Deciding which piece of home gym equipment is right for you can be
overwhelming. The Bowflex dumbells are quick, easy to use, and look great.
But are they the best investment for you? And will they best meet your workout needs?
On this page you can find information on the advantages & disadvantages of the Bowflex
dumbell system, and Tips for deciding if it is the right choice for you.
Do you own Bowflex Dumbbells? Would you buy them again?
Advantages & Disadvantages of the Bowflex Dumbells
Exercising with dumbells at home can be very effective. Training with dumbells offers many benefits,
such as:
Variety of exercises- with a workout bench and an exercise ball, you can do 50+ exercises with dumbells.
"Stabilizing" muscles- when using free weights your body must balance and adjust. So you
are training many muscles in addition to the muscle you are directly exercising.
Develop both sides of your body- dumbells make each side of your body work equally as
hard.
Increased bone density- training with actual "weight" increases both bone density and
ligament strength.
On the other hand, training with dumbells does have a few drawbacks, such as:
Safety- since your body has to balance and stabilize each dumbell while you are
training, there is a risk of injury for those who are using too much weight or are inexperienced.
Limited weight- the Bowflex dumbells only go up to 52.5Ib, which is plenty of resistance
for most people. However, if you are exceptionally strong - you may find this amount of resistance limiting.
Momentum- 1 major problem with free weights is momentum. If you happen to do your
repetitions too quickly, the weight will actually become lighter and also can strain your muscles or tendons.
To eliminate momentum, simply pause at
the bottom and top of each repetition.
Learning curve- much like learning to roller blade, your body must learn how to do each
exercise correctly for safety and the best results.
Who They’re For- Intermediate or advanced exercisers (those who have experience with free weights), and for those who want to tone and sculp their bodies.
Who They’re Not For- Complete beginners, athletes (including weight lifters and bodybuilders), and young adults or seniors.
Along with making the Selecttech dumbells, Bowflex also builds 7 high-quality home gyms.
Instead of using actual "weight", they use composite Power Rods for resistance. Using Power
Rods instead of weight has many advantages, such as:
Amount of resistance- the Bowflex home gyms can have up to 410Ib of resistance. And
since the PowerRods only weigh a couple of pounds, the machines are still considerably light.
No momentum- the Power Rods eliminate any momentum. You can train as quickly or
slowly as you like.
Number of exercises- Bowflex home gyms offer from 60 to 90 exercises.
Ease of use- just like the Bowflex dumbells, the Bowflex home gyms are quick and easy to
use.
Safety- the Bowflex home gyms are safe to use for anyone no matter what their age or
fitness level.
Who They’re For- Anyone. The Power Rod resistance is safe and effective for anyone and the 410Ib resistance will be challenging for most anyone - accept for very strong individuals.
Who They’re Not For- Elite strength athletes, power lifters. Even these individuals will find value in these home gyms because of their “different” type of resistance and versatility.
On the other hand, training with dumbells does have a few drawbacks, such as: 
Along with making the Selecttech dumbells, Bowflex also builds 7 high-quality home gyms.
Instead of using actual "weight", they use composite Power Rods for resistance. Using Power
Rods instead of weight has many advantages, such as: 
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