| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/28/2008 8:19:43 PM | I have the opportunity to get a new in box Soloflex for about $250.00 (this is the $2K version). There is also a Bowflex I saw that was on sale for about $800.00. My goal is toning and I would rather invest in something that I can keep than spend $50 dollars a month at a gym I won't go to.
Does anyone here use either kind of machine? Any good or bad points that you know about? If I want to tone instead of becoming a she-he would I be better off another way? I am severely limited as to my impact due to old ankle injuries. Any advice would certainly be most helpful, and thank you in advance. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/29/2008 4:25:21 PM | I have one of the original Bowflex's in my house... makes for a great decoration let me tell ya.
I don't like those contraptions personally... grab yourself an exercise ball and some free weights, maybe a resistance band and that should be just about all you need for toning. A few exercise tapes wouldn't hurt either... pilates, yoga etc, all great for toning.
Ankle injuries shouldn't prevent you from doing too much except maybe some cardio activities (good thing there's a lot of ways to do cardio, gotta be a few with low or zero impact on your ankles).
All those machines really do is take up space, and free weights are way better to use anyways. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/29/2008 6:52:49 PM | Smitty provided some pretty good suggestions and I would consider that before doing anything. A good safe exercise ball will cost about $30-45, a nice mat $40-80 and some nice rubberized dumbells ranging from 5 lb - 25 lbs will cost about $100 (or less). With this you'll be able to do everything you need to tone every major body part but I am a bit concerned about the ankle injury though. The exercise ball is a great replacement for an expensive workout bench but it does require being able to stabilize yourself. If stabilizing yourself with your ankle is going to be a problem, you should buy a nice bench that offers incline and decline positions. I'm guessing this will cost $250.
As for the Soloflex vs Bowflex. I've never personally tried a Soloflex or Bowflex but I do understand the physics behind it and I'm sure I won't like it. When I say the physics behind it, I mean how the resistances work. The resistance will not be even or consistent as it will have points of lower resistance and points of higher resistance. If this doesn't make sense, think of pulling on a bow and arrow. The resistance will vary which is what will happen with both of these devices. If I had to choose between either one, I probably would go with the blowflex just because it would have a more natural feeling resistance due its resistance mechanism.
However my choice would still be to get a nice exercise ball, a large mat that can fold up, individual dumbbells that have a rubberized shell ranging from 5lb - 25lb, and a exercise video/book on how to use these things. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/29/2008 8:13:50 PM | | I've never tried the Soloflex but we had an original Bowflex till I sold it a few weeks ago. While it does work great, its a pain in the rear to use. You have to get up and change the bands and the wires around for various exercises. It becomes a hassle. I agree with the previous posters. Invest in some free weights, a ball and a good exercise book. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/29/2008 9:05:34 PM | Thank you all for your input. I think that you hit the nail on the head with the exercise ball and tape thing. I am also going to do a trial at the Y with some friends from work. Thirty dollars a month and a couple exercise items is a lot cheaper than either of the machines. I appreciate you saving me a bunch of money....drinks on me! | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/30/2008 4:03:03 AM |
I am also going to do a trial at the Y with some friends from work
If you're worried about the cost, many Y's will offer you free membership for volunteering. This might include working the front desk, working in the day care or cleaning. Just ask. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 1/30/2008 6:59:26 AM | | Great Idea! I never considered that. I will go down there today and inquire. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 2/23/2008 6:37:57 PM | You can get an excellent workout on either. I have owned both, I prefer the soloflex.
It is not the equipment, it is the effort. These type machines are especially good for older people and person's with arthritis.
I normally exercise with free weights, resistance bands, and kettlebells for my reistance training but if I am at home I will use my machines. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 2/25/2008 8:55:52 PM | Bowflex = no flex. It's crap.
It is better to join a gym, I used to have equipment in my house but hardly used it and I just let it stay there and collect dust. I actually get more motivated to workout at a gym simply because I don't want my $50/month going down the toilet while I'm at home playing video games and being lazy. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/14/2008 5:34:53 PM | I have Bowflex Revolution . buy a bowflex and join the Revolution!!!
Soloflex and Bowflex are owed by the same company | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/14/2008 8:37:13 PM | | There is no chance of you becoming a 'she-he' ever really. Ask ~~BP~~ how much effort she has put in to get fit sometime. I think I saw her response to something like this once before, it was funny. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/15/2008 7:06:40 AM | | I wouldn't recommend getting it. You're better off paying $50 bucks a month for a gym membership. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/15/2008 9:13:54 AM | The big nasty secret of exercise equipment is that almost nobody uses it. You buy with the best of intentions, use it a few times (max), and then it collects space and dust.
You can find tons of exercise equipment on craigslist at large discount and in perfectly useable condition.
I suggest getting a couple dumbbells at $1/pound or so, plus walking. If you can keep up with that program, you'll probably realize the $1000 SuckerFlex wouldn't really be $1000 better exercise. And you'll very probably never look like the dedicated/all-day bodybuilders/models used in the ads. 
But more likely is that you won't keep up with your exercise program. You have wasted only few $, rather than many $100s.
Like with education, it's not which school, or which exercise equipment, but how thoroughly you apply yourself, whether you actually do the work. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/15/2008 4:14:57 PM | ^ This. Don't fall for the glitzy infomercials.
p.s let go of the idea of "toning". Even if you trained like an animal 7 days a week for the rest of your life you would not become a she-he. | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/19/2008 12:06:49 PM | @MSG 9 :
That is the reason most people don't know what they are doing. They either need someone to motivate them, or they need the reson to get out of bed every morning, or they need a reson to get to a gym and making themselves drive is their pushing point. It's called lack of self motivation, lack of self discipline, and lack of self achievement.
I just bought a Bowflex Ultimate 2. I have also purchased 2 dumbells racks full of dumbells as well as many other things, for the reason being I am going to personal train on the side as well as do my own training at home instead of the gym. I worked out in a gym for the last 18 years + and I like it yes. But I also like being able to work out on my own time, my own pace, saves me a drive, saves the hassle of waiting for equipment, and so on.
With anything people, it comes from "within". PERIOD. Instead of finding every excuse you can manage to think of for reasons you can't or won't do something, maybe you should be finding the reason why you "AREN'T" doing it. LAZINESS. Some people, no, won't do well with working out at home because they are not self disciplined enough to be strict not to lose focus or slack off or get out of the lines as to their goals. If that's the case than you need to work out the "inner" part of you first. Strength comes from within first and foremost.
The bowflex works excellent. It's an adjustement from the standard gym machines you are used to if you are used to the gym atmosphere yes, but with anything new, there's an adjustement period. But I am also saving money from paying a gym as well. I can work later in the night, morning, whenever and not be set on a specific routine time as I was doing before. I love it. The bowflex with the power rods gives you a better workout with continuous tension forced on your muscles without being forced into a specific range of motion like most machines....
Like anything, unless it's a cheap piece of junk, the fault usually isn't with the machine, but the operator behind it. You pay cheap you get cheap. You put forth crappy effort, you get crappy results in return. Basically, you get what you put into things.... | |
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| Soloflex vs. Bowflex
Posted: 6/20/2008 8:31:15 AM | Ugh, I bought a Bowflex last year and was incredibly disappointed with it. One it was a hassle to work with and two, it was not designed with 5' 0" females in mind. By the time there is any tension, my arms or legs are 2/3 of the way extended. I'm sending it to my brother as a birthday gift since he's at least tall enough to use it. *lol*
Honestly, I've had fantastic results with a workout bench, dumbbells, medicine ball, step, Bosu and stability ball. If I knew now what I knew a year ago, I would have skipped out on the "machine" and gone the "create your own" route. You can challenge your muscles in a variety of ways with a lot less money. If you have the motivation and the right tools, you'll reach your goals. Good luck to you! | |
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