Bowflex

Bowflex

Bowflex is a brand of fitness training equipment first introduced in 1986. The company later bought Nautilus, retaining the Nautilus company name while keeping Bowflex as a brand name for its products. The company produces a growing line of fitness equipment, machines, and accessories for people of all fitness levels.

Adjustable dumbbells are dumbbells whose weights can be adjusted. This removes the need to have several sets of dumbbells.

A dial at each end of the bar can be set to lift the selected number of pounds as desired by the user. For example, if you select 5 pounds on the disc scale, then only one disc at each end will be lifted from the cradle when you pick up the bar. Depending on the poundage selection, different combinations of discs will be lifted when you pick up the bar. At the maximum setting, all the discs will be lifted, giving you the highest level of resistance.

The SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells can be set from 5 pounds to 52.5 while the SelectTech 1090 can be set from 10 pounds to 90 pounds.

A weight bench is a cushioned bench that is designed for the user to sit on or recline on while lifting dumbbells or barbells. The targeted areas are the muscles of the arms and torso. Some benches lay flat like an ordinary bench while others have the option of being adjustable to different angles.

Weight benches with added features are often called workout or utility benches. These benches will have roller pads for working out the thighs and other leg muscles.

Dumbbells and benches are often purchased for workouts at home. A home gym, however, is specifically designed to enable the user to perform numerous exercises that can be performed with the types of machines usually found in gyms. For example, the PR 3000 provides the capability to perform over 50 strength exercises while the Blaze model provides over 60. The Blaze also offers aerobic rowing and leg press capability.

Home gyms have two different ratings given in pounds: resistance rating and maximum rating.

The resistance rating is how much resistance to the user's muscles the machine provides in a workout. For power rods, this force is the equivalent of lifting barbells that weigh the same.

The maximum rating specifies how much the user can safely weigh according to the company's guidelines. In other words, a user who weighs less than this amount can safely use the equipment while a user who weighs more should select a sturdier home gym or choose another fitness regimen.