With a price tag of $2,999, the Bowflex Revolution is a pricey but well designed, effective home gym that utilizes the Spiraflex technology, a series of resistance plates that have the appearance of round weights but contain elastic straps that surround the center. This provides the same constant resistance you would get when using stacked or free weights.
There used to be 3 separate models, the XP, the FT, and the regular Revolution. They have since discontinued two and now only sell the regular Revolution, however, you may still be able to purchase the discontinued models via a third party vendor.
Another surprising feature about the Revolution is its design. It allows you to perform over 100 full body exercises with over 400 different variations! There are two independently moving arms that can be moved into 10 positions and 170 degree adjustments. The bench unfortunately, can only be positioned in either the flat or 45 degree angle but the adjustable arms allow you to smoothly perform exercises from various angles which compensate for the lack of positions the bench allows.
The unit comes with 220 lbs. worth of resistance but you have the option to upgrade to 300 lbs. for the upper body and up to 600 lbs. for the lower body.
Advantages:
- Compact: The Bowflex Revolution is very compact with the following dimensions – 73″H x 112″L (arms extended) x 38″W. It has a footprint of 55″ x 38″ when folded.
- Versatile: With over 100 exercises to choose from you have plenty of options for any body part. Each muscle group is targeted very effectively.
- Ease of Use: The gym is very easy to use and switching routines is simple.
- Lots of Exercises: There is a quite of bit of exercises you can perform with this machine, more than your average home gym machine.
- Warranty: The gym comes with a 6 week fitness results guarantee where you can try out the product for six weeks and if you’re unsatisfied, you can get your money back (minus shipping and handling and any assembly fees). There is also a 10 year limited warranty that covers any defects in material or workmanship.
Disadvantages:
- More Standard Weight Capacity: 220 lbs. of resistance may suffice for beginners but many will quickly surpass that. Some may even feel that the 300 lbs. upgrade may be too little.
- May Be Uncomfortable for Tall People: People over 6 feet may find some routines a bit uncomfortable.
- Price: A pretty hefty price tag for this type of machine.
This is a great home gym for beginners, novices, and even for the advanced users who just need a home fitness machine for strength training. If you’re looking for muscle mass, then you may want to forgo this one.
