[Sportsandrec] Home gyms for Ryan Smith

[Lori]

Kelly,

What kind of issues might one want to look for if purchasing such equipment 
used? I've seen them on craigslist.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thornbury, Kelly" <kthornbury at bresnan.net>
To: <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 1:38 PM
Subject: [Sportsandrec] Home gyms for Ryan Smith


> Greetings Ryan,
>
> I use both the Total Gym and the BowFlex, and here are my opinions on 
> both.
>
> The Total Gym is nice in that you don't have to mess with weights or flex 
> bars (which becomes a concern in my unheated garage during Wyoming 
> winters). The system is based on body weight, and is a little cumbersome 
> to change the angles of the sliding bench to go from stronger muscle 
> groups to smaller ones. The advantage is that you can switch from one 
> exercise to another instantly when the different muscles are of similar 
> strength. Also, a lot of the exercises really require you to engage your 
> core muscles, building strength and balance there. Another downside is 
> that it actually takes up a lot of room. Its not very wide (as wide as you 
> can stretch out your arms typically), but it is very long as compared to 
> other equipment.
>
> The BowFlex, or the CrossBow, simulate weights through the use of 
> composite poles that bend as you "lift" the weight. These systems offer a 
> wider variety of exercises typically, and offer much higher resistances 
> than the typical TotalGym. These systems require wider workout areas (to 
> allow for the flex of the rods), but I find them to be shorter overall. 
> Also, in the case of the BowFlex, if you workout in cold environments (in 
> the garage for example), the rods are prone to breaking (but I think 
> BowFlex now has a lifetime warranty on their rods). Also, as with any 
> composite rod flex system, the "weight" increases with the flex of the rod 
> (i.e. the 50-pound rod is only about 60% at the beginning of its flex). 
> This may matter depending on what your goals are. For general fitness, the 
> lighter weight at the beginning of the lift (increasing as you flex the 
> muscle) is okay, but if you were interested in powerlifting or strength 
> activities, this will create a deadspot in your lift. The BowFlex allows 
> for doing squats if that exercise interests you, and the leg attachment 
> (for leg extensions and leg curls) isn't bad for a home system (but the 
> angles of the apparatus don't quite match gym quality equipment). Another 
> drawback to the BowFlex/CrossBow are cost, as both pieces are quite 
> expensive (although, I believe the CrossBow is much cheaper than the 
> BowFlex). I'm also really impressed with the build quality of the BowFlex, 
> and am happy with its purchase despite the cost.
>
> Regardless of what you choose, its value will depend on whether or not you 
> use the equipment. If you can find dealers in your area for whatever 
> equipment you are interested in, you will be much better off (being able 
> to actually put the equipment through its paces).
>
> Hope this helps with your question.
>
> Kelly Thornbury
> B.S. K&HP
> ACE PT
> ACSM HFI
>
>
>
>
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