The workout is a necessity for gym lovers. However, if you don’t feel like going to the gym or pay intervals for gym premiums, then there is one solution for you, having your own home gym.
And there is one known portable home gym— the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym.
A favorite amongst bodybuilders and workout-crazy-people alike, the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym is primarily designed for muscle building and hard-core strength training. But, is it the right one for your personal and workout requirements? Find out with our comprehensive Bowflex Xceed Home Gym Reviews!
The Bowflex Brand
Bowflex is a prominent international fitness brand. It offers premium-grade fitness equipment since the year 1986. Based in Vancouver, Washington, Bowflex sells its product via retail, direct and international channels and is primarily marketed and sold by the Nautilus, Inc.
As the fitness market was flooded with expensive pieces of gym equipment, Bowflex focused more on developing innovative fitness equipment for home-based users. Read Here: Best Elliptical Machines Under $500: Top 5 Options Reviewed
The idea they have was creating a personal home gym that offers the same results and efficiency you can get in high-end gyms and fitness centers. This development of home gyms created a stir in the global market and leads to smarter, more efficient and productive fitness equipment.
Providing revolutionary fitness equipment for the past 30 years, the Bowflex brand brought about breakthrough changes in the fitness industry with their amazing line of fitness equipment series.
The Bowflex brand markets and manufactures a long line of products such as the Bowflex treadmills, Bowflex Ellipticals, Bowflex Home-Gym, Bowflex Max Trainers and so much more! Their innovation of strength and cardio training fitness equipment caters to different needs of humongous base of its clientele all over the world.
A Comprehensive Review Of The Bowflex Xceed Home Gym
Technical Specifications
First off, we take a look at the technical specification of this home gym. When fully assembled, the Bowflex Xceed has a dimension of 59 x 49 x 82 inches. So, it is still reasonably large. But not too bulky or unwieldy awkward size to fit into a gym garage or your workout room.
Also, in its fully assembled form, the home gym has a total weight of 157 weight. This makes it one of the easiest home gyms to assemble by yourself. However, it is always recommended that you get a helping hand.
With its sturdy construction, the home gym can accommodate a maximum weight of 300 pounds. Also, it utilizes a resistance system of power rods instead of plates. The standard weight resistance is about 210 pounds by default. However, it is good to know that it can be adjusted.
With its design features and accessories, you can get over 65 workouts. And it really does a great job of providing a full-body workout routine from a single machine.
Assembling and Maintenance
Assembling the Bowflex Xceed is pretty straightforward and quick. This is mainly because of the provided instruction manual that will guide you through the process. The home gym also comes with Allen wrenches. However, you will need a few wrenches and screwdrivers to assemble it.
As mentioned before, the assembly can be pretty much done on your own. However, it is always recommended to ask for a pair of hands, especially if you are just a beginner in these machines.
The full assembly can take at least a few hours. Overall, the assembly of the Bowflex Xceed is not too daunting when compared to other home gym machines. In terms of maintenance, it is suggested that you unhook the power rods from the cables when not in use. This way, they remain in the upright and straight position.
You can also use the rod binding strap that is included with the home gym in order to bind all rods together above. Also, you can place your grips and cables through the strap in order to keep them out of the way. This way, you can keep it organized and stored properly.
In addition, you will also need to make regular checking of the joints and bolts. Make sure that they are held and screwed well together and re-tightening whenever needed. Also, make sure to pay close attention to loose straps, cables, and harnesses.
For the bench, you can clean it with a non-abrasive household cleaner after every use. This should keep it looking new. Make sure to never use any automatic cleaner since it can make your bench too slick.
Meanwhile, worn or damaged parts need to be replaced immediately. Make sure to only use manufacturer supplied parts to repair and maintain the home gym.
The Build, Design, and Accessories
This home gym comes from the long line of reputable and high-performing workout machines and equipment from Bowflex.
First off, the Bowflex Xceed is constructed and manufactured from high-grade steel. Ten, it is finished with a chip-resistant and rust-resistant paint, with the primary colors of red, gray and black for a masculine look. This makes it super durable and sturdy, guaranteeing to endure even the most brutal workout sessions.
As mentioned above, its overall size may not seem too large compared to other home gyms. However, Bowflex recommends that you have extra space around in order to let its frame fully expand. This should allow its various workout stations and areas to be used to their full capacities.
Thus, Bowflex suggests that you leave at least 96 x 78 inches of space around the home gym for comfortable and safer operation. The home gym will also fit well with a room with 7 feet ceiling or higher.
Not, the Bowflex Xceed does not have adjustable stabilizers. The base of this home gym rests on rubberized pads to improve floor grip and provide stability. Naturally, these rubberized base works even better on concrete or linoleum floors that you might find in most garages. However, it can also work with carpeted surfaces.
In addition, the home gym is considerably heavy. Thus, improving the overall stability as well. The bases do not have any anchor points or holes. And normally, it should not be anchored to the floor. However, if you wish to connect it to the floor in order to improve stability and make it more secure, then you will need to improvise. At the front, you will see the standing plate. This allows you to perform standing workouts such as squats. Meanwhile, the lateral bars dumbbell weight plates in order to add resistance to it. Each rod is constructed from elastomer that is coated with a rubber finish.
They work with precision machined rings to which the home gym’s cable hooks attach. The rings, themselves, are made of highly durable materials and are almost impossible to remove from the rods. This means that you will need to contact Bowflex and their technician if you ever need to replace one. This is also one of the reasons why the power rods come with a lifetime warranty, which we will go into detail later on.
The power rod set on this Bowflex home gym has a total weight resistance of 210 pounds. That’s 105 pounds on each side. Each rod is also marked with its weight rating at the “Rod Cap”. The rod set includes the following:
- 2 x 50 pounds
- 2 x 30 pounds
- 4 x 10 pounds
- 2 x 5 pounds
It is important to note that the home gym’s overall weight resistance can be upgraded. You can the 4 extra 50 pounds rods, 2 on each side. This allows you to benefit from a total weight resistance of 410 pounds or 310 pounds dumbbell weight plates in order to add resistance to it. Each rod is constructed from elastomer that is coated with a rubber finish.
They work with precision machined rings to which the home gym’s cable hooks attach. The rings, themselves, are made of highly durable materials and are almost impossible to remove from the rods. This means that you will need to contact Bowflex and their technician if you ever need to replace one. This is also one of the reasons why the power rods come with a lifetime warranty, which we will go into detail later on.
The power rod set on this Bowflex home gym has a total weight resistance of 210 pounds. That’s 105 pounds on each side. Each rod is also marked with its weight rating at the “Rod Cap”. The rod set includes the following:
- 2 x 50 pounds
- 2 x 30 pounds
- 4 x 10 pounds
- 2 x 5 pounds
It is important to note that the home gym’s overall weight resistance can be upgraded. You can the 4 extra 50 pounds rods, 2 on each side. This allows you to benefit from a total weight resistance of 410 pounds or 310 pounds.
Hooking the Power Rods To The Cables
You can use one or several rods in combination in order to create your desired resistance levels. In order to hook multiple rods to a single cable, you will need to bend the closest rod towards the cable. Pace the cable hook through the rod cap. From there, you can hook the next closest rod up on that same cable hook. By hooking up the closest rod, you can prevent the power rods from overlapping one another.
Safety Tip:
Focus Area And Workouts You Can Do On The Bowflex Xceed
While everyone has their own individual focus area, the Bowflex Xceed supports a whole-body range of workouts.
These include:
- Shoulders
- Legs
- Abdominals
- Chest
- Back
- Arms
AS mentioned before, the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym allows you to execute at least 65 full-time workouts. In addition, the home gym includes an exercise guide. This guide provides you comprehensive and in-detail information about various workouts that you can perform in this machine.
Here is the list of various exercises you can do with the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym.
- Chest Workouts
- Chest Fly
- Incline Chest Fly
- Bench Press
- Abdominal Workouts
- Trunk Rotation
- Seated Oblique Abdominal Crunch
- Seated Abdominal Crunch
- Leg Workouts
- Squats
- Calf Raise
- Leg Kickback
- Hip Flexion
- Standing Hip Extension w/ extended knees
- Standing Hip Abduction
- Leg Extension
- Standing Hip Extension w/ bent knees
- Back Workouts
- Pulldowns
- Reverse Grip Pulldowns on the lat bar
- Reverse Grip Pulldowns
- Crossover Lat Rows
- Crossover Narrow Pulldowns
- Low Back Extension
- Crossover Wide Pulldowns
- Bent Rear Delt Row
- Stiff Arm Pulldowns
- Narrow Pulldowns on lat bars
- Seated Lat Row
- Crossover Rear Delt Row
- Seated Wide Lat Pulldown
- Narrow Pulldowns on the handgrip
- Shoulders Workout
- Reverse Fly
- Shoulder Extension
- Lateral shoulder Raise
- Shoulder Shrug
- Scapular Retraction
- Shoulder Rotator Cuff (internal and external)
- Seated Shoulder Press
- Crossover High Rear Delt Rows
- Crossover Rear Delt Rows
- Crossover Reverse Fly
- Crossover Seated Rear Delt Rows
- Scapular Protraction
- Scapular Depression
- Arm Workouts
- Standing Biceps Curl
- Curling On Seated Biceps
- Wrist Curl
- Reverse Curl
- Triceps Extension
- Seated Biceps Curl
- Wrist Extension
- Rope Pushdown
- Arm opposition push-pull
- Triceps Pushdown
- Barbell biceps curl
- Hammer triceps Kickback
- Triceps Kickback
- Concentration Biceps Curl
- Single-arm Pushdown
- Hammer Biceps Curl
- Cross Triceps Extension
- Upper Body Opposition Pull
- Triceps Hammer Pushdown
There are some workouts that will require extra pieces of equipment. For instance, the ankle cuff is needed for effective leg kickbacks. Overall, with the above-mentioned workouts, you can definitely try lots of workout moves on the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym.
The Bowflex Warranty
To protect your investment and have a peace of mind, Bowflex offers a nice warranty to back up the home gym. The Xceed comes with a long 7-year warranty for its frame. As mentioned before, the power rod system has a lifetime warranty.
This offers great value for your money since the home gym’s rods and frame are the 2 parts that are more likely to face direct abuse and stress.
The frame warranty covers any flaws or defects on the part of the manufacturers as well as accidental failure. Meanwhile, the rod warranty covers replacement of the resistance rods throughout the lifespan of the home gym, provided that you do not destroy them on purposes.
The Bowflex Xceed Home Gym: Who It Is For?
The Bowflex Xceed Home Gym is one of the best compact-sized home gyms that are meant for those people with a space-constrained home. Also, this home gym is mainly designed for individuals who wished to focus on building muscles and having intensive strength training. Furthermore, some of the design features of this home gym make it impossible for certain individuals to use it.
For instance, its adjustable seat can accommodate different height positions but only for users up to 6’5”. So, any user taller than that may have a problem using this machine. In short, this home gym is suitable for the average user who needs a compact machine to train and bulk up in the comforts of their own home.
Bowflex Xceed Home Gym Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When was Bowflex invented?
A: TheBowflex brand deals primarily with fitness equipment and gears. Their first piece of equipment came into being in 1986. It was called the Bowflex 2000X.
Q: When did the Xceed Home Gym come out?
A: The very first model of the Xceed was first introduced in the year 2006. Since then, numerous changes and updates have been made to the newer versions. From there, you can compare differences in features, prices and pick the right one for you.
Q: Does the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym really works?
A: Yes. The Bowflex Xceed is designed to help you with your workout and fitness goals. However, the results of your workout will largely depend on your efforts and consistency. Fortunately, Bowflex included an exercise manual in order to help guide you in achieving your fitness goals.
Q: Can I bulk up with the Bowflex Xceed?
A: Absolutely! The Bowflex Xceed does provide you a medium to do bodybuilding as well as strength training workout routines. However, as mentioned before, the results will depend on your dedication and consistency in your workouts.
Q: Is the Bowflex Xceed better than free weights?
A: Unlike free weight, the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym can restrict the number of movements that you can make. However, free weight tends to be more demanding to the stabilizer muscles.
Using the home gym, it is easier to target specific muscle groups. Thus, it allows you to put better focus on achieving goals. Also, it is easier to learn how to use the home gym than free weights. So, for those who are only starting in getting fit can find the Bowflex Xceed to be more efficient and easier to work with.
Q: What are the benefits of using the Bowflex Xceed?
: The reason why most individuals prefer going to the gym is because of the different pieces of equipment available, allowing you to work on different goals. However, with the Bowflex Xceed, you can combine these differences into one machine. You can improve your strength, coordination, power, endurance as well as weight training.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: The Bowflex Xceed Home Gym comes with an affordable price tag. You will have to spend less than $700 in order to take it home. That and the quality and warranty that comes with it makes it a valuable and nice investment.
The Verdict
All in all, the Bowflex Xceed only confirms one fact— it is a phenomenal home gym offering you lots of resistance options for all kinds of individuals. It is a nice machine to use and works really well inside your home or gym garage.
Its capability to upgrade the weight resistance means that it is a nice machine to use as you grow your workout technique and body strength. For anyone who wants a whole-body home gym at a nice price tag, you need to check out the Bowflex Xceed Home Gym. You will not be disappointed.