Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is an EXCELLENT product... I've read quite a few different opinions on it, and also the "should I get the PR1000 (basic model) Bowflex or the Blaze" argument so I wanted to offer my advice. A few things to mention (I'll keep it as short as possible): 1. This is an exceptional home gym for people of nearly any fitness level... Unless you are a serious bodybuilder or play college football, this machine will do great for you. I am 27 and have lifted weights since I was 13... I have done everything from this Bowflex, to free weight home gyms to gym memberships at multiple different facilities. In my prime, I could bench 310 lb w/ barbells... I'm not quite at that point anymore, but the Blaze offers enough of a challenge to give me a fantastic workout every time. I purchased the Blaze in January and wasn't in the greatest shape or fitness level (I'm 6'2" and weighed maybe 180 at the time). After only 3 weeks (exercising 2 days per week for ~1 hour per day), I was back to 195 lbs and my strength had also increased dramatically. I have been using it regularly ever since and I am stunned at the strength gain, muscle increase/toning, and fat loss I have been able to achieve. I also started training my friend on the machine and his results are even more impressive since he had not worked out in years. 2. The resistance is enough for people that are quite strong/athletic... but you need to AT LEAST get the 310 lb upgrade. I bought the 310 and 410 lb expansion rods along with the blaze and I'm very glad that I did. The only thing I cannot attest to is the leg exercises. Even 410 lb may not be enough for more serious athletes that want to use the Bowflex for squats; I have a severe back injury from a few years ago so I tend to try to keep the weight light & the reps high so I don't injure myself. 3. People point out that the rod resistance is less than free weights - Of course it is... that's the whole point; it's a different exercise. As long as you have enough resistance from the rods to challenge yourself it does not matter. As someone who has used every type of equipment out there, I can tell you I'm happier with the results of the Bowflex than I was with the free weights (it's best for people that want some size but a ton of bulk, and are looking to get cut and VERY strong). I feel like the Bowflex improves your functional/everyday strength much better than free weights (you can get more angles & do a TON of different workouts). 4. About the Blaze vs the PR1000 issue - take my word for it and get the Blaze. I actually bought the PR1000 years ago (I still have it, but don't use it) and bought the Blaze because it had what I was missing. These are a few things that by themselves are enough to warrant spending a little more and getting the better model: - Can upgrade from the starting 210 lbs of resistance (HUGE) - It has a set of pulleys on the floor... I can't tell you how helpful this is. You can do SO many more exercises with these, or they allow you to do PR1000 exercises far more effectively. Let me tell you... there are zero good ways to do shoulder shrugs on the PR1000 (also not nearly enough resistance) - Comes with some nice add-ons (the leg attachment has another set of pads for hamstring exercises, comes with a lat pulldown bar which is absolutely necessary if you are taller/have long arms) - Overall much more solid & superior design/construction... The PR1000 can feel very rickety if you're using the full set of resistance rods; you don't get that feeling with the Blaze. They made so many minor improvements to help with the functionality - i.e. there's a base to stand on under the bench to secure the equipment and keep it from lifting & the resistance starts at earlier points in the rep due to better cable length/management 5. Ab workouts - A legitimate critique is that it does not offer much in the way of ab exercises (unless you invent your own, which is entirely possible and not that difficult to do). The machine only lists a standard abdominal crunch as an option... But to be honest no home gym is going to be very effective at working abs; most machines just aren't good at it. If you want an ab work out, just spend $15-$20 and buy an ab roller wheel with a mat & throw it in between every set... It's far superior to any exercise you'll get on a machine. I don't know why people try to complicate ab workouts so much... 6. It's great for rehabbing injuries or staying in shape with injury concerns - As I mentioned above, I have a severe, lingering back injury that prevents me from really pushing myself with free weights. You do not have that restriction with the Bowflex... It is so low-impact that you can go as hard as you want without much concern. Also, since there are so many different exercises available to do, you can easily replicate a physical therapy regimen on it with low resistance and it will help a great deal with recovery. 7. Price - I got my Blaze for something like $650 though it usually hovers in the $850 - $1000 range... Just be patient and keep checking; Amazon cycles the price and if you wait a bit you can get it at a steal. Hopefully this was helpful to at least some people looking at this!