Customer Reviews
Solid Unit but difficult instructions! 
2008-02-13
We just finished assembling the unit and it took 5-6 hours. There are 26 steps to the instructions and I found 5 manageable errors in the manual until step 23. Step 23 was a nightmare! They show a picture that is physically impossible to do. I struggled with it until I realized the instructions for the step are totally wrong and ignored them. The remaining 3 steps aren't great either since they tend to refer to parts that are not shown in any image. Still, once assembled, it is a solid and impressive unit - quite large and it cannot be easily stored away - that is fictional. We now have to learn how to actually do the different exercises and then put a routine together - you are on your own a bit for that too. By the way, the leg attachments say to set the bars in a certain position for you height. I'm 6' 2" and my wife is 5' 4" so that may be a problem. Besides, they don't tell you how to adjust for your height anyway, just that you need to do it. It is frustrating that all they would have needed to do is to pay one person to set-up a unit while they watched, and they could have had the manuals many errors and omissions corrected. I'll post a follow-up on how it works for exercise.
Very pleased. 
2008-01-23
I am very please with my Bowflex Sport. It took a while to setup by myself as I was doing it after a motorcycle injury to my leg, but it has definitely helped get me back into shape and having it close by keeps me motivated. Its something I look forward to using when I come home! Soon I'll have to order some extra bows for added resistance! A great buy, I recommend it highly.
excellent piece 2008-01-12
easy to set up, very easy to use. not difficult to change for various exercises, great product especially for price
Good setup at a good price! 2008-01-02
The Bowflex Sport home gym is amazing! There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars more for the newer, fancier model. This one has everything you need to do a huge variety of strengthening and toning exercises. As entry level users, our family has had no problem adjusting our routine to fit in an every-other-day workout. The Bowflex Sport allows for all of our different strength levels with a quick change of the resistance of the power rods, and easily changes accessories to provide a multitude of different exercises for your whole body. The only downfall of my purchase was the extended delivery time (by a freight forwarder) but HEY - it was FREE shipping, so I can't really complain! One word of warning: be prepared for the assembly process! (This great machine first comes in the form of a jigsaw puzzle that requires two people for assembly). Overall, I am very satisfied with this great tool that has lead us down the road to a healthy new lifestyle for the entire family!
8 yrs old and still working great 2007-11-29
For normal people (i.e. you are not a guy in the gym three hours a day slamming protien drinks, and compensating for other things that are smaller then they should be) this is the best home gym you can own. I bought one in Feb 1999 and it has worked great ever since. My wife probably uses it more than I do. If you can find a better home gym for the price and size, let me know. Beware, there are a lot of cheaper knock offs out there...they are a waste of money and will fall apart.
Excellent - PLEASE Read! 2008-05-22
Honestly, this machine is an excellent purchase, especially for those of you who WANT to work out and get into better shape, but don't have the time or the commitment to go to a gym 3-4 times a week, every week (even if it's a 10-minute drive away).
The people that say that the assembly process takes half a day or more honestly don't know how to put anything together. I'm not saying it took 15 minutes, but 2-3 hours tops! In fact, it's almost easy - it just takes some time because there are quite a few pieces and you want to make sure everything is in the right places.
As for the weights, resistance and not representing it's numbered amount - it's very possible that 50-bowflex-resistance pounds might not EXACTLY represent 50-regular-disc pounds. However, who cares? Just add another rod or two, and you're good to go.
I must say that this machine is probably NOT for body builders (you should be in the gym like 6-7 times a week) but for those of you have just want to feel stronger and look better, I promise that this machine will get you there, 100% guaranteed! I've been using it for about 2-3 weeks and I already feel the difference (it doesn't come over night, but you can certainly feel it and slowly but surely see it).
My only suggestion: CONSISTENCY! If you're willing to put 30-to-60 minutes a few times a week, I guarantee this machine is MORE THAN ENOUGH to see nice results, again, for people who just want to get into a better shape or lose weight.
Good Machine 2008-05-13
I own it for over three year now and I still love it.
It is very well made, it is little difficult to put it together since there are many pieces but every pieces fit perfectly.
It save me time and money since I can work out when ever I feel like it with out all the driving.
And I do have to say I try many machines but this is next best thing to having your own professional gym. You don't have to wait or wash other people's sweat off.
Yes, this is big but it is perfect for me to do pull up on the machine.
Another downer is fact that weight is not accurate, it is lighter than what they claim to be so you might need extra weight, also rod's stiffness varies with the temperature.
Great machine for a great deal of the day price 2008-03-10
I'm very happy with this machine. I'm able to get a great workout from the comfort of home. Next time I purchase a bow flex machine, I'm going to buy something two levels higher. Hightly recommended. It works as advertise.
Good Value for the Money 2008-02-23
I bought this as a replacement for my gym membership. I'm enjoying it. It's easy to assemble and use. I got the 310 lb. upgrade for it and it was easy to install. My only concern is that the weights aren't true to their claim. I'm a 26-yr old woman and have never been able to bench or curl 100 lbs. This machine says I can. Overlooking this, you do get a good workout for the price.
Overall a great unit, but difficult assembly 2008-02-16
The Sport is an excellent machine with a few caveats:
First, delivery. It took about a week for delivery, which is fine. I got a call from the delivery company to set up an appointment, and was told that they would only take it off the truck, not actually bring it inside. Amazon only covers curbside delivery. Considering I am on the 3rd floor of an apartment building and it weighs 230+ lbs, this was not good. I was told they would not even bring it up using the elevator. Luckily, the delivery guy called and asked if he could bring it earlier in the day and offered to bring it up for me in return. I just lucked out because there is absolutely no way I could have gotten it upstairs on my own.
Assembly:
I basically dismissed all of the complaints on here about difficult assembly, but they are all true. It took me about 4 hours to assemble and I am pretty handy. The parts are well constructed, but they do not fit together easily. The bolts are tightened using an included allen wrench, which stripped after 2 bolts. It would have been much smarter to make them tighten with a large flathead screwdriver. The nuts are locking nuts and are nearly impossible to tighten properly with the allen wrench. I ended up going to the hardware store and purchasing regular 3/4" nuts that I could actually tighten with the allen wrench. I would highly recommend you do the same. Otherwise, I would still be trying to assemble the thing. There are several screws that need to be tightened in pre-threaded holes and it was very difficult to get them in properly. One took me literally 20 minutes just to get threaded (no joke). The instructions are decent, but a couple steps, (such as the seat assembly) are not clear and I had to do some steps twice to get it right.
The third thing I will caution you about is that this thing is BIG. You really can't tell from the pictures just how long the bench and leg extension are, but they take up over 6 feet from the main unit. The bows flex outward and need about 6 feet of room as well. It does fold up, which helps, but make sure you have a large area for the machine. And don't plan on moving it from room to room once assembled, it is way too big to get through a doorway.
All that being said, I am very happy with the Sport. It is very solid and I get a good workout from it. At first, the resistence of the bows felt weird, but it does the trick. It just takes getting used to. I have been working out for about 2 weeks about 20 minutes most days and have seen great results. The range of exercises is pretty impressive. You can do several varations of exercises for all muscle groups, as well as aerobic rowing.
I don't think you could get a better home gym for the price. If Bowflex would spend some time simplifying the assembly process and clarifying the documentation, they would have a five star product.
