I’m sure at one point or another you’ve seen an ad on tv for Bowflex. Hard to miss given the amount of ads they run. They’ve got several versions but basically the theme is that the only way to get a “Bowflex” body like the fitness models in the commercial is if you are using a real Bowflex piece of equipment. If you are planning on running out and dropping $1500 on one, please do not believe the hype.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should not buy a Bowflex if that is what you really want. They do make good equipment. I even have a Bowflex Extreme 2 here in my studio. But, like every other piece of equipment in my studio, the Bowflex is simply a tool used to accomplish a goal. I’ve got other tools as well, including barbells, dumbbells, stability balls, benches, medicine balls, resistance tubing, and even sandbags. None of them are magic, they are all different tools, each with its own place and use. If a Bowflex is the right tool to accomplish your goals, then get one. If.
Any fitness equipment manufacturer, not just Bowflex, though that tells you that you can only get certain results if you use their equipment is lying to you. Whether you are using a Bowflex, free weights, or sandbags, you are working muscles against resistance. Working muscles against resistance is what gets results, and the machine, weights, or sandbags are simply tools used to accomplish the work.
Not to pick on Bowflex more, but the ads for their adjustable dumbbells are even worse. They’d have you believe that you’ll get better results using their dumbbells than some other dumbbell. Trust me, if you are doing curls, your bicep has no idea what brand of dumbbell you are holding, and doesn’t care.
The people at Bowflex are great marketers and they sell tons of home exercise equipment. Unfortunately, people who buy home gym equipment usually fall into two camps: those who just went out and spent a lot of money on equipment; and those who went out a while ago and spent a lot of money on equipment and now it collects dust. Eventually, most people from camp 1 will move to camp 2.
Why is that? Because people who run out and spend lots of money on home gym machines do so because they bought into the hype in the manufacturer’s marketing. Then, when they find out that the machine really isn’t magic and they don’t look like the genetically gifted professional beach volleyball player on the commercial, they stop using the machine and hide it in the basement so they don’t have to tell people how much they spent on it. They either bought the wrong tool for their goal (bought a hammer to cut wood), or do not know how to use the tool properly (holding the wrong end of the hammer and trying to pound in a nail).
The bottom line is you should not run out and buy expensive equipment based on the manufacturer’s marketing. The first thing you should do is decide what your goal is (lose fat, gain muscle, run faster, etc). Then, you need a plan to effectively achieve that goal (properly designed training program, with supportive nutrition). Only then can you determine what the proper tools will be to get you there.
Dave Soucy is an entrepreneur, coach, trainer, motivator, husband, dad, and former fat guy. Learn more about him here.
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