Elliptical Trainer Guide

Bowflex Ultimate Xtlu Official Website PropertiesBrand BowflexSports Type Personal Fitness Details Offering ove...

The best home gym - Bowflex Ultimate 2 The ultimate 2 is the best home gym out there. It takes about 8 weeks to arrive though since I live in Jersey(Naut...

Our clubhouse recently began upgrading the workout equipment and one of the new machines that they added was the Bowflex Ultimate 2. I have used it three times a week for about a month now and I am a fan for a number of reasons.

However, I must admit that the machine does not seem to offer much more than the previous models. Of course, this being America, the company decided that they could add a few small upgrades and a couple of extra features and hike up the price and watch the buyers flock. I am not knocking the Ultimate 2 as it is a good machine, but you can get virtually the same piece of equipment in a used outlet for much less cash.

THE SPECIFICS:

* 95 different exercises

* 310 pounds of resistance (Upgrade to 410)

* 6′10″ x 7′8″ x 3′10″ in size

* 6′ 6″ x 9′ 4″ workout area needed

* Folds and roll for storage

* Workout poster, training manual, DVD, and instructional

video

* Lat tower, leg extension, leg curl, and curl attachment

* Pulley system

* Six week result guarantee

* 12 year warranty

WHAT I LIKE:

1. To begin with, the 12 year warranty is amazing. If a company is willing to back their equipment for more than a decade I am more likely to be a buyer. This especially important with regards to this type of a machine since there are so many moving parts and the more moving parts there are, the more likely the machine will have problems. Bowflex stands behind their products.

2. The ability to do 95 different exercises. I have no idea if there truly are 95 and surely will never do all them, but there are many different options for your arms, legs, and core. You will never have to worry about mastering a workout to the point of slowing gains since there are so many options.

3. Ease of use. The Ultimate 2 is pretty easy to use. You most likely will need to take a quick look at the book or video in order to get a feel for what you are doing, but once you do the workouts are pretty much easy to do. Yes there are a few adjustments that you have to make as you go through the workouts, but they are minimal and easily performed. A beginner can the hang of things in a matter of an hour or so.

4. The workout video/manual/DVD’s are useful. This may sound like second nature, but they are actually useful. They provide good exercises, tips for the exercises, and they are easily to follow as they come pretty quickly. In addition, there is a poster that you can hang on the wall that shows the different types of exercises that you can perform. I like this as it shows a number of different exercises that I might not have thought of or known existed.

5. The exercises will make you sore. I know, this should be expected, but sometimes this is not the result. I typically do an hour or so of work three times a week and I can feel it when I am done. You will not burn like doing free weights, but you will feel the fact that you have put in some work. However, as we all know, you get out of it what you put into it.

6. The entire machine operates smoothly. I always worry about a machine with so many moving parts, but the pulley system on the Ultimate 2 is very smooth. The pulleys make no noise and slide without a hitch. The bench is firm and does not wobble like many do and the entire machine is on a firm base.

7. The squat station is a nice touch. I know this sounds silly, but it is so easy to cheat on squats and the Ultimate 2 removes the option. The station prevents you from doing any sort of movement that makes the exercise easier than it really is. I like this because one of the tough things with working out is keeping an appropriate posture. It is usually too easy to cheat and not even know it. The Ultimate 2 takes away that option with the squat station.

8. The convenience of it all. I know the one I use is in the clubhouse, but the ability to have the Ultimate 2 in your house is wonderful. Imagine being able to do all your fitness exercises in the comfort of your home. Imagine not having to get up 15 minutes earlier in order to hit the gym before work. Imagine not having to lug around a gym bag or a bag with your work clothing. Now you can see it all happen.

9. The price is not too bad. I know that $2200 is nothing to sneeze at, but you get a piece of equipment that has a 12 year warranty and can be used by all your family members. How much would you spend on gym memberships for a family of four? At the cheapest you will spend $120/month. In less than two years you will have spent more at the gym than the cost of the Bowflex. You can also pay for the machine on a monthly basis and it runs a little less than $60/month.

WHAT I DO NOT LIKE:

1. Ok, just go ahead and make the machine capable of 410 pounds of resistance. I will never use that much weight, but just do it. You obviously can do so if upgrades are available, so go ahead.

2. The Ultimate does fold up and roll away, but it is not as easy as you might think. For one, the machine is bulky. For two, the thing is heavy. Which means a couple of things; first of all, you can easily fold it up with a couple of people and, secondly, you better on a hard surface. Rolling the Ultimate over a carpet is not the easiest thing you will ever do.

3. The crunch exercise doe snot do much for me. Then again, about the only thing that ever does work for me when it comes to crunches…is crunches. I just find that the machine provides little resistance and it is an awkward exercise.

4. Bowflex makes you pay $100 for a mat that you place the machine on top of. Come on! The mat costs next to nothing and should be included. Everyone needs one and often they do not realize until they get the machine home and place it where it will sit. Then you have to order the mat, lift or remove the Ultimate 2, and slide the mat underneath. This is silly. Provide it with the machine.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I like the Bowflex Ultimate 2 a lot. The machine provides a lot of different and challenging exercises that are not too difficult to figure out. For the home user, I think you will find that it is cost efficient over a period of time and well worth it if you actually use the machine. The bottom line is that despite a few minor misgivings, I am a big fan of the Ultimate 2 and highly recommend it if you are in the market for an exercise machine.

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