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136 of 138 found the following review helpful:
 Bowflex PR3000 Does Everything I Need Jan 12, 2009
By Patti Cake
"basschick"
Brief story - months ago, I was in the market for a home gym that uses free weights, but I happened to try out the PR3000 at Sports Authority, and I really liked it. We bought another unit, but it didn't turn out to be exactly what we needed, and eventually I found myself remembering the PR3000 fondly.
When we finally decided to go with a Bowflex for a couple reasons - less weight on our floor and not having to move weights around our apartment. I thought I'd go for one of the long ones that let you do rowing and - I thought - leg curls. But after I tried the units with rowing, I didn't actually care for the slightly loose feeling in the seat when it was locked in place, and I also discovered that some Blowflex don't do leg curls and others have a complicated way of doing them.
So I went back and tried out the PR3000 again - and it was as much fun to use as I remembered it, plus it has a no-cable-changes design that made switching exercises easier. So I tried a workaround someone reviewing a different Bowflex on Amazon recommended for another unit, which was basically do the leg curls while standing and facing the unit. I tried that on the PR3000 at the store and it worked fine for me, so I finally got it and I love using it.
The pluses:
* It doesn't take much floor space
* I don't have to move heavy weights around during my workout
* It's very quiet
* No cable changes keeps workouts moving along
* Motion is smooth (smoother than the Weider Platinum)
* Very good assembly directions
* A lot of things adjust for different sized people
* Top pulleys are on hook-and-eyes so that they swivel
* Can be upgraded to 310 pounds
* Very well-made, more attention to detail than other equipment we've had
The minuses:
* Doesn't come with a lat bar, although you can do pulldowns with the hand grips
* The manual isn't as detailed as other Bowflex units, although still better than most other home gyms.
* Very short warranty on smaller parts. I got an extended warranty.
* Bows resistance isn't the weight specified (I measured and it's lighter) but there was still more than enough resistance to give me a burn. Larger men and very fit people should probably get the 310 lb upgrade pretty quickly.
72 of 73 found the following review helpful:
Nice for the Price May 07, 2009
By Michael LaBossiere
Like most people, I had seen the Bowflex commercials on TV and was skeptical of just how such a machine would produce the gods and goddesses shown in the ads. However, the idea of an all-in-one resistance machine was appealing and I often considered buying one. I finally took the plunge after undergoing quadriceps tendon repair surgery. Since my usual exercise was out of the question (running and martial arts) I decided to give the Bowflex a try. After all, I don't want to become psychotic and fat while I'm recovering. :) While I cannot do the leg exercises yet, my experience has been positive.
Pros: On the plus side, the machine provides a wide range of exercises that enable you to work almost all of the muscle groups. It was easy to assemble and comes with fairly clear directions. It also includes a basic workout book, although you will probably want to supplement this with additional information about working out. Properly assembled, the machine seems very solid and as long as you maintain it, it should provide a safe workout.
As you can see from the pictures, it has three sets of handles: one high, one middle and one low. This allows you to get a wide range of workouts and replicate most traditional free weight training moves. It also has the attachment for doing leg lifts. The seat can be easily removed to allow you to safely do standing exercises.
A major plus for this machine is that the power rods connect to all the handles. In other words, you do not need to constantly switch cable connections for your workout. Some lower end models lack this feature, which would be a bit annoying.
Cons: While the machine allows you to do a large range of exercises, it does have clear limits. For example, you can only do leg lifts with the leg exercise attachment (although you can do leg exercises using the handles). Also, it suffers the inherent limitations of a rod based machine relative to free weights. For example, the weight on the resistance rods seem rather optimistic (I suspect the weight is based on the resistance offered at maximum bend). To compare the machine with free weights, I did curls with the 50 pound rod and with a 35 pound free weight. The free weight provided far more resistance (in the form of weight). This is because the weight always weighs 35 pounds and the rod's resistance increases as it is pulled.
You will also want to spring for the 100 pound upgrade-this consists of two 50 rods. I think the rods should have been included, but I suppose that some people would be fine with the stock rods.
I'd suggest getting them when you get the machine, otherwise you'll have to take the "rod box" off the machine so as to put in the rods. Mine didn't come with instructions (just two rods and two screws in a cardboard box), but this is what I did: carefully lean the machine to one side, preferably with someone trustworthy holding it (make sure that they are not the beneficiary of your life insurance). Unscrew the three screws holding the box in place. Remove the box and take out the plugs (two of them, just ahead of the installed 50 rods). Insert the rods and screw the included screws into the rods (at the bottom). Put the rod box back in place and then screw the screws back in. Carefully test the rods to make sure they are secure, and then you are ready to go.
66 of 70 found the following review helpful:
 Nice gym but if breaks, the guarantee is not good Jan 25, 2010
By Carole
"Carole"
After using this Bowflex gym for a few months on a regular basis, the 30 lb rod snapped/shattered. And this was done by a woman who is a senior. I've attempted to have it replaced but with NO luck. I called Bowflex as well as emailed in the receipt twice with a message...all to no avail. The gym is now collecting dust. Based on their inability to back up their guarantee, I don't recommend this gym.
38 of 39 found the following review helpful:
 BOWFLEX PR3000 Feb 01, 2009
By C. Maples
"Claystang"
I bought this item last week from a local store for $847.00. It has been nothing but, wonderful. I will definetly need to upgrade to 310lbs later but, for now it is just great.
PROS- Easy to put together, a perfect machine for me even at 6'3" tall. Felt a little awkward at first doing kickbacks but, got used to it quickly.
CON - It states it has over 50 plus exercises but only lists 27 in the book. I called Bowflex and they told me to go to their site and look up the exercise manual for the Extreme 2. I did and it shows ALOT more exercises because both machines are very similar except for the lat pulldown bar on the Extreme 2.
Everything else is perfect. I will definetly be using this machine for a long time. The fact that the weight is upgradeable to 310lbs and the no pulley change system are huge differences in the workout saving valuable amounts of time to focus on lifting.
21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
well engineered May 23, 2009
By Richard Klamann
You always hear how Bowflex machines are overpriced because of all of their expensive marketing. Perhaps, but the added sales volume does offset their fixed engineering costs, and this machine (PR3000) is one very-well engineered machine. It comes in one box, with all the pieces well cushioned in their allocated cubbyholes. 2 of us built it in 3 hours -- again due to good product engineering. The finished product looks like it will last forever; certainly nothing cheap about the structural steel, cables, etc. My end cost (with shipping) was $899; I don't see how Nautilus/Amazon makes money on this.
I'm not a gym guy, so can't comment on the effectiveness of this kind of machine for strength training. I am 6'6", and for many exercises I can barely fit the machine and get adequate cable travel. But I do fit, and after a month I am discernibly fitter.
I wouldn't waste money for a mat; my tile floor shows no wear at all (rubber feet keep the metal off the floor) and it is nice to be able to yank the machine around for fine-tuning its placement.
Cons: The manual has many silly mistakes, a very limited pallet of exercises, and is not much help for designing a workout plan. The bows themselves stay somewhat bent after exercises, giving the impression that they will lose their effectiveness or break over time (no doubt that the reason Nautilus gives 7 years on this particular part is to reassure the end user). The resistance number on the bows are not only larger than free-weight equivalents, but not even self-consistent -- each side has a 50 lbs rod that has more resistance than the sum of all the other rods on that side, nominally 55 lbs.
But all of the above quibbles are just that, quibbles. The machine is beautiful, takes little room (but you'll want plenty around it for leg exercises), and has motivated me to exercise regularly. For the price, a real steel.
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