Customer Reviews
One rod bent 
2008-04-03
Prompt arrival of shipment! However one rod is bent (as mentioned by another reviewer). I've decided to keep and use (to avoid extra shipping costs) and see if the bend effects the performance. We'll see!
Not for Xtreme XTLU 
2008-02-15
I ordered this 100LB ugrade when I ordered my Xtreme XTLU and it was not necessary. In fact I can't use it, because there are no blank spaces in the power rod block. The Xtreme XTLU comes with 310 pounds of resistance and a Bowflex mat!
I'll be stronger than Superman with these 2008-01-06
I'd been watching these for awhile after I bought my Bowflex xtreme 2 SE from Bowflex. Bowflex would ship to me (I'm in Alaska) but Amazon wouldn't. For what ever reason Amazon was selling these thru the Bowflex direct and wouldn't ship the rods to me either. I noticed that Amazon was now directly selling them so I ordered and got free shipping. Anyway they arrived fast. One rod was straight and white the other was slightly curved and yellowish. Different material under the rubber, dunno. Also the grooves that lock the rods in place were cut different, one shallow the other deep. But they installed fine. Using them, they seemed lighter resistance wise, than the 50's that came with the Bowflex.
Its all good, if they should break Bowflex offers lifetime replacement so I'm not to worried.
viva la Bowflex body. Watch out Superman!!!
Amazon drops the ball 
2007-09-23
I ordered a bowflex xtreme2 with both the 310 and 410 upgrades. The xtreme arrived (from bowflex), the 410 arrived (from a 3rd party vendor), but the 310 (to be shipped from Amazon) I'm still waiting for a month later. Amazon should stick to books, they obviously have no idea how to deliver on other products or even communicate with customers if there is a problem in the supply chain.
Defective item 2007-09-17
One of these rods snapped in half in less than 30 days. I really expected better of Bowflex. My original 210lbs set hasn't had an issue.
Now I have to waste time dealing with Amazon's poor return policy or trying to get Bowflex to replace it.
Bowflex 310 lb. Upgrade 2008-07-07
Original equipment wasn't enough so these rods were ordered, delivered in a timely fashion and easily installed (5 minutes, one screwdriver). They are identical to the original rods and the same cost as if I had bought them through Bowflex, which no longer carries them.
Hmm, two rods.... 
2008-04-29
What can I say... Two plastic rods with a couple screws and no instructions on how to install....
Of course it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how to install the rods.... Pretty self explanatory....
Overall great upgrade for the Bowflex.... I plan on getting the 410 attachment later on....
Product as described, good addition to the Bowflesx Sport 2008-04-11
The power rod upgrade completes the Bowflex sport and is definitely recommended for squats, leg presses etc.
Does what it says... 2008-04-07
These work as intended, but they are a bit of a pain to install. You have to remove the rod box from your bowflex and then to re-attach it you basically need to flip it on its side. I have low ceilings, so this is more difficult than it would seem.
Good concept with small flaws. 2008-04-06
I'm a 42 yr old male, in good shape and experienced with working out and weight training. I lift weights to tone up, and to balance the running portion of my workouts. I'm not looking for size or "gains". My goal in purchasing a Bowflex was to save time and space. I purchased the Bowflex Extreme with the 310 "lb" resistance upgrade. To date I have not purchased the leg attachment option. I have used this machine for six weeks.
Overall - I'm happy with this purchase. This machine is a good concept, and produces good results. In my opinion, it offers several advantages over free weights. It's well constructed, but has some minor flaws (described later). While not the top-of-the-line model, this machine allows me to do more exercises than I could ever possibly need.
The resistance feels different than free weights, and takes some getting used to. First, the poundage listed on the rods does not correspond to free weights - it doesn't need to. The goal is to provide a repeatable, controlled resistance. Second, the resistance increases through the range of motion, unlike weights which require you to overcome inertia. Initially, this makes the exercise feel too easy, but I've found that if I work through the complete range of motion in a controlled manner, I get a good workout.
In my opinion, because resistance increases through the range of motion, the Bowflex works stabilizer muscles better than free weights. In addition, since you're not limited to working against gravity, you can exercise through ranges of motion not possible with free weights. Free weights do offer some advantages, but I'm happy with my results to date.
The actual size of the Extreme is pretty much what I had anticipated. It requires a 7ft wide x 9ft deep x 8ft high workout area. You'll not want to move it once setup, but it can be used in a second bedroom. I like how the bench is set up in a vertical position to save space.
One flaw is that some of the components seem cheap. Overall, the system is solid and well-constructed. However, my rod binding strap split into two after a couple of uses. Also, the plastic covering on one of my cables started flaking off after a few workouts. Another flaw is that the 210 "lb" standard resistance is insufficient. The machine should come with 300 "lbs" of standard resistance - Bowflex should ditch the useless 5 lb rods, and add two more 50s.
A couple words of advice - Read the ENTIRE manual before assembling or working out. I read the assembly portion of the manual, and easily set the system up in an hour. However, thinking I was experienced, I jumped into my workouts without reading (or watching the DVD) on how to use the machine. I later found out that I was doing several of the exercises, and using several of the attachments, incorrectly. Perhaps this contributed to the flaking cable covering. Finally, I've found that grouping exercises by pulley location (high, middle, or low pulleys), shortens my workouts.
