The Bowflex Revolution Home Gym: The Next Generation

The Bowflex Revolution Home Gym is the new generation of Bowflex machines that are changing the way people work out. The company’s goal is to get you working out smarter and in less time. They are so sure that you will achieve amazing results with their machines that they offer a 6-week Fitness Results Guarantee if you follow their 20 minutes-a-day, three days a week workout.

The Gym

With 100+ exercises and 400 variations available including chest fly, arm curl, shoulder press, leg curl and more, this machine offers the range to get a good workout while duplicating the feel of free weights. The Freedom Arms adjust 170° to work muscles from various angles, meaning it gives you multiple cable/pulley positions to customize your workouts. The specs on the Bowflex Revolution Home Gym are:

• 220 lbs (100 kg) of Resistance (upgradeable to 300 lbs)
• Leg Press Plate up to 440 lbs resistance
• Leg Curl/Extension Station
• Preacher Curl Attachment
• Built-in Rowing Machine
• SpiraFlex® Plates
• Freedom Arms™ – 10 positions, 170° adjustable
• Max user weight – 300 lbs / 136 kg
• Dimensions – 112"L x 63"W x 73" H
• 10-year Limited Warranty
• Accessories included – handgrips, foot harness, manual, workout DVD

The Buzz

Trainers have remarked that the unit is noticeably quieter than competitor models, and that it is a quality-built system. The Bowflex Revolution Home Gym has an even, smooth movement when raising and lowering the weight thanks to the SpiraFlex® Plates. The lightweight, hard plastic plates contain thick elastic bands inside them that coil around the core to provide tension or resistance. This is the same technology used by NASA astronauts to fight muscle atrophy while working months at a time in the weightless environment of the Space Station.

Compare Bowflex® Home Gyms Here and at Amazon

The Bowflex Revolution has many satisfied users who have found that it provides most everything they were looking for in a home gym. However, there are a few functional problems worth mentioning. For starters, the leg press boasts up to 440-lbs of resistance yet stronger user say they pressed the weight so easily they questioned the top resistance load. Several men over 6’1” have found that the unit is too short for comfortable leg extensions while pressing. Home gym reviews also note that while the Bowflex Revolution comes with a Preacher Curl attachment, the rigging is a bit odd as the low pulley cable runs through the leg extension to the curl bar. The design’s main drawback, however, seem to be that the resistance is in 10-lb increments on each side, not 5 lb., and that jump can be taxing to some users.

Our Take

The Bowflex Revolution is a pricey home gym at a $2,999.00, which is quite steep for many people. It’s priced slightly higher than the Bowflex Ultimate 2 Gym, which we feel is a better-designed system. The Ultimate 2 offers a few more options for guys hoping to bulk up as well as more versatility. The Bowflex Revolution Home Gym is a quality-engineered machine and it could be perfect for someone 5’8” who is not looking to rip on it everyday. But until Bowflex comes out with the next generation of this “Next Generation,” we encourage folks to look at the Ultimate 2 instead of this one.

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