Are you too busy to go to the gym? Do long commute times and the crowd at the gym make it a challenging experience? If yes, consider building a home gym.
Several home gym machines in the market let you perform full-body workouts. One such home gym that we will be reviewing today is the Bowflex Blaze. They offer good resistance and are easy to use.
It uses Bowflex’s Power Rod technology instead of free weights. It offers a standard resistance of 210 lbs which can be upgraded to 410 lbs. It offers over 60 exercise options.
- 60-plus exercises for a full-body workout.
- Bowflex provides 7 free trainer-built workout regimens
- Multiple cable/pulley positions enable custom workouts
- The folding bench and wheels provide easy storage
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It takes up a decent amount of floor space. But you can fold the machine when not in use and reduce the footprint by almost 50%.
The home gym machine is close to $1000. So is it worth your money? Let us start with my Bowflex Blaze review to help you understand its features and performance.
| Product Overview | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Bowflex |
| Model | Bowflex Blaze Home Gym |
| Machine Weight | 191 lbs |
| Dimensions ( L x W x H ) | 90 x 38 x 83 inches |
| Workout Area ( L x W ) | 100 x 78 inches |
| Folded Footprint ( L x W x H ) | 52 x 38 x 83 inches |
| User Weight Limit | 300 lbs |
| Resistance | 210 lbs |
| Resistance Upgrade | 310 lbs410 lbs |
| Exercise Options | 60+ |
| Warranty | Machine - 5 yearsPower Rod resistance rods - 5 years |
| Amazon Rating | 4.6 out of 5 (1996 ratings) |
About Bowflex
Bowflex is a famous brand that has been in the fitness space for over 30 years. Nautilus, Inc. is the company behind the brand. The company’s headquarters and innovation center is located in Vancouver, Washington.
Bowflex offers a range of fitness equipment like bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, home gym machines, weights, benches, and other accessories.
They offer well-designed and descriptive product manuals with their purchases. They also provide exercise instructions, workout routines, and nutrition tips, which can be helpful for beginners and home gym users.
Who is The Bowflex Blaze Home Gym For?
The Bowflex Blaze is for people looking to get fit from home. If you have the space and budget to invest in a single machine, then the Blaze can deliver.
With the machine, you can exercise at your convenience. You do not have to waste time traveling or waiting for your turn at the gym. You do not even have to deal with crowds of people.
I call it a comprehensive home gym solution because it offers 60+ exercises and a standard resistance of 210 lbs. The resistance is upgradeable up to 410 lbs.
It is a beginner-friendly machine. Senior fitness users can also use it at a lower resistance. The pulling and gliding exercise movements are easy on the joints.
You can build flexibility, endurance, and strength and improve cardiovascular health.
If you aim to build strength and muscles, it may not be your ideal home gym machine. Or, if you are a serious lifter, stick to free weights.
5 Important Factors We Tested The Product On
We tested the Blaze home gym on build quality, features, assembly, usability, and performance. Here is how the machine fared against our consideration factors.
Construction
The Bowflex Blaze has a decent build quality. The Power Rods are designed with a nylon composite material. They have a black rubber coating on top.
The frame is also built using composite material, but some of the connecting parts are made of plastic. I tried using the machine at its highest resistance. It provided smooth movements and good stability.
The machine did not wobble. But I would give the build quality a lower rank than the other home gym machines with high-quality steel construction.
I recommend adding a rubber mat for stability. It can also help protect your flooring during workouts.
A concern I have is that the Power Rods may start bending. So ensure you store the machine properly to avoid early degradation.
Assembly
As a versatile home gym machine, the Blaze assembly can take some time. However, Bowflex offers a good assembly manual with a parts list, hardware guide, instructions, descriptive diagrams, and pictures.
But if you are unfamiliar with using tools, getting a professional to assemble the machine would be best. If you plan to put together the machine on your own, it can take about 3 to 5 hours.
Apart from the parts and tools in the box, you will need a utility knife, a Phillips screwdriver, and a 1/2” and 9/16” combination wrench. Start the assembly where you want to place the machine. Once the machine is assembled, it will not go through standard door frames.
Overall, the assembly is straightforward if you follow the manual. However, having a second person to help you would be best, or the assembly may take much longer.
Usability
The machine offers resistance in the form of Power Rods. In the standard configuration, you get a pair of 50 lbs, 30 lbs, and 5 lbs and two pairs of 10 lbs Power Rods.
You can hook these rods to the cable hook to adjust the resistance. You can hook multiple rods at a time, starting with the closest one.
What I like about the workout bench is that I can set it flat front/back or at an incline. Or I can remove it to place the seat in a free-sliding motion.
For example, you will have to remove the bench for aerobic rowing. For a chest fly, you must set the bench at an incline. Whereas for a resisted punch, the bench will be horizontal.
Please take care of the Power Rods. The cable and pulley system offers smooth movements. When not working out, use the rod binding strap to keep the rods together. Over time, you will see the rods may start bending or show degraded performance.
Versatility
While researching for my Bowflex Blaze review, I found Blaze to be one of the most versatile models by the brand. It offers 60+ exercises, upgradeable resistance, an aerobic rowing station, and a squat bar. All of these qualities are only found in the Revolution model by Bowflex.
Here are some exercises that you can perform targeting different muscle groups.
Chest
- Bench press
- Lying cable crossover
- Shoulder horizontal adduction
- Chest fly
Shoulder
- Shoulder raise
- Shoulder shrug
- Shoulder extension
- Reverse fly
Back
- Lat pulldown
- Low back extension
- Bent over row
- Seated lat rows
Arms
- Biceps curl
- Tricep extension
- Wrist curl
- French press
Abdominal
- Reverse crunch
- Truck rotation
- Ab crunch
Legs
- Squat
- Leg extension
- Leg press
- Hip extension
Refer to the owner’s manual and the Bowflex website for more exercises and workout routines.
Weight Capacity
In its standard configuration, the home gym offers a resistance of 210 lbs. This can be enough resistance for people starting their fitness journey or users looking to maintain overall fitness.
As you progress, you can upgrade the resistance to 310 lbs or 410 lbs. Now this resistance can also be good enough for intermediate and advanced-level fitness users.
If you are a bodybuilder or a powerlifter, you will eventually outgrow the home gym machine. Then, investing in free weights and a power rack would be a better option.
What Sets The Bowflex Blaze Home Gym Apart From Its Competitors?
The Blaze home gym does not use free weights. Instead, it offers resistance through the brand’s innovative Power Rod technology. The rods provide the least resistance when you start with an exercise move. Then, it gradually increases the resistance as you perform repetitions.
So, it goes easy on your joints in the beginning and later provides you with enough resistance to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.
You will find several exercises in the owner’s manual. These exercises include details like the muscles worked, bench position, what accessories to use, and how to start and perform the action. There are also success tips to get the most out of the move. So it can be a good guide for beginners.
Should You Purchase The Bowflex Blaze Home Gym?
The Blaze can be a good buy if you want a comprehensive home gym solution. Its multiple cable and pulley positions bring versatility to workouts. There are 60 exercises that you can try for a full-body workout.
Its standard resistance is good enough for beginners. And as you progress, you can add Power Rods to increase resistance up to 410 lbs.
It has a decent price point and a good warranty period. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide if the home gym machine is the right choice.
Pros
- It is powered by Bowflex’s Power Rod technology.
- You can perform over 60 exercises.
- You can upgrade the standard resistance from 210 lbs to 310 or 410 lbs.
- The machine can be folded when not in use.
- Accessories like a squat bar bent lat bar, and leg press belt are included.
- Bowflex offers a five years warranty on the machine.
Cons
- The resistance upgrade can become a must; it is an additional cost.
- Tall people above 6’2” may not get a good range of motion.
- The customer service from Bowflex needs improvement.
Price
The Bowflex Blaze home gym is available at $899.00.
You can buy the product from any of Bowflex’s authorized retailers. These retailers include Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target, Costco, and Sam’s Club.
The resistance upgrade Power Rods are available as a pair of 50 lbs rods. You will need a pair to upgrade from 210 lbs to 310 lbs. And another pair to upgrade from 310 to 410 lbs. Each pair costs about $129.00.
You can also buy accessories like machine mats for $99.00.
Our Rating
FAQ’s
Bowflex no longer offers the home gym machine through its website. But you can buy the machine from authorized retailers. You can also access related documentation on the Bowflex website.
With PR3000, you get 50+ exercise options and a resistance upgrade of up to 310 lbs. On the other hand, with Blaze, you get 60+ exercise options, a resistance upgrade of up to 410 lbs, and accessories like squat ar and rowing station.
Yes. The Blaze home gym machine has a folding bench and wheels. It weighs about 191 lbs. It would be best if two people were involved in the moving process.
Summary
The Bowflex Blaze can be a decent piece of equipment for your home gym. You can perform 60+ exercises. You can meet several fitness goals, like building muscle endurance and strength and improving flexibility and cardiovascular endurance.
The machine offers 210 lbs of resistance which you can upgrade to 310 lbs – 410 lbs. In addition, it includes accessories like a lat bar, squat bar, leg attachment, and multi-functional hand grip. This makes the machine versatile, and it can be used by beginners and advanced fitness users.
The Power Rods can lose tension over time and use, so keep an eye on their performance. The machine has a decent price point of $899. As of 2023, you can buy the machine only for authorized retailers and not through the Bowflex website.
I hope my Bowflex Blaze review helps you make an informed purchase decision.