The Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym: Improve Your Appearance in Less Time Than You Think

The Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym isn’t for bulking up muscles so much as it is for achieving total body conditioning. If you follow Bowflex’s program of a calorie deficient diet, cardio sessions, plus three 20-minute workout per week on a Bowflex, it is possible to get in good shape in less than a month.

The Gym

The $1,299 Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym provides a variety of exercises (over 60), plus it has a compact footprint, and the cable station has adjustable start positions. This changes the angle of resistance on the cable pull thus increasing the effectiveness of the exercise.

The specs on the Bowflex Xtreme SE are:

• 210 lbs of PowerRod® Resistance (upgradeable to 310 lbs)
• Leg Developer (curls/extensions)
• Lat Tower with Angled Lat Bar
• 3-Position Lower Pulley/Squat Station
• Ergonomic Adjustable Seat
• 300 lb Max User Weight
• Dimensions – 62"L x 49"W x 81"H
• 7-year Limited Warranty on Machine; No Time Limit Warranty on Power Rods
• Accessories included – ab crunch shoulder harness, 5-way hand grip/ankle cuff, CD, manual & fitness guide

The Buzz

While the Bowflex Xtreme SE is effective for most users who aren’t looking to “lift big,” trainers and weightlifters have one recurring criticism with the Power Rod home gym system: they remark that the press movement feels like the resistance is only delivering about half of the stated value. In other words, users who cannot press 210 lbs with a barbell, or on a leverage machine, can easily do it on a Bowflex home gym. Why? Unlike free weights, the Power Rod resistance is not a constant force throughout the entire range of motion. According to the CD that comes with the Bowflex Xtreme SE, the resistance is at 60% at the start of the press and goes to 100% only with full flexion of the rods. Trainers will tell you that muscle fibers become stronger when dynamic tension is applied to the muscle for a longer period of time. Bowflex is overcoming this drawback with their new evolution of SpiraFlex plates home gyms, such as the Bowflex Revolution XP.

Compare Bowflex® Home Gyms Here and at Amazon

Despite what the pros say, Bowflex customers are happy with their machines and get years of use out of them. The Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym does not have the “no-cable change” system found on the advanced model, the Xtreme 2 SE model, but that’s the only minor issue owners seem to have with their systems. Most users find that after they have changed set-ups the first few times, they get used to it and can make changes quickly.

Our Take

The Bowflex Xtreme SE is a home gym for beginners or for people who want the convenience of getting weekly strength training workouts on an easy-to-use machine. If you follow the instructions on the DVD, you will hit every muscle group and get a complete total body conditioning workout. The Bowflex Xtreme SE is not a suitable choice for weight training purists or for stronger lifters who will find out quickly that the max on this machine is not enough resistance. If you know you will never need more than 210 lbs of resistance, you may want to look at the Bowflex Classic that sells for $649. If you are sold on the Bowflex design, you can save a lot of money over the Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym by going with the Classic instead.

Show me other Bowflex Home Gyms

Return from Bowflex Xtreme SE Home Gym to the Home Gym Reviews Index Page