Customer Reviews
Bowflex Extreme 2 
2008-05-19
Recently purchased. Pricey, but high quality material. Will last many years. One person can assemble but plan on 2 to 3 hours. Recommend working on technique before wanting to upgrade the power rods. You might not need the additional upgrade and save some $$. Also, recommend the $15 purchase of the rod rejuvinator (holds the rods in place when not in use). Would definitely recommend the Bowflex to my friends.
Good machine, but very poor quality control. 
2008-04-05
We picked up our new Bowflex Xtreme 2 last weekend and promptly started opening boxes to build our new "Home Gym". Box #2 states clearly on the outside that the instructions are provided in Box #1. In our experience, that wasn't the case. No instructions were provided in any of the boxes (issue #1). I found the assembly instructions on-line, but really didn't want to waste 26 pages to print the manual so we contacted the sporting goods place we bought the Bowflex and they dug up a very worn manual we could use to get ours assembled. As others have indicated, plan to spend a little time and work through the assembly instructions step-by-step.
As we progressed through the instructions, we found multiple discrepancies between what the instructions showed, and what was pre-assembled from the factory. As an example, the pulley bar that ties the leg supports together in the back has the pulleys mounted in the front while the pictures have them in the back depending on which page you are looking at (issue #2). Another discrepancy is where the manual shows a place the hooks on the rear idler pulley bracket when not in use. The cables are not long enough to reach the bracket so they end up dropped on the floor (issue #3)
The final kicker to our assembly debacle came when we started to load the power rods for an enjoyable workout. One side has the 50-30-10-10-5 rods as described while the other side has a set with 50-30-10-5-5 (issue #4). Given that the power rod block was pre-assembled by the factory in Box #1 (without the instructions), it calls into question the overall quality control surrounding the assembly at the factory.
A few people have referred to the operation of the cables and power rods as silent. This is not true. The eye-bolts have flat spots on the insides that cause the cable bracket eye-bolts to snap at certain points throughout the range of motion of the tool. Some minor detail work with a rotary sander will smooth out the flat spots, but the first couple of times you hear the snap and pop, it's surprising.
Response via email from Bowflex is not the greatest. On the 5th day after our original email asking for a new manual, poster, and DVD, we received a return email that was blank. I suspect a phone call will be in order to get the problems worked out.
After all the initial issues, we are still keeping the Bowflex Xtreme 2. It is built well enough and we look forward to thinning down the overwhelming number of exercises into a more manageable group as we develop a workout routine.
Arrived in good order before Christmas 
2008-01-18
Easy to order. The 5 boxes arrived in fairly good condition. We emailed the vendor about not receiving the assembley instructions. We were assured we would receive them. That has not happened as of today. In retrospect the vendor was very pleasant to deal with.
Excellent purchase 2007-12-03
I have always wanted a Bowflex and when the opportunity to purchase one became a reality I did not hesitate. In the past I have made purchases and ended up with buyers remorse even though I had desired the product for a long time. Not this purchase, I am extremely happy with my Bowflex. I especially enjoy the ease with which I can get a good work out. I encourage anyone with thoughts of buying a Bowflex to hurry up and do so. You are gauranteed a good time.
Nice machine 2007-10-14
We have had the machine for a couple of weeks now and have not had the opportunity to explore the many exercises that you can do. I agree with other reviews that it does take a coule of hours for 2 people to set up - and the multiple boxes were all shipped in one very large box. As long as you read the directions and pay attention to what you are doing, it will go together with no problems. Once set up though, we gave it a test and one of our rods broke in half. I contacted Bowflex the next morning and within 5 days had a replacement rod with no hassel at all! Once put together, it ended up being a bit larger than both my husband and I had thought. Make sure that you have ample room for it. No complaints and we would defintely purchase a Bowflex again! I only gave 4 out of 5 stars because we are still waiting for the additional rods (a promotion when we purchased) from Amazon - not a Bowflex issue!
Deal? 2007-10-11
Bowflex Xtreme 2 Home Gym Exercise Equipment We took the Bowflex Xtreme 2 Home Gym and improved it. The Lat Tower adjusts to two positions, plus the longer squat frame gives you 4 adjustable positions. And, the Bowflex Xtreme 2 Home Gym lets you change ex
Bowflex Xtreme 2 Home Gym 2007-10-10
The Bowflex arrived ahead of schedule and in perfect condition. Separating the inner boxes from the single, very heavy outer carton made it much easier to take it up three flights of stairs. Assembly was a breeze with a well-written instruction manual and clearly identified parts. Don't worry about the illustration that flips pulleys from front to back to front.
My wife and I are both over 60, and we can feel improvements in strength after only two weeks. The system is safer and more convenient that the free weights I used years ago. We are also more consistent in using the Bowflex than we would have been in driving to the gym.
Nice product 2007-09-20
The product arrived on-time in perfect condition, exactly as advertised. My first vigorous workout was 'moving it to my basement'. It's a heavy piece of equipment. Fortunately, it is packaged in five separate boxes, within the large package. The assembly instructions were easy enough to follow. A couple typos and an image that shows the bottom pulleys in a position that is exactly opposite the proper orientation. The good news is that the cross-piece, on which the pulleys are pre-mounted, is of such a shape that it cannot be attached in the wrong position/orientation. Other than that, follow the instructions exactly; go slowly, and it will be an easy chore. I took four hours, resisting my usual urge to do it my way. One suggestion is that the boxes should be marked, especially the one which contains the instructions. Maybe an "Open Me First" tag would resolve that issue. I bought this model because it doesn't require re-routing cables during a workout-- makes a workout routine flow more naturally. As for the rated 200+ lbs of resistance from the power rods: Watch the DVD and play around with the adjustable pulley placements, sliding along the rails. It doesn't feel like 200 lbs to me, but you will be able to get a decent workout.
Excellent! 2007-09-01
Just what I needed. Small footprint, lots of variability and very little changes to make to the machine to do the different excercises.
Missing Parts 
2007-05-07
The item shipped with a broken power rod. It also did not contain the leg attachment or the additional power rod box for the power rod upgrade ordered with it. When customer service was called they were unable to speak on the phone and unable to resolve the issue of the missing parts. Amazon informed me to call Bowflex about the issue, even though I purchased the machine through Amazon. If you want to buy this product, buy it through Bowflex directly.
