The PR1000 and PR3000 are two of the more closely related Bowflex models. For anyone in the market to purchase a Bowflex, either of these models is a good option.
However, before choosing you’ll need to know the differences between the Bowflex pr1000 vs pr3000. We’ll be doing a complete Bowflex PR 1000 review and Bowflex PR 3000 Review. After the reviews, we’ll make a detailed comparison highlighting all the difference you need to know about both.
So let’s jump right into the reviews!
Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym Review
The PR 1000 Bowflex is a very compact entry-level home gym that’s perfect for beginners. It has all the basic features you need and sells for a great price. If your goal is to get fit at home without spending a lot, then the Bowflex pr1000 home gym is what you need. The Bowflex PR1000 home gym has been among the top of the Bowflex models lineup since 2008 when it was released. As one of their best selling models, it packs a lot of valuable features. The Bowflex PR1000 offers you over 30 Total Body exercises.
If staying in shape, toning muscles or building up your strength is what you need the expect the PR1000 to deliver! With its Power Rod Resistance technology, every workout you do will surely give you the challenge you would expect on a Bowflex home gym.
Bowflex PR1000 Exercises
Doing exercises on the PR1000 model is an excellent experience for anyone. Our team found that on the PR1000 you’ll feel every muscle group working. This feeling is due to the power rod resistance putting constant tension on your muscles which will provide a better workout. Quite a few home gyms claim to give you a total body workout but never genuinely do. On the PR1000, we can say that you honestly do get that feeling.
Here’s a quick Bowflex PR1000 exercise list:
- Horizontal Bench Press
- Incline Press
- Decline Press
- Shoulder Raise and Press
- Seated rear delt and lat rows
- Reverse Pulldowns
- Low back extension
- Triceps pushdowns
- Bicep Curls
- Wrist Curls
- Ab Crunches and Trunk Rotation
- Calf Raise and Hip Abduction
- Leg Extensions
There might be more exercises that we did not include in the list. In total, you will be able to do 30 different exercise variations. Additionally, the PR1000 Bowflex has a user weight limit of 300 lbs. So if you are a little overweight but below 300 pounds you can still use the Bowflex PR1000.
Bowflex PR1000 Upgrade Is a Possible?
Sadly, you can not upgrade the power resistance rods on the Bowflex PR1000 home gym. Truthfully, this model was explicitly intended for beginners.
So they naturally did not include the option to do resistance upgrades. After reviewing the PR1000, this was probably the only negative we found. If you do any research online, this will be the most common complaint that you’ll find about this model. However, most other user reviews were happy with this model!
Bowflex PR3000 Review
Upon purchasing any one of these Bowflex machines, you can expect to receive a user manual, nutrition guide & meal plan, exercise DVDs, and an Exercise Flip Chart as standard. These are typical features of any home gym you may choose to purchase online.
The Bowflex 3000 home gym is a similar compact home gym. However, it is a little older than the PR1000 model. Like the PR1000, the Bowflex PR3000 comes with 210 pounds of resistance. Additionally, you can do 50 exercises on this model than on the Bowflex PR 1000.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the types of exercises you can do with the Bowflex PR3000:
- Ab Crunches
- Leg extensions
- Incline Press
- Decline Press
- Lower back extensions
- Bicep Curls
- Triceps pushdown
- Delt Raises
- Shrugs
- Shoulder Press
- Trunk Rotations
- Oblique Crunches
The list above is just a small fraction of the total workouts you’ll be able to do.
This model is great if you are an advanced gym goer. Especially if and find that the 210 lbs of resistance are too low. With the PR3000 Bowflex, you can easily upgrade the model to 310lbs for more resistance. Now that we’ve covered the basics with this quick review of both models, you should know enough to follow along with the comparison.
Bowflex PR1000 Vs PR3000 Comparison
Okay, now let’s get down to business:
We spent a week using both models and have identified all the differences between the Bowflex pr1000 and pr3000. We’ve also found some similarities and faults that we think both models have.
In this comparison section, we’ll be highlighting the key aspects and feature differences, price, warranty, other customer opinions, and the pros and cons. After reading, you should have a clear idea of the better model to purchase!
Bowflex PR1000 Vs PR3000 Key Features And Specs
Bowflex PR1000
As we mentioned in the PR1000 Bowflex Review, this model is their compact beginner-friendly version. As such, it has a little less to offer than it’s older sibling the PR3000. However, there is still quite a bit of value that we think it is well worth its cost.
On the Bowflex PR1000, you get a space-saving horizontal bench that can be folded. This bench allows you to do aerobic rowing thanks to the design which most other models lack. Besides, you’ll also be able to do flat bench presses.
We appreciated this on the PR1000 as it helped to save a tonne of space after we finished working out.
On the PR1000 you also get a Build in media rack that can be adjusted to fit your device. This media rack will allow you to follow with trainer videos while you exercise efficiently.
One more similarity that both models have is a maximum user weight limit of 300 lb. This weight limit might seem insignificant to some, but we noted from reviewing over a thousand gym equipment that the higher the user weight limit, the sturdier the product. And quite a few brands do not have that high a weight limit on products in this class.
PR3000
The Bowflex PR3000 is one of the older compact home gyms that Bowflex has created. It’s strong points lie with the fact that you get to do 50+ exercises on the one equipment. Through our tests of the PR3000, we found working out a little easier than on the PR1000. This finding was due to the quick change power rod system which made switching power rods easy.
Also, on the PR3000 Bowflex model, you can further upgrade the resistance rods to 310 lbs. This increase is an upgrade which sadly is not available with the PR1000.
On the PR3000, you get a Vertical Bench which was great for doing vertical bench presses. However, the Bowflex PR1000s bench was more versatile as it allowed both horizontal and vertical bench press. Both models feature a similar multiple cable pulley positions which enable you to switch resistance angles.
However, on the PR3000 you get the multi-use grips which also include ankle cuffs that add to the number of exercises you can do.
To guide workouts, Bowflex has included a full Instructional workout placard which shows many exercises you can do. We found this a huge time saver but still preferred the Media Rack on the PR1000.
Winner: Tie
Price
Now, you’re probably wondering… how much will the Bowflex PR1000 or Bowflex PR3000 model cost? Depending on where you purchase and when, you can get a discounted price on both the PR1000 and PR3000.
Winner: PR1000
Warranty
Both models offer the same warranty of 1 year on the frame. 60 Days on the different parts and five years on the resistance rods. It is important to note that one of the resistance systems has one huge flaw. That is the loss of tensile resistance as time progresses. What this means is that after a few years, resistance that felt like 210 lbs might feel like 160 lbs. So having a good warranty plus the ability to upgrade the resistance rods is a must!
Winner: PR3000
Customer Reviews
When comparing which model was better between the Bowflex pr1000 vs pr3000 we made sure to see what other customers views are like. Most persons were satisfied with having either models. If there were any complaints, they were mainly minor issues that were due to a lack of knowledge.
PR1000
Most users only had good opinions about the PR1000. Of all the reviews we read the most common complaint was about the lack of specific exercises. The negatives that we found were from those users that might not have done enough research and understood what they were buying. This model is more suited to beginners, and as such you get what you pay for at a great price.
PR3000
Both models are almost identical in design and basic features. However, this model had a lot less negative reviews which we were not expecting. Other customers appreciated the ability to perform twice as many exercises.
Winner: PR3000
Pros & Cons of Bowflex PR1000
Pros
- Best price to value bowflex home gym.
- It allows 30 exercises to be done.
- The PR1000 has a built in multimedia rack for your device.
- Purchasing the PR1000 gives you access to some online workout content.
Cons
- This model has less exercise capabilities than the PR3000.
- Resistance Rods Can’t be upgraded.
If You Might Want to Purchase The PR1000
- If doing 30 exercises is more than enough for you.
- You won’t need more than 210 lbs of resistance.
- If you don’t have the extra money to spend on the PR3000.
Pros & Cons of Bowflex PR3000
Pros
- Allows 50 exercises to be done.
- It includes a no change cable pulley system that makes working out easier.
- The PR3000 comes with an instructional placard and access to bowflex online content.
- It has a vertical bench.
Cons
- More expensive than the PR1000
If You Might Want to Purchase The PR3000 Model
- You would rather being able to do over 50 exercises on the one machine.
- If you plan to upgrade the resistance rods in the future.
- You prefer having an instructional placard over the media rack.
Final Thoughts
The Bowflex PR1000 home gym is the overall winner!
After reviewing and comparing the Bowflex pr3000 vs pr1000, we had to admit that the Bowflex PR1000 is better to buy. Both models are closes tied in most features and functionality. As such, we don’t think it is necessary for you to spend twice the amount to get the PR3000!
With the ability to do 25 exercises which target the entire body, the built-in media rack, the folded bench that helps save space we think this model is just enough for both advanced and new fitness enthusiasts.
However, if you think that you’ll need more resistance in the future, then you should get a PR 3000 Bowflex model. Or you could take a look at the best Bowflex home gyms to buy list which we compiled. So if you are just in need of a great compact home gym solution then getting the PR1000 will be more than enough.