A wide variety of Bowflex home gyms are available from the company and third-party retailers. Two past models that helped to make Bowflex a household name in home-fitness equipment are the Bowflex Sport and Power Pro XTL. As of December 2010, Bowflex no longer manufactures either machine, but they can still be found for sale at retail stores or secondhand on the Internet.
Size
The Bowflex Sport is more compact than the Power Pro XTL model. Whereas the Bowflex Sport measures 90 inches long by 38 inches wide by 83 inches tall, the Power Pro XTL is 92 inches long by 50 inches wide by 83.5 inches tall when fully assembled. Both machines can be folded up for storage by removing the seat knob and folding the bench into a vertical position when the machine is not in use.
Features
The Sport and Power Pro XTL are comparable models when it comes to the number and style of exercises they can accomplish. The Bowflex Sport has a slight edge, as it is able to accomplish more than 70 exercises, while the Power Pro XTL can accomplish just over 65. Both machines have an adjustable angle bench, lat tower, leg developer and rowing station. Both machines are designed to support a user weight of roughly 300 lbs.
Resistance
The Bowflex Power Pro XTL was one of the first Bowflex models to come with an upgradeable resistance system. The machine comes standard with 210 lbs. of resistance, but you can raise the machine's capacity to 310 or 410 lbs. of resistance with the purchase of additional power rods. The ability to upgrade Bowflex home gyms later became a standardized feature for the company's products, including the Bowflex Sport. The Sport also comes with 210 lbs. of resistance and is upgradeable to the 310- and 410-lb. levels.
Warning
The biggest disadvantage of the Bowflex Power Pro XTL is that the Power Pro line of home gyms suffered a massive recall in 2004 due to safety issues with the bench and lat tower. Roughly 420,000 machines were voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer of Bowflex, Nautilus, that year because there were reports of the backboard of the bench breaking while exercising. There were also incidents of the lat tower snapping, resulting in upper-body and head injuries. Bowflex later issued a free repair kit for the machines, which reinforced the tower and bench when attached.
Price
Prices range widely for both the Bowflex Sport and the Power Pro XTL because they are older models of Bowflex gyms and are often sold used. When they were new, both machines retailed for $500 or more, but can now be found for less than this price. Additional power rods for either machine can be purchased directly from Bowflex for $99 per 100-lb. upgrade, as of December 2010.
References
- Exercise Equipment Expert: Bowflex Sport Review
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: CPSC, Nautilus Direct Announce Recall of Bowflex Power Pro Fitness Machines
- Funding Universe: Direct Focus, Inc. Company History
- Bowflex Sport Owner's Manual and Fitness Guide
- Bowflex Power Pro Owner's Manual and Fitness Guide
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