Bowflex Conquest Home Gym :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Very Pleased

2007-09-26
My Wife and I, both in our 60s, have been using a resistance band machine for many years and found it to be basically adequate. The manufacturer no longer supports that machine and we eventually ran out of bands requiring us to replace it. We're sorry now that we didn't replace it with a BowFlex sooner. The Conquest is perfect for our purposes of generally toning and conditioning. It is easily adjustable, providing a wide range of motion and resistance. The book and video provided with the machine are extremely helpful and the set-up instructions accurate and easy to follow. We assembled and set up the machine in a matter of a few minutes. We can recommend this machine without reservation.

Very pleased

2007-09-11
The Bowflex Body Plan
By Ellington Darden, PhD
(Rodale Inc., © 2004)
And Bowflex Conquest
reviews

After purchasing both the Bowflex Conquest unit and The Bowflex Body Plan, it became obvious that one could not be reviewed without the other. Although cross-references will be made in each review, I will do my best to keep the reviews separate.

Preface. If you are considering purchasing exercise programs or equipment (such as p90X, the Total Gym, Vigro Fit, treadmills, bar bells, elliptical machines, etc.), as did I, please consider your goals. My wife, who suffers arthritis in her hands and decreasing bone density, wanted something that would help her in both categories. I believe everyone understands that stronger muscles increase bone density which helps persons with arthritis. For myself, I wanted an alternative exercise to a nightly cardio, stretch and limited resistance workout on my Nautilus NordicTrack CX 1055 (which is a very good and useful elliptical machine); as one who is trying to be liberated from impaired glucose tolerance (pre diabetic), it is necessary for me to exercise a minimum of 30-60 minutes a day. The information I was reading about resistance or strength training suggested that my cardio workout could be reduced if I increased my muscle mass (which continues to "work" the physiology of my system, even when I am resting). In addition, I wanted stronger lower back muscles (my family has an unwanted tradition of pain in that part of our bodies).

With these factors in mind, I ordered the literature and free DVD from Bowflex. The testimonials and information were very encouraging, but I was unwilling to spend a bunch of money on a Bowflex. Besides, the size of the units created space problems, because we had no room for a piece of equipment as large as a Bowflex.

Book Review: The Bowflex Body Plan.. One weekend while I was visiting a used bookstore in Texas, I stumbled onto Ellington Darden's book, The Bowflex Body program. After flipping through the pages, I decided it was worth a try, so I bought it. This turned out to be a pivotal event.

Darden has been a body builder and body trainer for over 40 years. He holds a PhD, likes to investigate things and learn about new disciplines. He has also written lots of books on body building. He is a pretty good writer, which helps us readers.

One of the surprises in the book relates to his knowledge of nutrition: he has taken post-graduate courses in the topic, and studied the principles of Understanding Nutrition (a thick, heavy, lengthy book, used in colleges and universities). As I read more in his book, it was obvious that Darden knew more about nutrition than most, and although he is not at the level of Marion Nestle or Eleanor Noss Whitney, nor does his program touch on "hot" topics such as carbohydrate reduction diets or mineral additives, his weight loss and body building programs take into account some fundamentals of nutrition.

In short, Darden appeared to be a learned man, who was willing to admit he was wrong. In the book, he points out erroneous perspectives he had formulated (including taking the wrong or unnecessary dietary supplements, over exercising, etc.), and explains why his beliefs were out of kilter.

The book has lots of materials, ranging from the science of dieting (for example, diets won't work without exercise - although this fact ought to be obvious, Darden explains why one doesn't work without the other), to specific dieting programs, to the science of strength training programs (frequency of exercises, meaning, no less than 20 minutes nor more than 30 per session, no more than 3 sessions a week so your muscles can recover and rebuild, no less than 8 repetitions nor more than 12 per session, using short pauses between exercises - i.e., circuit training, etc.). He concludes with the observation that all exercise regimens (stretching, cardio and resistance) can be accomplished by using a Bowflex machine.

Although the principles of strength training are Bowflex oriented in this book, they could be adapted to any resistance training program and produce the same results. Even if you do not own or purchase a Bowflex, you can use the principles.

Much of the book is devoted to helping people lose weight, which was not one of my objectives. Apparently people want to lose weight when they buy exercise equipment. If one factors in Michael Pollen's observation in The Omnivore's Dilemma, that a third of our population is overweight, and according to Darden, between ages 30 and 50, we lose 15 pounds of muscle mass, the handwriting on the wall is obvious: we cannot expect to have healthy bodies if we do not eat properly and exercise.

The book contains so many Bowflex exercise routines, that over the course of time, I will have no problem adapting what I now do with my Bowflex unit, and adding other exercises for specific needs. As an aid to a novice, there are dozens of photographs of how exercises are to be done (including some which do not require a Bowflex unit).

Comparing this work to others I have read on the topics of exercise, strength training, cardio and stretching, I learned more about all of those subjects in less time than all of the other materials and resources. His dietary program, however, is not what as healthy as it might be (but his purpose is to formulate a diet that can lead to weight loss of up to 60 pounds in 6 weeks - not to detoxify a system).

If I had not purchased this book, we would not have purchased a Bowflex. I don't think any novice Bowflex user should purchase a Bowflex without first reading this book.

Bowflex Conquest Review. By the time I finished the book, I was pretty excited about the Bowflex equipment. The units I had seen at Sears and some sporting goods stores were so large that I was discouraged, because we only had one room where we could keep the equipment, and the unit had to be moved to the middle of the room to be used. The one positive thing we learned as we visited these stores was that the units had wheels, and it appeared the units could be moved into a corner in a folded position (there are a couple of Bowflex units that don't have wheels and can't be moved, but I wasn't interested in those; one of them did not have a rowing bench and the other was out of our budget constraints).

I called the Bowflex toll free number on several occasions, and learned quite a bit of information about the difference in the units (they could not tell me anything about the Conquest, however, since it is not available through the direct telephone purchase program). The folded footprint size of the direct purchase units deterred me from considering but one or two, both of which were more expensive than the Conquest unit (which is sold through Amazon.com).

After moving some furniture around, we determined we could squeeze the Conquest into a corner space, and hopefully, the unit would be easy to move to the middle of the room (it was). Since it weighs close to 200 pounds and is close to 7' high, I had some reservations, which were misplaced, by ordering it sight unseen.

So we bought the Conquest, because of its relatively small footprint and its price. It arrived in 4 boxes (most of the boxes weighed about 70 pounds), and fortunately, the instructions were pretty easy to follow. It took about 3 hours to assemble (one hour was spent trying to find an adapter for my electric drill; the Allen wrenches furnished with unit took too much time to use, in my opinion). Once we got it together, we rolled it into the corner, and spent the rest of the evening reading the manual and watching the DVD that came with the product. The DVD instructed us on proper body positioning during the exercises, how to adjust the power rods, and was a very useful training aid.

The manual contains lots of information on the exercises which are designed for this unit, has many photographs, some anatomy diagrams relating to the muscle system, and has a diet and exercise program (all of which are written by Ellington Darden). Using the manual, plus information gleaned from The Bowflex Body Plan, we embarked on the 6 week program.

Since weight loss was not one of my primary objectives, I did not drink a gallon of cold water every day, or follow the prescribed diet. My wife followed some of these recommendations, however, and lost a couple of pounds.

At the end of 6 weeks, we had each lost about 4 pounds of body fat (which is fairly close to normal, according to Darden); my overall weight was about the same. In that time period I gained an inch in size in each arm, and my abs were visibly improved (they were in pretty good shape when I began the program, but the difference is very apparent).

The drawbacks to the Conquest relate to features which are not available on this unit: the lower pulley bar has only one setting (the more expensive units have more), which means, some of the exercises from The Bowflex Body Plan are not entirely adaptable to the Conquest. In addition, there are other pieces of available equipment (as separate purchases, in most instances) that cannot be used on the Conquest (e.g., ones that are to be used for certain leg exercises). For our purposes, however, I have no regrets.

The basic six week program is designed to increase the number of exercises performed over the six week time period. By week 7 we had increased the number of exercises to 12. We always warm up by rowing, and are able to finish all 12 exercises within the allotted 30 minute time period. About every 2 weeks we increase the weight resistance, and the sessions have proven to be more difficult and more strenuous. However, the results are rewarding.

I was surprised to learn that my wife's carpal tunnel pains had abated over the course of time, and that we both decreased our body fat. Since muscles weigh more than fat, I regret that I did not follow the diet. I wanted my weight to stay about the same, but after week 6, it has inched its way upward, because of the weight of my "new" muscles. Presently, I am using some of the dietary techniques with moderate success, so as to return to what I regard as normal weight.

One of the Bowflex salesmen I visited on the phone with mentioned that his grandmother had been using a unit similar to ours for many years. This was a comforting thought, because I know we need look no further for a unit with more features. The Conquest meets our needs and is accomplishing our objectives.

We are very pleased with our Bowflex.

Conclusion. Both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association now recommend resistance training as part of our daily regimen, in addition to cardio exercises. I will give you the hotlink to their site shortly, but the bottom line is this: we are an obese nation, and are somewhat indolent. Exercise puts us in better physical shape, and with a proper diet, exercise can help us to stay healthy. The Bowflex program helps accomplish these goals, and should certainly be considered.

(http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764)

Wonderful Product!

2007-09-08
Just finished working out my eighth day on the Conquest. Feels great! I trust in time, my goals of increasing muscle tone and stamina will be achieved, but for now I have been pleasantly surprised by just how good working out makes me feel. I recommend the Conquest model over the Blaze because of the close similarity of the products and the lesser price of the Conquest. The conquest s a very good tool but like any tool, it is only good if it is used. Good luck on your purchase!

Great Deal

2007-08-20
Had my Bowflex in 10days. About 3hrs to unpack & set up. Bought the Bowflex Body Plan book, would highly reccomend. Great experience, no issues getting my order. The way on-line buying should be.
It really does take only 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week.

This Thing is Big

2007-07-04
All the pictures make you think this thing is not that big, but it is. It is about 7 feet high, 6 feet wide and 8.5 feet long when all is said and done. It weighs 156 lbs. It is strong, should last a very very long time. It took me about two hours to put togeather, READ the Directions and look at the pictures time and time again. You will need a 9/16 wrench and a number 2 philips head acrewdriver, along with the allen wrenches supplied. I did it alone, but two people putting this togeather would be better. It is heavy and has some heavy parts. As for the workings of it, it is great, every part of your body has a good exercise or exercises for it. It comes with a book and a CD, and eating guide to help you along. For price I paid, it was a fantastic buy. But be prepaired and ensure you have room for it.

Impressive...so far

2007-06-01
Bring the power of Bowflex to your home gym with the Conquest Home Gym, which provides a gym-quality workout in the comfort and safety of your own home. It offers 210 pounds of Bowflex Power Rod resistance technology and more than 65 exercises to get your body in shape. This machine can fit in the corner of your home, garage, or even small apartment or condo. You can hook one, two, three, four or all of your Power Rod units to the cable pulley system and go from as little as 5 pounds all the way up to 210 pounds of resistance. Great for all fitness levels, this versatile machine helps work the back, shoulders, triceps, lats, chest, abs, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and more. It offers the following exercise options:

Base platform
Lower pulley/squat station
Lat station
Lat bar
Leg curl/extension station

The sliding seat allows for aerobic rowing while a Bowflex equipment mat is included for stability and floor protection. The Conquest folds up and rolls on wheels for convenient storage.

Bowflex's patented Power Rods provide resistance, or weight, that feels as good as or better than free weights--but without the inertia or risk of joint pain usually associated with free weights. You can hook one, two, three, four or all of your Power Rod units to the cable pulley system and go from as little as 5 pounds all the way up to 210 pounds of resistance.

They're precisely manufactured from a high-tech composite material under the highest quality control measures, then sheathed and tested four separate times to ensure quality and durability. The Power Rod units are so strong, you can flex them repeatedly but you won't be able to wear them out. In fact, they're so strong, they're backed by a lifetime warranty.

Specifications:

Weight resistance: 210 pounds
Number of exercises: 65
Open dimensions: 40 inches wide by 76 inches long by 84 inches tall
Folded dimensions: 40 inches wide by 40 inches long by 84 inches tall
Maximum user weight capacity: 300 pounds

Manufacturer's Warranty
Three-year warranty on machine; lifetime warranty on Power Rods

What's in the Box?
Bowflex Conquest home gym unit, instructional video, equipment mat, and t-bar

About Home Gyms
While offering the convenience of working out in the comfort and privacy of your own home, home gyms also allow you to focus on specific routines without having to wait in line or switch between a complex array of machines. In addition to improving strength, power, coordination, and muscular endurance, weight training can enhance weight reduction, enhance the immune and cardiovascular systems, and help prevent injuries. In general, home gym machines are compact units designed to strengthen and exercise many parts of the body. While no single home gym can provide a complete strength training solution, they are a convenient way to combine many exercises into a single unit. Some home gyms focus exclusively on upper-body workouts, while other, more advanced units focus on upper- and lower-body conditioning.

Great Machine! 2007-03-16
I purchased the Bowflex Conquest in late February. I was looking for a machine that my wife and I could both use. My intent is to tone muscle and lose some weight. The Bowflex Conquest arrived in approximately one week (after ordering). Eagle Global Logistics delivered it - no problems. The machine comes in four boxes that are quite easy to move around your home (to wherever you decide to place this machine). The heavist box is around 65 pounds. Setup time from start to finish (i.e. from opening to boxes to throwing away the trash) was about 3 hours. I was not missing any parts and the instructions are very easy to follow. The machine seems to be very solid, stable and well built. I've been using it every other day for about a week and am pleased with how it works. The motion is quite smooth and it's easy to do a multitude of different workouts on this machine. It takes a few times to learn the different ways of using this machine (the book and included DVD help). Overall, this is a great item for the average homeowner. It would probably not be the best choice for an avid bodybuilder or someone like that. It's a perfect choice, however, for the "average Joe" just looking to get a good workout in his/her own home. Just a side note - I had to call Bowflex Customer Service to ask a question.. they were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase and am glad I bought it.

Making a change 2007-01-29
I bought the Bowflex because I wanted an alternative to lifting heavy weights that from various injuries made my joints ache. After unloading my basement full of gym equipment I searched for the best deal on a Bowflex that met my needs and price range. Amazon offered alot of choices at good prices so I settled on the Conquest. I opened a business CC and have six months interest free to pay for it and ordering was simple. The delivery went great and came in about a week or so. Since it comes in four boxes I strongly recomend taking everything out one box at a time and spread it out. Putting it together was fairly easy if you follow the directions and aren,t impatient you can do it by yourself but it may help to have a second person at times.
My early thoughts are that I will love this product although it does take some time to learn all the exercises and the attachments. The video does the best job of showing various things the booklet lacks good pictures of certain attachments and their use. In the end I feel I made a great choice at 46 I enjoy an active lifestyle and this will help me keep it. Plus I feel it won,t effect my golf game in a negative way regular weight lifting did.

Dave
Michigan

Perfect for my needs. 2006-05-15
Over the last 2 years, I have been member of 4 different gyms. I traveled a lot overseas during that time, so I juggled the memberships quite a bit and ended up paying way more than I wanted. My usual trips to the gym took 2-4 hours including travel time, I'm a pretty motivated person, but after a while, it is just becomes too difficult to get myself in the gym because of the time and money involved.

After coming back from a recent 1 year trip overseas, I've decided to look into home gyms to save both money and time. After extensive research, I ended up purchase the Conquest here on Amazon. Some other machines I looked at were the Platinum Crossbow, Total Gym, Bandflex. After comparing all the machines and going to the local sporting store to try out the Bowflex, I had no doubt that Bowflex is well worth the money.

Other machines might be cheaper, smaller and easier to assemble. But I found that the Bowflex quality is difficult to match.

Setup:

I put together the machine in about 2 hours. All you need is a couple of screw drivers, the everything else needed is in the package. The instructions were easy to follow and makes logical sense. However, my Bowflex, like many others, arrived missing a few parts. In my case it was just a few washers and a couple of screws, nothing critical, but such problems seemed common from what I've read.

Operation:

If you have not used a Bowflex yet, you are in for a treat. The Power Rods provide very smooth resistance and wonderful range of motion. The resistance builds as you flex the power rods, very easy on the joints at the beginning of the motion, yet still provides enough to break down your muscles toward the end of the motion. The DVD provides instruction for basic exercises (about 15), and the manual covers over 60 different exercises. A lot of them are simply variations of another exercise, but I found myself creating new ways to exercise that is not covered in the included material. The weight and type of exercises were easy to change, and will not interfere with your workout. I found this to be a very good time saver vs waiting for machines at the gym.

Size:

No matter how many times you have seen the Bowflex on TV, you won't realize how big the machine truly is until you have put it together. The conquest is easily 7ft tall, and takes a huge amount of space in my living room. It has wheels, but you will not be able to fit it through most doors, so think long and hard before you decide which room you will place it.

Value:

I ordered here on Amazon because of the awesome discounted price they had, evident by the fact the machine sold out 2 days after I placed my order. But after using the machine for a week, I can honestly say I would gladly pay full price for the machine. Like any other piece of exercise equipment, if you make good use of it, and it is worth every penny. I noticed that this machine is nearly identical to the more expensive Sport model, but is hundreds cheaper.

Summary:

This is the best item I have purchased in 2006, over the years I always ignored the Bowflex TV ads and considered it a fad. But the Conquest proved its worth a dozen times over the last week; for once a machine that works better than advertised.

Pros: solid construction, long warranty, exercise variety, smooth motion, easy operation, great long term value.

Cons: Setup time, size, missing parts

Neutral: Decent resale value.