# Anyone own a Bowflex

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 28, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017 "2005-11-28T04:56:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017/1 "2005-11-28T04:56:25Z")

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Are they any good?

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017/2 "2005-11-28T10:46:19Z")

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I know the early ones were very unstable. I saw one on [Craig’s List](http://seattle.craigslist.org/) for free recently.

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**Author:** ![Whifton\_Polekitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@Whifton\_Polekitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whifton_Polekitty)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017/3 "2005-11-28T10:53:41Z")

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A bike shop I used to work for had one for sale. For seven years. It never moved. Some of us tried it and decided it was a very gimicky contraption. The milage of others, of course, may vary.

Me, I call it krep though.

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**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017/4 "2005-11-28T14:21:27Z")

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Mostly crap. I understand the more expensive models are better constructed than the cheaper ones…meaning instead of a potentially hazardous pile of injury-making drek, you have something that won’t fall apart after a few years of use.

As for the effectiveness of the machine itself…eh. It’s better than nothing,\* but the resistance follows a weird pattern that doesn’t mimic real life that well. Free weights are much cheaper and way more effective, imo. I can’t really imagine any situations where I’d rather have a bowflex than a well designed free weight home gym.

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**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017/5 "2005-11-28T14:33:30Z")

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Tanks.

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-own-a-bowflex/333017/6 "2005-11-28T15:52:39Z")

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I’ve got the dial-a-weight dumbbells, and they’re very cool. We’re quite pleased with them. Fewer dumbbells laying around the house (that is, unless me and Mr. Kal are taking it easy, heh-heh).