; this thing is amazing! The design, the packaging, the construction, and the assembly instructions, are all first rate. No catches, this product is as advertised! Great bang-for-buck!
It’s awesome.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I normally don’t review products but this time I am. The box it comes in is extremely heavy so don’t have it dropped off if you have stairs, etc. As for the machine, it’s just simply amazing. The assembly is pretty easy – just make sure you measure the parts so you put the right bolts in the right spot. The hardest part honestly was running the cables and it’s not even hard at all. As for operation, the machine doesn’t take up much space and is EXTREMELY quiet. You can easily work out next to someone reading and not even bother them. Also, the workouts will make you sore, but not so sore you can’t move around the next day. My only recommendation is to order 1 extra set of handles so you can have handles at all three locations. The leg extension does take up some of the workout room and is slightly hard to detach/attach. However, you can just remove it and put the foot/handle straps on the bottom and do all the workout you could with the leg extension on. Anyways, if your looking for a quiet, attractive, effective workout machine for your home this is it.
Nice for the Price
While I cannot do the leg exercises yet, my experience has been positive.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Like most people, I had seen the Bowflex commercials on TV and was skeptical of just how such a machine would produce the gods and goddesses shown in the ads. However, the idea of an all-in-one resistance machine was appealing and I often considered buying one. I finally took the plunge after undergoing quadriceps tendon repair surgery. Since my usual exercise was out of the question (running and martial arts) I decided to give the Bowflex a try. After all, I don’t want to become psychotic and fat while I’m recovering.
Pros: On the plus side, the machine provides a wide range of exercises that enable you to work almost all of the muscle groups. It was easy to assemble and comes with fairly clear directions. It also includes a basic workout book, although you will probably want to supplement this with additional information about working out. Properly assembled, the machine seems very solid and as long as you maintain it, it should provide a safe workout.
As you can see from the pictures, it has three sets of handles: one high, one middle and one low. This allows you to get a wide range of workouts and replicate most traditional free weight training moves. It also has the attachment for doing leg lifts. The seat can be easily removed to allow you to safely do standing exercises.
A major plus for this machine is that the power rods connect to all the handles. In other words, you do not need to constantly switch cable connections for your workout. Some lower end models lack this feature, which would be a bit annoying.
Cons: While the machine allows you to do a large range of exercises, it does have clear limits. For example, you can only do leg lifts with the leg exercise attachment (although you can do leg exercises using the handles). Also, it suffers the inherent limitations of a rod based machine relative to free weights. For example, the weight on the resistance rods seem rather optimistic (I suspect the weight is based on the resistance offered at maximum bend). To compare the machine with free weights, I did curls with the 50 pound rod and with a 35 pound free weight. The free weight provided far more resistance (in the form of weight). This is because the weight always weighs 35 pounds and the rod’s resistance increases as it is pulled.
You will also want to spring for the 100 pound upgrade-this consists of two 50 rods. I think the rods should have been included, but I suppose that some people would be fine with the stock rods.
I’d suggest getting them when you get the machine, otherwise you’ll have to take the “rod box” off the machine so as to put in the rods. Mine didn’t come with instructions (just two rods and two screws in a cardboard box), but this is what I did: carefully lean the machine to one side, preferably with someone trustworthy holding it (make sure that they are not the beneficiary of your life insurance). Unscrew the three screws holding the box in place. Remove the box and take out the plugs (two of them, just ahead of the installed 50 rods). Insert the rods and screw the included screws into the rods (at the bottom). Put the rod box back in place and then screw the screws back in. Carefully test the rods to make sure they are secure, and then you are ready to go.
Great workout
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had this product for a about 2 weeks now and have noticed a huge difference in the way I feel. I have lost 12 lbs. and am getting more toned everyday. I went to the gym several years ago, I feel like I did when I left the gym after each 20to 30 minute workout. I need to lose about 50 more lbs and am confident this product will get these results.
I am glad I spent the extra money on the pr3000 instead of the pr1000. I think changing the cables between exercises would take alot more time. I highly recoment this product to anyone wanting to get in shape.
Defective power bars?
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Just put this together yesterday… it took about 2 hours total including the unwrapping. The box arrived via a freight company on a pallet. It’s heavy.
The instructions are illustrated very well. I opened the fastener package and laid everything out firs to make sure everything listed was in fact included, and it was. It is a solidly built contraption and everything fit together flawlessly.
After set-up I tried out all the different power rods and one of the 50lb rods snapped in 2 places. The rubber coating kept any debris from flying across the room luckily. I jumped online and it looks as if this is NOT an isolated case. I purchase the extra set of 50lb bars (as suggested in a few other reviews) so I will not be without in the meantime. There is even two capped holes in the rod holder base just for this upgrade. I will call the 800 number on Monday and see how their customer service is. I have high hopes that it will be replaced for Free (including shipping).
Not 210 pounds. No way. No how.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I don’t usually review items I buy but I think the major flaw with the Bowflex line and the PR3000 needs to be stressed for people who don’t have a chance to check them out prior to buying one.
I tried one prior to purchase and also read the reviews so I was prepared to add additional rods to my PR3000, which I really like by the way. So for you guys and gals who have been lifting free weights at the gym, here is my try at telling you what you need….
I am 6′3″ tall and the machine fits me well. When I go to the gym, my chest workout after warming up is 3 sets of 8-10 reps with 135# (olympic bar with 45# plates on each end). By the end of the 3 sets, I’m flat done. When I got the Bowflex, I used the entire 210#, did 3 sets of 20 and could have done more.
Today, I put on the 310# and the 410# upgrade. With the 410#, I can do 8 reps and I’m done. The 310# weight just about equals the 135# I was using at the gym. I also tried moving the seat forward (4″ block behind my back) this made the 210# weight stack better but not good enough, also was bending the rods pretty far.
All in all, I don’t agree with the reviewer who said that the PR3000 is not enough, I downloaded the book for the Bowflex Ultimate II and use a lot of the exercises from that book. But I do agree with everyone that say not to consider 210# to be adequate in most cases. I could not find anything on the Nautilus/Bowflex sites that explains how they determine their weights but believe me when I say, I could not find anyway to justify 210# rating on this equipment.
Also, ebay sells a hook for the rod stacks that makes it a lot easier to hook multiple rods together. Necessary if you go to 410#.
Great Beginners Home Gym
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Easy to put together using the instructions. Took me 1.5 hrs. I saw noticeable change in my physical appearence with just one week of use. The resistance bars the come with the machine are not enough. I had to to upgrade to 310 lbs. I have had the machine for 3 weeks and have not gone through all the exercises possible. Overall great product. I would recommend this to friends.
Nice product!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a perfect product for the price. The revolution seems to be a better machine, but at a huge premium. This one has lots of exercises and looks really good in my gym.
Good Machine
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this machine for myself, my sons and my wife. It’s a good all around machine. Builds and tones quickly. I do however know already that I will need the upgraded resistance to 310.
Bowflex works
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Set up was quick and easy. Only suggestion is if you have purchased the 310 and 410 pound upgrades, the 310 needs to be installed before inserting the rods into the frame. The 410 upgrade is just a snap on and can be easily added at any time. Very sturdy construction and love the fact no cable changes.
Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This machine is excellent. My wife and I have been using it for a month now and have seen an improvement in overall condition. We are both nearing 60 and wanted to do something to maintain our physical health. We have been very pleased. It is very similar to the more expensive Xtreme® SE 2 home gym with the exception of the movable pulleys and small lat crunch bar. I added the extra 100 lb. bow set and a pull down bar which I would recommend. The exercise illustrations are not as good or complete as those shown in the Xtreme manual. In fact you can follow most all of the exercises listed in the Xtreme SE2 manual. The pdf. file is available online at:
http://www.bowflexhomegyms.com/bowflex_home_gyms/customersupport/manuals.jsp?lid=Assembly+and+Owners+Manuals+-+Manuals