Bow flex

[Missoula Griz]

What are your thoughts? I have always been a free weight guy. Wife is pushing for a bow flex. I realize there are cheaper models. I am just asking what your opinions are on the work out using a bow flex or something similar?

 

Thanks

[darin3]

What are your thoughts? I have always been a free weight guy. Wife is pushing for a bow flex. I realize there are cheaper models. I am just asking what your opinions are on the work out using a bow flex or something similar?

 

Thanks

 

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I have a buddy that absolutely loved his for awhile, but then got roped into a gym situation with a trainer so no longer uses it.

 

Tell you what, I work out 3-4 times a week, and my gym just put in some machines that use cable systems, and they're awesome. I am going to use them exclusively. I love the flexibility of the machines. I THINK this is generally how the Bowflex system works, too...

[Big Country]

if it is a matter of, this is something she will use, but wouldn't use something else, then it's worthwhile.

 

If yo uare debating bowflex vs. free weights, free weights are a lot better for you.

 

Bowflex and other machines provide the stabilization for you, so you are only utilizing a small targeted portion of muscles. This leads to imbalances and very weak stabilizing muscles, which can lead to injury.

 

Free weights force you to stabilize the weights, recruiting more muscles and more muscle fibers into the movement, causing you to get a better more well-rounded work out.

 

Now, the ifrst sentence is the most important... if she won't use free weights but would use a bowflex, then get her the bowflex as something is better than nothing.

 

But, generally a decent free weight set can be had for a relatively similar price than some of the bowflex systems I have seen.

[darin3]

if it is a matter of, this is something she will use, but wouldn't use something else, then it's worthwhile.

 

If yo uare debating bowflex vs. free weights, free weights are a lot better for you.

 

Bowflex and other machines provide the stabilization for you, so you are only utilizing a small targeted portion of muscles. This leads to imbalances and very weak stabilizing muscles, which can lead to injury.

 

Free weights force you to stabilize the weights, recruiting more muscles and more muscle fibers into the movement, causing you to get a better more well-rounded work out.

 

Now, the ifrst sentence is the most important... if she won't use free weights but would use a bowflex, then get her the bowflex as something is better than nothing.

 

But, generally a decent free weight set can be had for a relatively similar price than some of the bowflex systems I have seen.

 

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Partially true. From what I've heard from trainers, what you're talking about (stabilization of free weights) is important if you're looking to bulk up and/or gain strength. If you're simply looking to exercise and tone, a cable (or Bowflex type) system will be just fine and should not lead to injury (unless used incorrectly, of course).

 

But you are correct in saying "something is better than nothing".

[Big Country]

Partially true.  From what I've heard from trainers, what you're talking about (stabilization of free weights) is important if you're looking to bulk up and/or gain strength.  If you're simply looking to exercise and tone, a cable (or Bowflex type) system will be just fine and should not lead to injury (unless used incorrectly, of course). 

 

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Bulking/Toning (assuming you mean cutting here, ie lose fat to have more muscle definition) are based primarily on diet, not exercise regime.

 

It is impossible to gain weight without eating above your maintenance level.

 

It is impossible to lose weight without eating below your maintenance level.

 

Now, exercise type will determine whether you are telling your body to produce muscle and burn fat or not.

 

Many people, including some trainers, still believe one of the biggest fitness myths out there - lifting heavy weights makes you big and lifting light weigths for lots of reps tones you. It is simply not true. If you do not strain the muscles, you will not tear the fibers causing the need for muscle repair, which leads to growth (assuming proper diet) and the "toned" look. You can do a thousand bices curls with a pencil and not get any results, or you can do 8 curls with a 40 pound dumbbell, 3 sets and see results. (note to say bicep curls are one of the least useful exercises, but it made for an easy analogy)

 

Basically I think Darin and I are saying the same thing, the cable system is fine if you are looking to just exercise, but it is highly ineffective compared to free weights in terms of efficiency for calorie burning and strength gains.

[Meat Face]

save yourself some money and buy a 'Door Gym' for pullups. Do lots of pushups and dips. And then whatever leg stuff you like (lunges, bike, run, etc.).

[dmarc117]

been wanting to ask this but wasnt sure how many fit huddlers there were.....

 

is creatine effective and safe?

[Big Country]

been wanting to ask this but wasnt sure how many fit huddlers there were.....

 

is creatine effective and safe?

 

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It's one of the few supplements that has had enough study on it tha it is safe and effective, if done right. I'll try find some of the supporting documentation,but, despite what most packaging says, there is no need for a loading phase.

 

Take no more than 5g I think it is, but I have to double check if it is better to take pre or post workout.

 

You can do a search on the Men's Health forums, or so a search on articles at www.t-nation.com and www.bodybuilding.com Lots of good information can be found there.

[I Like Soup]

been wanting to ask this but wasnt sure how many fit huddlers there were.....

 

is creatine effective and safe?

 

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I can tell you from my weight lifting experience from days gone by, creatine works. I remember doing set after set and never getting that feeling of muscle pain the day after. While I did work out to fatigue, I always felt like I should do more because I didn't hurt.

 

And I think it has been proven pretty safe over the years. Just make sure to drink a lot of liquids as the creatine causes your cells to intake more water.

[Missoula Griz]

Thanks for the input!

[dmarc117]

Thanks for the input!

 

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ditto

[Dr. Love]

What are your thoughts? I have always been a free weight guy. Wife is pushing for a bow flex. I realize there are cheaper models. I am just asking what your opinions are on the work out using a bow flex or something similar?

 

Thanks

 

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Depends on the situation. Is hitting a local gym a possibility to see if the drive is there before committing the $$$ to a Bowflex? Also, what are you and your wife's fitness goals?

 

Unless your wife is atypical, she wants to lose weight and "tone" (as BC alluded to, "toning" is kind of a misnomer). Unless you're atypical, you want to lose the tire/love handles and add some lean muscle mass to your upper body. In my experience, to meet both of those goals while living in the northern reaches of the US without going to a gym, you're going to need more than just a Bowflex. Specifically, it's hard to burn enough calories just by lifting weights to really take off fat. You're going to need a cardio component to your workout as well, which means a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical, too.

 

My #1 recommendation is a gym, as you'd have to go to a gym for several years before a Bowflex or a treadmill pay for themselves, the gym's equipment is better, and the gym's equipment is much more varied; you and your wife can each pick your favorite exercises and machines for your goals. However, if your situation dictates that you and your wife must work out at home, my recommendation would be to go with a cardio machine first, and then add free weights to that. If you had a weight bench (or Smith machine, preferably), barbell, and dumbells, you could do everything needed to meet both weight loss and muscle gain.

 

I'd highly recommend subscribing to Muscle and Fitness magazine. Ignore the ads (supplements are not magic pills, no matter what the before and after pictures look like) and read the articles. There is a lot of really excellent information for both novice and experienced people interested in fitness and good health.

 

If you'd like to post you and your wife's situation and fitness goals, I'd be willing to take a stab at more concrete recommendations, if you're interested.

 

Good luck!

[Chief Dick]

You know, there's a buttload of gangs at the school. This one gang wanted me to join because I'm pretty good with the bowflex.

[Missoula Griz]

Hey Doc,

 

Great info. A lot of what you assumed is true. We may have some more questions, so hopefully you can share some more answers.

[Big Country]

Specifically, it's hard to burn enough calories just by lifting weights to really take off fat.

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While I totally agree that cardio plays an important role in an effective fitness program, this statement is just not true.

 

Weight lifting in fact burns more calories than cardio (talking total burn, not just burn during the actual exercise period), and the promotion of muscle growth leads to an increased Basal Metabolic Rate which in turn leads to greater fat burning even while at rest.

 

With Cardio, you stop burning the calories once you are done with the exercise. With resistance training, your body will experience a metabolic boost for up to 48 hours following the workout, and it is this increased level that leads to a much greater amount of calories being burned than by cardio.

 

One of the other big debates in the fitness industry is the amount of cardio. Most agree that HIIT training is key as it too promotes an anaerobic workout. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. TO put it very simply, sprint balls out for 30 seconds, jog for 30-60 seconds as a rest, go balls out for 30 seconds, jog 30-60, etc. eventually working up to as much as 20 minutes of this interval training with longer sprint periods and shorter rest periods.

 

For steady state, I've seen lots of reports/articles stating things like you have to go for 30 minutes minimum, and the longer you go the better. THe one thing I have seen in a lot of recent research is that once you get beyond the 25-30 minute mark, you have utilized your glycogen store and the body will start converting muscle and fat for energy. It used to be thought that at low intensity, it was a much greater amount of fat, but I believe recent research is showing that it is not as much as was previously thought. Now, if you have a hugh amount of weight to lose, than it is of lesser importance to try and conserve all the muscle you can as it is a much greater helth risk to carry all of that extra weight, but, once you are to a point where you don't have a ton of weigh to lose, conservation of lean muscle mass takes on greater importance.

 

 

Now, with all that said, diet is still the most important component of healthy weight loss.

[Dr. Love]

While I totally agree that cardio plays an important role in an effective fitness program, this statement is just not true.

 

Weight lifting in fact burns more calories than cardio (talking total burn, not just burn during the actual exercise period), and the promotion of muscle growth leads to an increased Basal Metabolic Rate which in turn leads to greater fat burning even while at rest.

 

With Cardio, you stop burning the calories once you are done with the exercise. With resistance training, your body will experience a metabolic boost for up to 48 hours following the workout, and it is this increased level that leads to a much greater amount of calories being burned than by cardio.

 

One of the other big debates in the fitness industry is the amount of cardio. Most agree that HIIT training is key as it too promotes an anaerobic workout. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. TO put it very simply, sprint balls out for 30 seconds, jog for 30-60 seconds as a rest, go balls out for 30 seconds, jog 30-60, etc. eventually working up to as much as 20 minutes of this interval training with longer sprint periods and shorter rest periods.

 

For steady state, I've seen lots of reports/articles stating things like you have to go for 30 minutes minimum, and the longer you go the better. THe one thing I have seen in a lot of recent research is that once you get beyond the 25-30 minute mark, you have utilized your glycogen store and the body will start converting muscle and fat for energy. It used to be thought that at low intensity, it was a much greater amount of fat, but I believe recent research is showing that it is not as much as was previously thought. Now, if you have a hugh amount of weight to lose, than it is of lesser importance to try and conserve all the muscle you can as it is a much greater helth risk to carry all of that extra weight, but, once you are to a point where you don't have a ton of weigh to lose, conservation of lean muscle mass takes on greater importance.

Now, with all that said, diet is still the most important component of healthy weight loss.

 

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I'm not disagreeing with anything you're saying, but for the average person lifting weights to keep fit versus as a hobby, they're doing a three day a week, 1 hour per session, push/pull/legs type split. That alone isn't going to lose the weight that adding a cardio component would.

 

I think we're making the same point - doing both resistance training and cardiovascular workouts are synergistic, and that diet has a huge effect on one's weight and overall health.

[Big Country]

Totally agree.

 

But, then here is another semantical point.. weight loss vs. fat loss

 

Lack of resistance training will lead to an increased level of lean muscle loss as a whole of weight loss if all a person is doing is cardio and eating relatively well.

 

My very condensed version from what I have learned is this:

Your diet will dictate if you gain or lose weight.

Your exercise regimen will dictate WHAT you lose/gain.

 

Kind of like my theory on DMD's projections and WW's Start/Bench list.

DMD's projections show what the player SHOULD do.

WW's Start/bench list shows how likely they are to achieve it.