Gyms are, in general, gross and inconvenient. You have to drive to get there, then you have to deal with crowds of people all trying to use the same equipment – and there is always that one person who is on a ‘rest’ for at least ten minutes – frustration is bound to grow.
Plus, the equipment is often old and faded, as it is in constant use – all the equipment, the dumbbells, the benches, the machines that you want to workout in are also stained with sweat.
If you look at the expense – depending on the gym you go to, you could potentially be spending hundreds of dollars a year. This does eventually stack up, turning quickly into the thousands after just a few years of gym use.
This all begs the questions: are gyms really worth it?
They do have their perks – professional industrial space to perform every exercise your heart may desire. For many people, the cost is well worth it.
But, depending on the kind of exercises you do, and the kind of athlete you would like to be, there are plenty of ways to meet your workout and body goals, without having to deal with a gym.
Each of these methods centers around the idea of the home gym. What home gyms entail exactly is a little different for each person.
For some people, it might just mean an at-home yoga studio. For others, it might be a place for calisthenics and body weight training. Some people might consider their treadmill to be their home gym.
Others might contend that home gyms must have at least one or two sets of dumbbells – otherwise, how is it a gym?
But there is another comprehensive method – there are dozens of machines out there that allow you to perform all the exercises a gym can offer, in one compact device that fits comfortably in your home.
These machines make exercising easier in general and are a great way to establish a home gym without arduous research and excessive expense.F
The Bowflex PR100 Home Gym
Of these machines, the Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym is one of the best, offering the potential to perform more than thirty exercises at resistance levels of 5 to 210 lbs.
The key selling point of the Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym is its unique free weights system. Most of these pulley-and-cable machines operate with a stack of weight plates near the base.
To increase weight, you would slide a pin into a certain weight plate, and every time you perform an exercise, the stack of plates would move up and down, occasionally smacking into each other with a sharp clang.
Instead of that system, the Bowflex PR1000 utilizes a system unique to Bowflex: Power Rod Resistance. These durable, rubberized power rods bend as the cables pull taught, providing the resistance.
Specs
The Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym is 84 inches long, 38 inches wide, and 81 inches tall. One of the biggest cons of this machine is its length. Eighty-four inches equates to seven feet, making the PR1000 not quite as compact as it could be.
However, the reasons for this are clear, and if you do have space, you will benefit from the extra length. The length is due to the fact that this machine includes a complete weight bench, with roller cushions for leg extension and curls.
The bench also resides on sliders, allowing you to perform traditional rowing – the length makes sense but can be a bit annoying depending on the amount of available space you have.
It has a maximum user weight of 300 pounds, which is relatively reasonable, and also includes a lateral pulldown bar and a horizontal bench press bar – again, the length comes in handy.
Additionally, Bowflex includes two workout routines (with videos) on their website, to make getting started a bit easier. Plus, seven trainer-designed exercises are included in the box.
When you order it, it will come in parts, which requires you to assemble it yourself.
However, Amazon does grant the option of ordering it fully-assembled, which may be a bit cumbersome, but also could very well be much easier. Just make sure it can fit through your doorway first.
To sum it up
The Bowflex PR1000 is a good option – it allows for a wide variety of full body workouts for a relatively minimal cost.
However, its cousin, the Bowflex Xceed is a better overall option. For just a hundred dollars more, the Xceed allows you to perform 65(+) exercises, plus it takes up less space (length-wise).
However, if the sliding bench aspect of the PR1000 is really attractive, or if the hundred dollars does make a big difference, the PR1000 can be a strong, reliable component to your home gym.
Further reading:
Bowflex PR1000 vs PR3000 – Does the bigger number indicate a better product?
Article by:
Daniel DeMoss
I’m a personal trainer based in Denver (Matrix Gym) and a true fitness nerd. If I’m not training clients or working out at my home gym, I’m probably skiing, cycling or hiking with my dog Rufus.
Get in touch: daniel@dumbbellsreview.com