Product Description

Bowflex Xtreme XLU Home Gym Bowflex Xtreme XLU Home Gym outperforms most other home gyms when it comes to serious strength training. With its integrated Lat Tower, Squat Station and adjustable pulley system, the XLU lets you perform over 60 exercises. Str

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47984 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Bowflex
• Model: Xtreme

Features

• Get a gym-quality workout in your home
• Provides as little as 5 or as many as 210 pounds of resistance via Bowflex Power Rods (can be upgraded to 310 or 410 pounds)
• Integrated lat tower with angled lat bar helps to build back and shoulder muscles quickly
• Leg extension/leg curl attachment can be removed for squats
• 7-year warranty

Amazon.com Product Description
Get serious about your strength training at home with the Bowflex Xtreme XTLU home gym, which includes a lat tower, squat station, leg attachment and adjustable pulley system for over 65 gym-quality exercises. It comes standard with 210 pounds of real Power Rod resistance (which can be upgraded to 310 or 410 pounds with optional additional Power Rods). The integrated lat tower with angled lat bar helps to build back and shoulder muscles quickly. The upper and lower pulley/squat station enables you to do squats and build your gluts, hamstrings, and quads. The XTLU also has multiple cable/pulley positions for custom workouts.

The leg extension/leg curl attachment rivals specialized leg equipment found in gyms, and will help you develop strong, muscular legs. Efficient and easy to use, the leg attachment connects easily, and can be removed in seconds for using the squat station.

The Xtreme XTLU utilizes Bowflex's patented Power Rods, which provide resistance, or weight, that feels as good as or better than free weights--but without the inertia or risk of joint pain usually associated with free weights. You can hook one, two, three, four or all of your Power Rod units to the cable pulley system and go from as little as 5 pounds all the way up to 210 pounds of resistance.

They're precisely manufactured from a high-tech composite material under the highest quality control measures, then sheathed and tested 4 separate times to ensure quality and durability. The Power Rod units are so strong, you can flex them repeatedly but you won't be able to wear them out. In fact, they're so strong, Bowflex backs them with its No-Time-Limit Warranty free replacement offer.

Feature Detail:

• Gym-style vertical workout position
• Adjustable, quick release seat with Polyurethane cushion
• Reinforced "X"-shaped base for maximum stability
• Compact size for smaller workout spaces
• Triple function hand-grip/ankle cuffs
• Workout area: 7 by 6 feet
• Dimensions: 6'11" by 4'8" by 4'2" (H x L x W)
• High density padding with vinyl cover
• Powder-coated heavy-duty steel frame

Manufacturer's Warranty
Seven-year limited warranty on materials and workmanship

About Home Gyms
While offering the convenience of working out in the comfort and privacy of your own home, home gyms also allow you to focus on specific routines without having to wait in line or switch between a complex array of machines. In addition to improving strength, power, coordination, and muscular endurance, weight training can enhance weight reduction, enhance the immune and cardiovascular systems, and help prevent injuries. In general, home gym machines are compact units designed to strengthen and exercise many parts of the body. While no single home gym can provide a complete strength training solution, they are a convenient way to combine many exercises into a single unit. Some home gyms focus exclusively on upper-body workouts, while other, more advanced units focus on upper- and lower-body conditioning.

Customer Reviews

An underappreciated gem
I assume the Extreme is underappreciated because I can't find reviews on it. I've wanted a Bowflex for a decade but have been too cheap and too busy to seriously consider buying one. I finally pitched all the cheap substitutes and got the real thing. I chose the Extreme because of it's smaller footprint and the ability to do all my exercises upright (lying down on a bench at 5:00 a.m. doesn't do much for my motivation). Putting it together was tedious and the instructions were a bit hard to follow because the pictures didn't always fit the process but basic reading and mechanical skills will get you through it. The training video is pretty good, Tom Purvis knows his stuff. I was surprised that some exercises included in the basic program on the poster were not included in the DVD. Lame, but not an issue with my personal trainer background. What I like most about the Extreme is that I can remove the seat and do several exercises sitting on a large exercise ball to add a stabilization challenge to my workout. I have also found that I can use the Extreme like a rowing machine when I use an exercise ball. It looks like the Extreme 2, which is set up so you don't have to (and thus cannot if you want to) change cable settings, probably wouldn't work with an exercise ball. Not sure about that, but that's my guess.
LONG STORY SHORT: Excellent construction and design, great if your workout space is limited, pretty fast switching between exercises, leg attachment is worth the extra bucks but watch for specials because you can sometimes get it added for free. Great overall deal!
DOWNSIDES: Short-term: tedious assembly, dvd doesn't cover all exercises. Long-term: 210 lbs resistance isn't going to cut it if you're a serious strength trainer which means an extra $100 for two more 50lb rods.

Hopefully Former Fat Guy
I just got my Xtreme 2 about 3 weeks ago...why did I wait so long to get it??? My first impression was how heavy duty this thing is built. Going from one exercise is very easy and quick. Assembly only took a couple of hours (give or take) and is fairly easy to do when following the directions.

The only problems I have run into is:
1) With lower weights (under 40 lbs) the power rods have hung up on the "arms". Not really a big deal.
2) Even though it sits upright, it still requires a fair amount of space...about 5x5 ft square.
3) The workouts might be difficult to follow because there isn't always a picture or description of an exercise that is recommended in a "routine".

In the 3 weeks I have had the Xtreme 2 I have lost 8 pounds (following the 1500 calorie diet mentioned in the manual) and have started firming up, especially in my arms and legs. I would also highly recommend getting the Bowflex Interactive DVD-ROM. It helps design workouts (that can be adjusted week by week for increased strength), as well as providing a small video of someone doing the exercises (each one) to help learn how to do the exercises.

You may find other things out there similar, but for me buying the best leads to no regrets. Bowflex machines are definately worth it. I recommend the Xtreme 2 for anyone wanting to get into better shape.

Good concept with small flaws.
I'm a 42 yr old male, in good shape and experienced with working out and weight training. I lift weights to tone up, and to balance the running portion of my workouts. I'm not looking for size or "gains". My goal in purchasing a Bowflex was to save time and space. I purchased the Bowflex Extreme with the 310 "lb" resistance upgrade. To date I have not purchased the leg attachment option. I have used this machine for six weeks.

Overall - I'm happy with this purchase. This machine is a good concept, and produces good results. In my opinion, it offers several advantages over free weights. It's well constructed, but has some minor flaws (described later). While not the top-of-the-line model, this machine allows me to do more exercises than I could ever possibly need.

The resistance feels different than free weights, and takes some getting used to. First, the poundage listed on the rods does not correspond to free weights - it doesn't need to. The goal is to provide a repeatable, controlled resistance. Second, the resistance increases through the range of motion, unlike weights which require you to overcome inertia. Initially, this makes the exercise feel too easy, but I've found that if I work through the complete range of motion in a controlled manner, I get a good workout.

In my opinion, because resistance increases through the range of motion, the Bowflex works stabilizer muscles better than free weights. In addition, since you're not limited to working against gravity, you can exercise through ranges of motion not possible with free weights. Free weights do offer some advantages, but I'm happy with my results to date.
The actual size of the Extreme is pretty much what I had anticipated. It requires a 7ft wide x 9ft deep x 8ft high workout area. You'll not want to move it once setup, but it can be used in a second bedroom. I like how the bench is set up in a vertical position to save space.

One flaw is that some of the components seem cheap. Overall, the system is solid and well-constructed. However, my rod binding strap split into two after a couple of uses. Also, the plastic covering on one of my cables started flaking off after a few workouts. Another flaw is that the 210 "lb" standard resistance is insufficient. The machine should come with 300 "lbs" of standard resistance - Bowflex should ditch the useless 5 lb rods, and add two more 50s.

A couple words of advice - Read the ENTIRE manual before assembling or working out. I read the assembly portion of the manual, and easily set the system up in an hour. However, thinking I was experienced, I jumped into my workouts without reading (or watching the DVD) on how to use the machine. I later found out that I was doing several of the exercises, and using several of the attachments, incorrectly. Perhaps this contributed to the flaking cable covering. Finally, I've found that grouping exercises by pulley location (high, middle, or low pulleys), shortens my workouts.