Bowflex Xtreme 2 Se

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Pursuing physical fitness goals in the comfort of your own home is becoming an increasingly popular option. Gym memberships are expensive, and gyms often are only open during business hours. A home gym, in contrast, is available to use 24 hours a day. Also, a home gym represents a one-time payment that can be more economical than the reoccurring payments of a gym membership. There are many fantastic home gyms available on the market, among them is the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE. In this review, we will examine how the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE performs compared to other available gyms. 

What Is a Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym?

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is a compact home gym, which means it features a vertical rather than a horizontal bench. The resistance comes from the Bowflex Power Rod system. Using power rods for resistance means that the gym is easier to maneuver after assembly than a gym featuring a traditional weight stack. The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE offers over 70 different exercises, making this a versatile piece of equipment for pursuing any strength and fitness goals.

Product Specs  

With its compact design, the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE takes up less space than comparable home gyms. The unit measures 53″ long by 49″ wide and stands at the height of 83.25″ tall. The manufacturer recommends a workout area of 8′ long by 6.5′ wide. The assembled gym weighs 185 pounds, and the maximum user weight is 300 pounds. The unit comes with a maximum resistance of 210 pounds, which is upgradeable to 310 or 410 pounds. The unit features Bowflex’s no-change cable pulley system which allows you to save time when you’re working out.

Pricing  

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE home gym is available on Amazon or the Bowflex web page for around $1,300. It is also available at select local retailers that carry sports and fitness equipment. This price represents low to mid-tier investment for a home gym and is a good comparative value.

How It Compares

We tested the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE home gym on various factors including price, assembly time, design quality, and warranty. We also compared the gym to several other available home gyms. These gyms included:

Bowflex Blaze Home Gym

Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym

Bio Force Extreme Home Gym

Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym

Price $$

Ease of Use (5/5 Stars)

The no-change cable pulley system featured on the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE home gym is a revolutionary feature. This gym switches easily between its different exercises and requires little setup time from the user. The gym is highly intuitive, and we found that the exercises were easy to perform and highly successful in activating select muscle groups. We liked the squat bar and ab-crunch shoulder harness and found them both to be very effective. This is a good gym capable of offering a professional gym quality workout.

Assembly Time (4/5 Stars)

Assembly takes two people approximately two hours. This is a complex gym, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The machine goes together well, but we recommend an extra set of hands for ease of assembly and safety.

Design Quality (5/5 Stars)

The compact design means that there is no need to fold this item up when not in use. It is about as small as an effective home gym can be, but that compact design does not interfere with the effectiveness of the workouts. The power rods are a great resistance option and are easier to maneuver after assembly than a traditional weight stack. The resistance upgrade potential is also a nice feature. 

Warranty (5/5 Stars)

The unit comes with an above-average warranty. The warranty for the frame is seven years, and there is a lifetime warranty on the power rods.

Pros

  • Compact design is smaller than other home gyms             
  • Resistance upgrades are available
  • Efficient exercises to target and activate specific muscle groups
  • Over 70 different exercises available

Cons

  • There is no option for a horizontal bench

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CCA45GQ/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CCA45GQ&linkCode=as2&tag=uhg-b-hg-20

Bowflex Blaze Home Gym

The Bowflex Blaze Home Gym is an entry-level option in the Bowflex line of home gyms. This gym features a horizontal rather than a compact or vertical bench, which means you can perform exercises such as a bench press from a fully inclined position. The gym offers over 60 different exercises for a complete strength-building, full-body workout. A sliding seat rail allows you to perform aerobic rowing and leg presses, and the unit folds up for easy storage when not in use. The overall footprint is 95″ long by 38″ wide, and it stands at the height of about 84″.

Price $

This unit is available on Amazon and at select local retailers that carry sports and fitness equipment for around $750.

Ease of Use (4/5 Stars)

The Bowflex Blaze does not feature the no-change cable pulley system of the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE, and as a result, the Blaze is more difficult to operate. There are longer delays as the user refits the machine for different exercises, and the delays can cause the body to cool down. The exercises are great and highly effective at targeting and activating specific muscle groups. The machine folds away for storage. 

Assembly Time (4/5 Stars)

Like the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE, this machine is complex and takes about two hours to assemble. We recommend a two-person team for assembly as some pieces are large and awkward to handle.

Design Quality (4/5 Stars)

Overall, the design for the Bowflex Blaze is good, but it suffers compared to the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE. The lack of the no-change cable pulley system hurts this machine’s performance, and it slowed down the workouts. We liked the rowing feature and the horizontal bench.

Warranty (4/5 Stars)

The frame has a 5-year warranty, and there is a lifetime warranty on the power rods.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • The horizontal bench that folds when not in use
  • Aerobic rowing feature

Cons

  • Fewer exercise options than the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE
  • The unit does not feature the no-change cable pulley system
  • Shorter warranty coverage

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GRDS6U?tag=home-gyms-1-20

Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym

The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym is another entry level home gym in the Bowflex line. This is a compact gym that does not feature a horizontal bench and has no squat bar. The gym features the no-change cable pulley system of the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE. There are over 50 exercises available and a 310-pound resistance upgrade. The machine measures 76″ long by 86″ wide and stands at the height of 82″. The unit requires a 100″ by 78″ area for operation. The maximum user weight for the gym is 300 pounds.

Price $

The unit is available on Amazon and from select local retailers for around $800.

Ease of Use (4/5 Stars)

We appreciated that this unit features Bowflex’s no-change cable pulley system, but the unit has some other limitations. There are only 50 exercises available as opposed to the 60 of the Blaze and the 70+ of the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE. There is no squat bar feature for this unit. Also, the unit is only upgradeable to 310 pounds. It is a very attractive unit.

Assembly Time (4/5 Stars)

This is a complex machine that takes two people approximately 2 hours to assemble. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.

Design Quality (4/5 Stars)

The Bowflex PR3000 has a good design for an entry level home gym. The 50 available exercises are good. This machine suffers from the lack of a squat bar and the lack of greater workout versatility with only around 50 exercises.

Warranty (3/5 Stars)

The machine has a 1-year warranty on the frame, 60-day warranty on the parts, and a 7-year warranty for the power rod resistance bars.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Around 50 exercises
  • No-change cable pulley system
  • Attractive unit
  • Compact footprint

Cons

  • Fewer available exercises than similar machines
  • Poor warranty
  • No squat bar
  • No 410-pound resistance upgrade

https://www.amazon.com/Bowflex-Revolution-P-PR3000-Home-Gym/dp/B00O8500BM

Bio Force Extreme Home Gym

The Bio Force Extreme Home Gym does not use power rods or a weight stack for resistance. Instead, it uses nitrogen-charged cylinders that silently generate resistance. The unit boasts over 100 exercises at up to 250 pounds of resistance. The compact design features a seated bench and has a footprint of 52.75″ long by 60.46″ wide and stands at 81″ tall. There is also an ab strap accessory for abdominal training. The gym includes an exercise guide, customized men’s and women’s wall charts, a DVD, a nutrition guide, and an owner’s manual. The unit weighs 171 pounds and has a maximum user weight of 300 pounds.

Price $

This unit is available for around $350.

Ease of Use (1/5 Stars)

We did not find that the use of nitrogen-charged cylinders provided effective or consistent resistance. Although the unit advertises over 100 exercises, we did not find the unit to be that versatile. Many of the exercises outlined in the exercise guide were not effective. In our estimate, there were fewer than 50 viable exercises we could perform on this machine. The unit did not feel stable.

Assembly Time (2/5 Stars)

The poor instructions in the owner’s manual made this unit frustrating to assemble. It took a team of two people under three hours.
 

Design Quality (1/5 Stars)

The quality of the resistance of a home gym is the most critical component, and we did not like the nitrogen-charged cylinder system. The unit was silent, but the resistance level seemed to fluctuate. The frame does not feature solid construction, and the accessories were also of poor quality.

Warranty (1/5 Stars)

There is no warranty information available. The manufacturer offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on their web page.

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Silent

Cons

  • Ineffective resistance component
  • Fewer viable exercises than advertised
  • Low-quality construction and components
  • No warranty

https://www.amazon.com/Bio-Force-Extreme-Home-Gym/dp/B075JNN4JQ?tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=toptenreviews–20

Conclusion

Above all, a home gym system should offer a convenient way for an individual to pursue a fitness program in the comfort of his or her own home. Home gyms represent long-term savings over perpetual gym membership fees and are not subject to availability during regular business hours. With the significant demands of work and family on an individual’s time, a home gym needs to be an effective and efficient means of pursuing personal health and fitness. A home gym must also be affordable, and compact enough to fit in the limited space available in a home or apartment.

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE represents a compact design that offers over 70 different gym quality exercises. Unlike the other gyms we tested, all the exercises of the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE could target and activated designated muscle groups. The no-change pulley cable system of the Bowflex 2SE made the machine among the most convenient among the home gyms we tested. There was no delay to re-purpose the gym for other exercises, which means there was no chance for muscles to cool down and risk injury.

The Bowflex Blaze was a slightly less expensive option than the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE, but the lack of the no-change pulley cable system made the Blaze time consuming to operate. We liked the rowing feature and the horizontal bench, but we found this machine too time-consuming to use.

The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym featured the no-change cable pulley system but does not feature the exercise variety of the Xtreme 2SE. The Bowflex PR3000 did not have a squat bar feature and did not offer the 410-pound resistance upgrade. The Bio Force Extreme Home Gym did not feature an effective design or resistance element. Also, the exercises were ineffective.

A home gym can be a source of great stress relief. Exercise helps to build self-confidence and combat depression. A home gym that is difficult or frustrating to use does not meet the basic requirements of a home gym. Of the units we tested, the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE offered the best user experience and greatest versatility of exercises. The no-change cable pulley system made workouts simple and easy, and the power rods offered effective resistance. The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is an attractive, compact, effective and affordable gym that will meet all your personal fitness needs.

Final Verdict

Due to all the reasons outlined in this article, we give the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE 5 out of 5 stars.

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