Bowflex  Bowflex PR 3000

First workout machine that has actually done what it is advertised to do. Get more burn from the workouts than I do with free weights because of the extra range you can achieve with the pull cables. Great machine.

The stanard 210 lb. rod resistance is , for most users, too low. In my opinion, this 210 lbs. is comparable to 110 lb. of free-weights. Howver, I was able to upgrade my PR 3000 to 310 lbs and then to 410 lbs. of rod resistance. This is more than enough resistance. Note, however, not all PR 3000 units are upgradeable to 410 lbs. of rod resistance -- the unit I purchased from Sears was 410 lb. capable. Your PR 3000 is upgradable to 410 lbs, if: (1) The top of the rod base (the box which holds the rods) is not covered by the unit's frame and (2) The rod base has groves at its backend to accept a smaller rod base (one which just holds two 50 lb. rods). To be clear, all Bowflex PR 3000s are upgradeable to 310 lbs. of rod resistance but only some are upgradeable to 410 lbs. Other than the added expense to upgrade, I am very pleased with this machine. I suggest purchasing a lat bar and/or a curl bar to intensify workouts. Bowflex sells a great curl bar(which may also be used as a lat bar) for $39.95.

The idea and function of the equipment is great, assembly was easy, it is compact and easy to use. There's just not enough resistance there. I've had it about 5 months, upgraded to the 310 lb. I weigh 170 lbs and my true max bench is about 215 lbs, I can bench the PR3000 "310 lbs" about 30 times, so it's obviously not really 310 lbs. This machine may work well for some, but I would suggest going another way if you really want something with 310 lb resistance.

I recently purchased this machine. My wife and I have been very happy with it this far. Assembly took about an hour and the directions were easy to follow. The machine works flawlessly and is extremely quite. It does not take up much room and easily fits in a corner. There are plenty of excersises to do on this machine. The manual walks you through many great ones and I have added many myself. I am 6'3" and really haven't found it to be a problem on the machine. However, it says it comes with 210lbs of resistance, but it feels more like 150lbs. It definetely needs the upgrade and even with that I worry if it will be enough. Overall, I am very happy with the machine.

I first saw the Bowflex PR3000 at a store, and spent time on it. Months later, I bought one, and I'm very happy I did. After years of crowded gyms and less than satisfying fitness equipment, the Bowflex rocks! The motion is smooth, you can adjust the seat and leg developer to fit your height, the side pulleys have 3 different holes so you can put them where it feels best for you. It's completely quiet to use and easy to change the resistance. And one of the best things about this machine is it doesn't require pulley or cable changes to go from an upper to lower body workout. If you use it right, it's a great workout that will give you a burn and leave you feeling pumped. To be fair, I'm a 5' 3" woman, so fit men probably will need that upgrade to 310 pounds - I'm getting mine upgraded, too - to work legs enough. I expected it to come with a lat pulldown bar, but it doesn't - you're to use the handgrips. That was okay, but I found a used bowflex pulldown bar from another model for my pulldowns, and that's better for me. BTW, I find it's pretty easy to do standing leg curls - not mentioned in the manual. If you're looking for something that gives you a great workout, doesn't take up your entire room and lets you work every muscle group without annoying cable changes, I'd recommend checking the PR3000 out.