Bowflex Conquest Home Gym [Discontinued]

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.

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.

Buy Bowflex Conquest Home Gym [Discontinued] Now

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.

Read Best Reviews of Bowflex Conquest Home Gym [Discontinued] Here

I have been looking for a decent exercise setup for quite some time, and saw this on sale for 40% off so decided to buy one. Took me about 2 hours to setup (use a ratchet, not the wrench they recommend). Looks to have a thorough range of exercises. You will probably want an 8x8x7 area to place it in.

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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