The Original Flex: Bowflex Revolution Review

The Bowflex is one of the first at-home complete gyms that promises to help you get fit in no time at all.

Their newest iteration offers lots of the same benefits with a new arrangement of machines and weights and a new suspension system that can give you a whole new perspective when it comes to working out.

Skipping the crowds at the gym and working out at home has tons of great benefits for anyone.

Home workouts allow you to focus more on building muscle without the distractions that a busy gym offers. You’re also able to keep your life private and create a workout that’s best for you and your fitness goals.

Bowflex Revolution Specifications

Before you invest in the Bowflex Revolution home gym there are few things you’ll want to consider.

Whether you’re a big-time lifter or you’re just starting on your overall fitness journey, you’ll want to know the weight limit, price, and the different models available. There are so many different options when it comes to the workouts you can do and tons of different configurations with this home gym!

Bowflex Revolution Weight Limit

Before you set out to buy an expensive home gym, you’ll need to know if it will fit in your home and if it can handle everything you can put into it.

The maximum capacity for this machine is 300 pounds. Unlike other Bowflex configurations, this one has discs that provide the resistance rather than the bows that give them the name.

This weight limit is high but not extremely high. If you’re trying to lose weight, this is a great option but keep in mind that it may not handle all body types.

The entire assembled machine weighs in at 336 pounds and will take up quite a bit of room in your home or garage.

Bowflex Revolution Price

One of the biggest considerations, when you’re looking at any major purchase or investment, is the price.

Bowflex is a big name and is one of the leading brands of home gyms on the market. But because there’s lots of brand recognition, there’s a hefty price tag attached.

If you want to buy this home gym outright, there’s a one-time payment of $2,899. You can also split it across 18 months at $162 each month. This brings the price down to a reasonable level for each month and allows you to keep working out each day without breaking the bank.

An assembly service can be included for just $299 and you can upgrade the plates for $99.

There have been a few complaints throughout the years that the Bowflex name isn’t worth the hefty price tag attached.

It can also be a difficult machine to set up and you’ll want to use the assembly service if possible. This brings in an extra cost that isn’t always welcome.

Bowflex Revolution Models

Unlike the traditional Bowflex models, the Revolution uses weighted discs instead of the bow.

There are a variety of models that give you plenty of different options when it comes to size, focus, and overall ease of use.

Vectra 1450 vs. Bowflex Revolution

While Bowflex might be the brand name that’s well-known in nearly every household, other off-brand options give you a great workout as well.

But how do they measure up against the all-mighty Bowflex?

Vectra 1450

This is one of the biggest competitors that’s facing up to Bowflex.

This is a compact home gym that gives you a much smaller footprint in your home or apartment.

While the Bowflex takes up a significant amount of space, the Vectra stays small even when completely set up.

The entire setup is more like traditional machines that use cables and pulleys as opposed to the disc system employed by the Revolution.

Switching between resistance is simple and you can change things around with just a flick of a finger. All of the weights are also calculated in pounds.

One of the biggest positives that come from the Vectra is that it’s much less expensive than the Bowflex Revolution.

The installation and assembly of the machine are included in the cost. Tons of exercises can still be accomplished and the entire thing is well built, durable, and made of the highest quality materials.

Parts of the machine itself can’t be unattached to store away so it’s pretty stationary. The weight stack does have limitations and only goes up to 210 pounds of resistance as compared to the 600 pounds or more on the Revolution.

Pros:

• Less expensive
• Installation and assembly included
• Precise weight lifting
• Versatile with lots of different exercises available

Cons:

• Squat pads can be uncomfortable
• Weights might be too light for some exercises
• Bench can’t be detached for movement or storage

Bowflex Revolution

The Revolution is a large machine when fully assembled and takes up a lot of room. It can however be folded up for easy storage and the maximum capacity is 300 pounds.

The entire thing is run on a disc system called Spiraflex technology that allows you to get resistance without inertia. The discs are all labeled with the amount of resistance in pounds.

The amount of resistance that you can get with this machine versus the Vectra is huge.

There’s an available upgrade that will give you up to 600 pounds of resistance but comes with 440 pounds in the standard setup. The arms move independently into 10 positions and 170 degrees of adjustments.

The cost of this machine is a huge factor. The entire setup costs several thousands of dollars and some upgrades and changes cost even more. Assembly is an added charge and isn’t included in the initial cost.

Pros:

• Easy to switch between workouts and change the resistance for each move
• Works with every muscle group and helps you build lean muscle
• Durable and well-known brand
• Quiet when being used
• Low impact exercises are the norm
• Resistance remains constant through the range of motion

Cons:

• Difficult to set up initially
• The machine is heavy and takes up quite a bit of space
• Expensive especially with upgrades and changes
• Discs can be difficult to remove after adding tension
• There are a few reports that it broke after only a few uses

Bowflex Revolution Workout Routines

When you want to get a complete workout in, you usually have to head to the gym and hit the weights and move around the gym to hit each muscle group.

With the Bowflex Revolution, you won’t have to move around or even hit the gym! You can do almost every workout with this machine as well as hit each muscle group in turn. 

Let’s start with a complete workout that you can do on your Bowflex Revolution!

Whether you just want to tone your body or you want to bulk up, the Revolution can help you reach your goals in no time.

Leg Day

No one should skip leg day!

Throughout the week, you’ll work out four times with appropriate rest and sleep between each workout. This rest and sleep will allow your body to heal and recover before hitting the same workout again in the next few days.

The Revolution is designed to allow you to do 17 different leg exercises. But to build lean muscle and tone your body, you’ll stick to a hypertrophic repetition.

Start by doing 3 sets of 12 reps with one-minute rest in between. Then move on to leg curls, cable kickbacks, cable squats, and the leg press.

Each move should be 3 sets of 12 reps with the minute rest in between. This gives your body just enough time to relax and start to recuperate before going to the next move.

On progress days you’ll add more resistance and weight so you can continue to grow lean muscle. Regress days are for if you’ve been injured and you need to simply do more reps with less weight which will build strength in the injured area over a longer time frame.

Don’t skip leg days and start with a warm-up so you won’t injure yourself further. Stretch well after your warm-up and before you start the training session. These warm-ups and stretching will help you keep fit and ready to workout.

Shoulders and Triceps

Regardless of the angle, the Revolution covers every area of your shoulders and triceps. You’ll keep things in the same hypertrophic reps range which builds up the lean muscles you’ll need to get stronger and burn fat.

This routine starts will pull-overs before moving on to push-downs, front cable raises, side cable lat raises, and cable shoulder presses. Each one should be performed as 3 sets of 12 reps and include a minute rest in between sets to allow your body time to adjust.

Your progression will end up being adding more resistance or more reps to build up the weight. Keep your form under control and perform each one slowly and with great control.

Just like with the leg day workout, the regression will have you working with lighter weights and higher reps so you can train the area more effectively. If you struggle with weight you may need a spotter to help keep yourself safe.

Your posture is key when you want to work your shoulders and triceps effectively.

Keep your spine neutral and your elbows still for the triceps workouts. The form is important for every type of workout but especially for shoulders and triceps.

Back and Biceps

While you may not show off your back as often, your biceps are sure to stand out when you’ve had time to work out on the Revolution.

There are tons of choices for these areas with the Revolution machine but a simple workout is one of the best.

Start by going through bicep curls then switch to hammer curls, straight arm pushdowns, seated rows, and single-arm cable pulldowns. The progressions are to add more weight or take on new and unique techniques that work the muscles in different ways like supersets or forced reps.

For the regressions, start with light weights and more reps that help you completely activate the muscles. Since the area can be a little more sensitive than others around the body, this allows you to target the area effectively.

Keep your posture straight so you’ll be targeting the back itself. It may feel awkward at first but this is the most effective way to get the most from your workout.

Chest Day

Finally, you’ll hit the chest day. Just like the growth of your biceps, your chest is something you’ll want to show off so this is one of the best ways to start defining your entire physique.

Start your workout with the chest fly, then chest press, lower cable chest raise, cable cross over, and the cable iron cross. You’ll do 3 sets of 12 reps with 1 minute between each set for this day’s workout.

Same thing for the chest progressions and regressions: add more weight and reps to progress, drop the weight and keep the added reps for the regressions. Don’t let your elbows flare out much when you’re working out to target your chest.

These are just some of the workouts you can do with the Revolution and offer up only a week of workouts!

There are dozens of other workouts you can do and exercises that will target different areas of the body through the Revolution. Don’t let it stop you after only a week! Keep working and you’ll soon explore even more exercise with the Bowflex!

Takeaway

When you’re looking for a quality home gym, your first thought may turn to the traditional Bowflex.

Their patented bow system has become a household name but with the Revolution, they’ve introduced and new disc system that helps you achieve new fitness goals in no time.

But with everything that offers great promises, there’s a price to pay. Bowflex Revolution has a hefty price tag, especially when compared to other home gyms.

You do get a lot for your money though and you’re able to do almost every workout on this gym. There’s also the ability to fold it up and get it out of the way when not in use.

Comparing the Bowflex to the Vectra shows how big this machine is. But with much greater resistance than the Vectra, the entire Revolution machine allows you to keep a higher resistance and progress more quickly than other home gyms. These progressions are what helps you reach your goals in no time.

Paying the price for the Bowflex brand has its benefits.

The entire machine is durable and simple to use. Instead of spending your time fiddling with the resistance or the discs, you’re able to accomplish a quality workout. The machine reaches all of your muscle groups and you can do back, shoulders, biceps, and leg exercises without ever leaving the house.

Investing in a quality home gym will help you reach your fitness goals and when partnered with cardio and a good diet, you’ll see plenty of improvement in no time at all!

Start working out today and strive for those goals!