Home Gym Equipment

Reviews

Like many other reviewers, I looked at many pieces of equipment, including the Bowflex, before buying the Bio Flex 1.7 from Amazon. I hesitated for many days before biting the bullet and buying it. The price was unbeatable, and with the free shipping, it was really a no-brainer!! I received it in 6 days (that was with the FREE budget shipping, no less!) Even though we were intimidated at the thought of putting this piece of equipment together, I had faith in the many reviews that stated the assembly instructions were well written and the pieces well organized. Luckily, this WAS the case!! My boyfriend put it together with NO problem!! Took about an hour to unload everything from the boxes, and 1-2 hours to (pretty effortlessly) put it together. And yes, ALL tools necessary to assemble the Bio Force were INCLUDED! We've been using it for about a week now, and so far, we LOVE it!! The movement is SOOO smooth, and changing resistance is a SNAP! The book details 100+ exercises (yes, some of them are 'variations' on others, but PEOPLE... if you get 'bored' with this machine, there's a problem!!), and gives an explanation of how to perform each exercise, along with a mini diagram of the pulley placement for each exercise, as well. My two complaints: 1. As at least one other reviewer noted, the instructional DVD isn't set up in a very organized manner. Though it does show the exercises grouped by muscle group... arms, legs, etc... it jumps around. First exercise, the seat comes off. Next, put the seat back on. Third, seat comes back off again, etc. It would have been better had they grouped the exercises so you were instructed on all the exercises with the seat on first, then all excercises with the seat off, etc. This is only an issue because of my second complaint: 2. While the seat goes off and on very easily, the pin that secures it in place is almost IMPOSSIBLE to push in completely. It's VERY aggravating to be switching exercises, and have to exert lots of time and energy (compounded with aggravation) trying to get that pin in securely!! The machine is designed SO well, I'm pretty baffled as to why they couldn't find an easier way to secure the seat on to the machine. Our resolution: Instead of the 'pin', we push a screwdriver through. Easier to do because you have the handle to help ease it through from one end to the other. (This may sound confusing, but will definitely make sense if you HAVE the machine, or get it and see for yourself). This is the ONLY thing preventing me from giving it 5 stars. One other small 'aggravation', hardly worth mentioning, but I will! :-) The print and pictures in the book is very small and hard to read. I decided it was worth the time to photocopy the pages with the exercises, enlarging them. There are three exercises on each page, and now I have them on 11 x 17 sheets of paper, very large so I can see them easily without my reading glasses!! I plan to spend some time going through the many exercises and organizing a few different 'routines' for myself, so I have some variety. I am NOT an exercise 'junkie', just a 45 year old mom trying to stay in shape. I do walk on the treadmill almost daily, and now, having this machine will allow me to build my strength. An added bonus for me... I'll be able to stretch out my shoulder and arm muscles, which is going to be great, as I broke my humerus (upper arm) many years ago, and have had shoulder/arm motion and strength issues ever since. I know the strength training will be the perfect compliment to my daily cardio. I love being able to exercise when I want, without having to take the time to drive somewhere!! I can plop in front of the TV and do my thing!! HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended!! Don't hesitate, go ahead and get the Bio Force 1.7. It's awesome!

The Bio Force home gym is amazing. I have always wanted a home gym and I spent a month researching all of the different kinds. Ive had mine for a couple weeks now and I couldnt be any happier with my purchase of the Bio Force. The resistance is smooth through the entire range of motion. It is easy to change exercises and pounds of resistance. It is not too big. It is very sturdy, well packaged, and easy to put together. The assembly instructions were very good in explaining what to do and the pictures were very good as well. It took me about 2 hours to put it together, but I was able to do completely by myself. Ive made many online purchases , but this is the first review I have ever left - I like it that much. Some people might think that 170 pounds of resistance is too little, but it is definetely more than enough. They say there is over 100 exercises, but that is because they count the same excersise twice (example - bench press is one excercise and one arm bench press counts as one too... pretty much every excerise is counted as two because they count one hand or one leg as a seperate exercise than two hands or legs). That doesnt matter to me though because there is still a lot of exercises you can do and some more that arent even on their list. If you want a home gym, this is the gym for you... They sale them at sports authority if you want to try it out, but they cost more than they do on Amazon. I would say to go test it at sports authority and then buy it here with free shipping.

This was a great purchase. Although the resistance is rated to 170 pounds, we have yet to use 1/3 of it. The motion is very smooth and encourages you to work out more. The only con I have is the workouts shown in the manual. If you follow them in the sequence listed, you will be changing pulley locations a lot. With a little forethought, the exercises can be grouped into common pulley positions. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get into or back into shape.

My 18 year old son and I (a 50 year old woman) have been using the Bio Force 1.7 for a couple of weeks and we're both very happy with the workouts we're getting. The instructions for the exercises, which includes photographs of the exercises, are very easy to understand and follow. There are a good variety of exercises that allow you to pick the exercises most comfortable for you for each area you want to work on. My only complaint is that at 5'2" some of the standing exercises where you hang onto the back rest don't work well because you can't get enough of an extension. I was either able to use a chair instead of the back rest or found other exercises working the same muscles to compensate for this limitation. My son put the gym together by himself in 2 hours. It took about half an hour for the 2 of us to unpack the boxes. There was some confusion during the delivery because the delivery company insisted they were delivering one box. Turned out they latched the two boxes together and counted them as one.

Like many people, I was looking for a piece of home gym equipment to get back in shape, after a few years letting myself go. I am not a novice weight lifter by any means. I have, at various times, used free weights, nautilus machines and other types of home gyms. I have to say that the biorforce is an excellent piece of equipment and for the most part suits my needs. However, there are a few minor things that keep it from being perfect. First of all, as others have said, I love the smoothness of the resistance. It really is fairly close to a gym machine. You get smooth resistance through the whole exercise unlike bands or rods which tend to have higher resistance at the end of the exercise. Changeovers to different exercises are quick and easy. I can normally make it through 4 different exercises with 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps of each exercise in around a half hour. It also has plenty of resistance. I am around 200 lbs (looking to settle around 170) and most exercises I do in the 30-50lb range on each side. It is also very convenient having it in my house without having to actually go to the gym. As far as construction goes, the machine is very solid and made of quality parts. I will say, don't expect it to get assembled quickly. It took me around four hours to get it completely assembled and another hour to clean up all the packaging left over. It has LOTS of parts, but all the tools needed come in the box, so it is more an exercise in patience and following directions. I did have a few things about the machine that kept it from being perfect. Some exercises are either hard to do or not able to be done on this machine. While the brochure boasts over 100 exercises, most exercises show multiple variations of the same thing, meaning its not truly that many exercises. It is enough for me and most people, just some of the exercises I like are difficult or absent. Another problem I have had is with the leg attachment. I have yet to be able to get it hooked up properly. I am honestly not sure if that is user error, but it does take away from the overall score. Overall, I would say I am very satisfied with my purchse. I am back to lifting 3-4 days a week, I have already started to tone up and lose some weight. This machine allows me to get a workout in while watching TV, in my own living room, without the inconvenience and expense of a gym. It has plenty of exercises and resistance for the average user, and I don't expect it to wear out any time soon. I would buy this again in a heartbeat and consider it the best home gym option out there.