Bowflex VS Free Weights (muscles, lifting, gym, press)
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I have had a Bowflex Sport for a handful of years now and truthfully haven't hit it as hard as I should have or as often but when I did get back to it I have noticed increased strength and increased size. When I lived in another area I belonged to a gym and used the free weights. I think the free weights gave me a better over all workout whereas the Bowflex gives me a different one.
The trouble is now my wife has converted our gym into a office, the old office back into a bedroom and the gym is being moved into another spare bedroom... The bowflex won't fit in this new area due to it's height and its only by about 3/4 inch! It is presently disassembled.
I'm thinking about putting it up for sale and picking up a Olympic style bench and weights instead.
Bowflex VS Free weights Which is better and Why?
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Just buy a power rack, and flat bench + weights
Or simplify it even more. Just buy an adjustable bench + 2 adjustable dumbbells.
Every exercise you can do with a barbell, you can do with dumbbells, and much more. Dumbbells are even more effective than barbell because they train each side of the body independently, and require balance (=additional muscles involved)
Another plus of dumbbells is that they are very space-efficient, unlike the barbell which requires quite a bit of room.
Last but not least, get rid of the bowflex. Bowflex people managed to peddle a lot of their units thanks to the barrage of the commercials. As far as workout quality, no machine, including bowflex, will ever touch the effectiveness of the free weights.
Way back when during the heyday of Bowflex commercials a friend of mine ran into one of the main models for their commercials. Asked him flat out if he used a Bowflex and this guy told him that he only used it during the commercial shoots. So if you want a Bowflex body use free weights like the guy in the commercial did.
Or simplify it even more. Just buy an adjustable bench + 2 adjustable dumbbells. Every exercise you can do with a barbell, you can do with dumbbells, and much more. Dumbbells are even more effective than barbell because they train each side of the body independently, and require balance (=additional muscles involved)
Another plus of dumbbells is that they are very space-efficient, unlike the barbell which requires quite a bit of room.
Last but not least, get rid of the bowflex. Bowflex people managed to peddle a lot of their units thanks to the barrage of the commercials. As far as workout quality, no machine, including bowflex, will ever touch the effectiveness of the free weights.
Nope, not even close.
Not discounting your advice, which is good, but do not think a person is going to seriously back squat, deadlift, or oly lift with dumbbells. Heck, I would even throw bench in there, have fun throwing up a max bench with dumbbells unless you are exceptionally weak.
The average person is not going to be doing a bunch of snatch's. The average person can be very well served with dumbbells.
Dumbbells, a bench, and a pull up bar can cover pretty much everything.
Unless you're a powerlifter or something like that, I don't even see why you'd ever bother with one rap max's unless you're trying to show off, and if you're just in your garage, whose gonna be impressed?
The average person is not going to be doing a bunch of snatch's. The average person can be very well served with dumbbells.
Dumbbells, a bench, and a pull up bar can cover pretty much everything.
Unless you're a powerlifter or something like that, I don't even see why you'd ever bother with one rap max's unless you're trying to show off, and if you're just in your garage, whose gonna be impressed?
Snatch's are a great exercise, I do not see why someone would not do them.
Dumbbells are good up to a point' unless the OP has a goal of being weak, the OP will need to get a barbell.
Maxes are great for measuring progression and setting goals, has nothing to do with showing off.
I never said they were a bad exercise, just that the average person isn't going to be doing them. And yes, people who use dumbbells do so, with the express goal of being weak.
Jesus, this forum is full of people with blinders on.
I never said they were a bad exercise, just that the average person isn't going to be doing them. And yes, people who use dumbbells do so, with the express goal of being weak.
Jesus, this forum is full of people with blinders on.
Not with blinders, just that if the OP gets into any decent strength range, the OP is going to understand that a barbell would have been a better choice.
I use dumbbells frequently, everyone does; the best thing would be dumbbells and a barbell, but if someone has limited resources, my opinion is the barbell will be the best choice.
I prefer dumbbells, because they offer range of motion, where as with a barbell you're locked. This is mainly an issue for presses, you can't rotate your shoulders.
It also means you can only do as many reps as your weakest arm, so you will be more balanced, where with a barbell, you can let your weak arm piggy back off your dominant arm.
But for lower body exercises where more weight is required, absolutely yea, barbells have their place. But for some person just starting with a home gym, dumbbells are, IMO, a better choice for most exercises. Especially if you're older and have decent wear and tear on your joints. Barbells can be a *****.
And I also don't think not being able to lift power lifter amounts of weight for 1-3 reps necessarily makes you "weak". I'd wager the vast, vast majority of people here don't care about lifting huge. Or even being huge.
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