Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Review

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Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Review

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym is one of the top-selling home gyms that offer resistance through power rod technology. It is this training method that is preferably loved by Bowflex customers since its inception.

This is the updated version of Bowflex Xtreme se Home Gym with 70 exercises and is acknowledged among the best-selling fitness equipment of the brand. Xtreme 2SE offers 210 Ibs of resistance that is upgradeable to 310 Ibs or 410 Ibs.

The provision of a quick-change system of power rods is a feature of this equipment that is hugely appreciated by the users. Read more about Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Review 2021 to understand its operational efficiency and what makes it versatile fitness equipment for a wide range of users.

This model of Bowflex is undoubtedly a way ahead of other models like Bowflex PR1000, Bowflex Blaze, Bowflex PR3000 and its close competition is Bowflex Xceed model.

Best Suits for Whom?

This home gym is a perfect solution to all those fitness enthusiasts who prefer to have exercise equipment that serves all their fitness requirements. It is a multipurpose home gym that delivers 70+ exercises to the users to avail them the benefit of total body workout.

Facing space crunch and still require well-designed equipment that offers all essential exercise options as offered by a vast number of other equipment, then it is a must buy fitness equipment for you. If you prefer to train your entire body, then this home gym is going to deliver excellent results.

Also, users who need endless variety in their workout would be motivated with customization of the exercises. The users can engage in bench presses, kickbacks, retraction, raises, curls, rows, dips, pull down, push down, and a lot more to strengthen their arms, chest and back muscles.

There is a provision of a lat tower and an angled lat bar that helps to build and strengthen the back and shoulder muscles. Those who prefer to focus their training on legs’ muscles they can engage in squats, leg raises, hip extensions, deadlifts, hip abductions, including flexion exercises.

Users who prefer to focus on their abdominal muscles can focus on and trunk rotation exercises, abdominal crunches, and oblique crunches. Also, those users who require budget friendly equipment must opt for this home gym as it is revered among the best home gyms below the price range of $1100.

Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Assembly, Design & Build Quality

Assembly

The assembly of the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym is simple and quick with the help of the user manual. The manual explains the whole process of assembling the machine with the do’s and don’ts that users have to follow strictly.

The guidelines and instructions make the assembly part a lot easier as the whole machine gets assembled within a one and a half hour. On the contrary, if the users prefer to hire the Bowflex professional service, then he has to pay an extra cost for it.

Design and Build Quality

An initial glance at Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym makes it clear that this equipment is sturdy as designed with steel tubing and built for intense workout sessions. The anti-corrosion paint helps to protect it from scratches and bruises and enhance its shelf-life.

This power-packed home gym is designed with dimensions 53″ L x 49″ W x 83.25″ H, and its workout area is  8′ L x 6′ 5″ W. This equipment weighs 185 Ibs that can adequately bear the maximum user weight of 300 Ibs. It is powered by patented power rod technology that offers resistance with 210 Ibs and is upgradeable.

The provision of no change pulley system makes it extremely smooth for the users to move from one exercise to another without stopping. The home gym comes packed with a lat tower, angled lat bar, leg extension, squat bar, abs crunch shoulder harness.

Also, there is a provision of optional accessories that include preacher curl, gym style ab crunch. Furthermore, the compact size of the gym makes it ideal for small space lovers and its adjustable seat; it’s padding along with knee, and back support makes it a smooth experience for users to engage in the workouts on this home gym quite efficiently.

The addition of hand grips and straps further adds to the safety of users while exercising on this equipment. It offers 70+ exercises that make it an impressive addition to any home where users prefer to have only one resort to have a perfectly toned and sculpted body without going to the gym.

Overall, its designing and built quality resonate with that of a commercial grade gym at affordable pricing.

Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Features

Power Rod Resistance

The Bowflex home gym offers resistance through a patented power rod system as designed by the brand. The resistance through power rods can be understood with the workings of a bow. As with the enhanced tension, the curves of the power rod become more rigid; the workout becomes more challenging.

Once, the power rods are straightened, the tension is released. 210 Ibs of resistance is available through power rods, and if a user prefers to have an upgraded level of resistance, then it can be upgraded to 310 Ibs or 410 Ibs depending upon the capability and endurance levels of the users.

There is also a no-change pulley system that is used for having desired levels of resistance. Here the users can utilize four different pulley positions to work on all the major muscles of the body at various angles and degrees.

Compact size

The Bowflex provides a compact-sized machines as it footprint measures 53” L x 49” W. But when power rods are attached, then its dimensions are 96” L x 78” W.The height of this gym is 83” and it requires a room measuring 7 feet and 5 inches to position this equipment and use it comfortably.

Adjustable Seat

This Bowflex home gym comes packed with an adjustable seat that makes it more accessible for users to engage in a variety of workout programs.

Resistance

This home gym comes equipped with 210 Ibs of resistance that the user can upgrade to 310 Ibs or 410 Ibs.

Bench Press

The vertical bench press workout offered by this home gym proves excellent for bringing variations in the exercises.

Aerobic Rowing

There is no provision of a rowing machine in this home gym but considering the variations in the workout options, this equipment is worth investing in for long term performance.

Folding

This Bowflex equipment is not foldable equipment and also doesn’t support transport wheels as once stationed, there is no need to move this machine and users can avail its benefits for an extended time.

Body Weight Capacity

The users with a maximum weight limit of 300 Ibs can use this equipment to avail the optimal results.

Safety Measures

The safety mechanisms are clearly defined in the user manual of this equipment. Also, this equipment doesn’t utilize weight stacks for offering resistance, so users won’t need to bother about the safety concerns.

Olympic Free-weight Rack

This Bowflex home gym provides resistance through the power rod mechanism that is lighter than weight stacks and does not come equipped with inertia or risk of injury.

Multifunctional Press Arms

The multifunctional press arms are not available in this gym, but considering its 70+ exercises and customizations, one can get the workout of arms with precision.

Other Features

a. Play Music: This fitness equipment doesn’t have inbuilt provision for music or entertainment.

b. Leg Developer and Row/Curl Handle: The provision of leg extension/curl allows users to tone their legs and

improve the flexibility of the lower body.

c. Preacher Curl Attachment: There is an optional preacher curl attachment with this home gym that is only available in premium models of the brand like Bowflex Revolution Home Gym. It enables users to strengthen their biceps muscles.

d. Abdominal Crunch Shoulder Harness: The abdominal crunch shoulder harness provides an excellent way to tone the muscles of the abdomen area by effectively modifying the levels of resistance during the abdominal exercise sessions.

e. Well-Integrated Squat Station: The availability of a well-designed squat station helps in having the required

workout of glutes, hamstring, and quadriceps muscles.

f. Hand-Grip/Ankle Cuffs and Straps: The users can optimize their workout with the availability of hand grips and

straps that help to cover an adequate cover to the hands, knees, ankles, and the wrist for optimal safety levels. The

users can use them as standard grips, ankle cuff grips, arch cuff grips, and handcuff grips to optimize the safety

parameters for users.

g. Lat Tower with Angled Lat Bar: The users can optimize their workout with a lat tower and an angled lat bar that

helps in building shoulder and back muscles.

Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Workout Programs

1. Goal Tracking: The Bowflex home gym is an impressive machine that comes packed with 70+ workout options and enables users to focus on condition the whole body with incredible results.

Though this home gym doesn’t offer a workout DVD, but its manual arrives with the seven different workout programs that are mainly designed by the fitness experts. These workout programs focus on targeting total body fitness, including fat loss, strength training, and cardio as well. These workouts incorporate the following:

  • 2-minute better body
  • Bodybuilding
  • Circuit training anaerobic
  • True aerobic
  • Strength training
  • 20-minute upper body
  • 20-minute lower body

Further, users can engage in full body workout using this home gym with the following exercises:

  • Arms: Tricep push down and biceps curls
  • Shoulders: Shrugs, press, and delt raise
  • Core: Trunk rotation, oblique crunch, and ab crunch
  • Legs: Kickback, leg extension, and curl
  • Chest: Incline,decline press, and flat
  • Back: Row, lat pulldown, lower back extension

There are also three inbuilt workout stations in this home gym that includes high-pulley station, mid-pulley station and low-pulley station. All these workout stations are multifunctional and provide for a variety of workout sessions.

Among the 70+ exercise options, there are 18 exercises for back, 3 ab exercises,12 leg exercises, 24 arm exercises, 16 shoulder exercises, 6 chest exercises.

2. Multiple cable/pulley positions for custom workouts: The Bowflex home gym offers the benefit of multiple pulley system that allows for the smooth and easy transition from one workout to another, thus making a shift from leg exercises to abs won’t be a difficulty for the users.

The pulleys are made from durable nylon and have stainless steel ball bearings that allow for 360 degrees swivel to make the movements swift and easy. Also, the provision of an adjustable slider adds to the feature of customization in the workout sessions by modifying the width of the slider according to the physique of the user.

Thus, the users’ can adjust the slider pulleys(either outwards or inwards) and make them wider or narrower depending upon their comfort and convenience. The slider pulleys are designed on the lat tower having two positions each side, squat pulley frame and center cross bars, both having four positions each side.

All these adjustments allow for the focus on various parts of the similar muscle groups and derive excellent results.

3. No. of Exercises: This Bowflex home gym offers a 70+ exercise that allows for the incredible customization of workout sessions.

4. A lot of Other Exercises: The users can avail the maximum benefit by working out on this home gym that provides total body workout. The users can workout on their arms, shoulders, back, legs along with focusing on the core area to have a perfectly fit body.

Besides, the users can do a lot more exercises on this machine that includes bench presses, pushups, pull-ups, and a lot more.

Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Warranty

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym arrives with the seven-year warranty on the machine and a lifetime warranty on the power rods. The customer satisfaction is utmost necessary for the brand as if any customer doesn’t feel complete satisfaction with this equipment; then he can return the home gym within six weeks of delivery.

The users have to acquire a RMA number from the customer support and make sure that the equipment works well to claim a refund. But, the user has to bear the return shipping and handling charges for claiming the refund money.

Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym Pros & Cons

Pros

  • A sturdily built equipment that offers impressive performance
  • Offers 210 Ibs resistance that can be upgraded to 310 Ibs or 410 Ibs
  • Meant for all types of users with 70+ exercise options
  • Solid warranty back up
  • Provision of Bowflex Body Plan and a comprehensive fitness guide
  • Adjustable seat 
  • Availability of ab crunch shoulder harness
  • A compact design highly recommended for smaller areas
  • Provision of seven free built- workout programs 
  • It can support 300 Ibs user weight
  • The provision of comfortable hand grips, harness, and straps for shoulders, ankle, knees, and hands
  • Budget-friendly with a range of less than $1100

Cons

  • The home gym doesn’t support a DVD of workout and as such users have to search online to check what type of exercise they can perform on this equipment
  • 210 Ibs of resistance is not challenging enough for the seasoned users, and they have to invest money to upgrade to 310 or 410 Ibs of power rods
  • Some users experience that power rods wear out quickly and thus, require a new purchase
  • A few users feel perplexed about repositioning the rods and cables to derive desired results
  • Assembly requires assistance and is time-consuming
  • Some users experience an uneven resistance from power rods as resistance doesn’t provide as much tension as required and wear out easily

Verdict

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym is undoubtedly one of the top-selling power rods home gyms that is designed for high-end results and suitable for beginners and pro users. It offers real value for money as it is equipped with all the advanced features, great warranty coverage and excellent pricing.

If users prefer to go for a low-budget but an advanced machine, then they can opt for Bowflex Xceed Home Gym is a suitable option for the users. It offers 65+ exercises with 210 Ibs resistance with upgradeable feature and vertical bench press at an affordable range of less than $700.

On the other hand, The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym is an excellent choice for those users who look for upgraded features, impressive performance, and steel build.

Also, it’s versatile workout options, and no change pulley system make it the top contender for bestselling home gym of the Bowflex that provides conditioning of the whole body along with strength training and bodybuilding for incredible results.