Bowflex PR1000 Review Compact Home Gym Updated 2021

Affordable Home Gym

Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym Review

• Horizontal, Incline, and Decline Bench Presses
• Should Press and Raise
• Seated Lat and Rear Delt Rows
• Scapular Retraction
• Narrow, Stiff-Arm, and Reverse Grip Pulldowns
• Low Back Extension
• Triceps Pushdown and Extension
• Biceps and Wrist Curls
• Ab Crunch and Trunk Rotation
• Leg Extension, Kickback, and Press
• Calf Raise
• Hip Abduction

Benefits of the Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym

Most people don’t have time to drive to the gym, work out and drive back, especially with work and family. That’s a big reason home gyms caught on.

With the PR1000 at home there’s no waiting for a machine. You change clothes, walk over and start.

The PR1000 has been one of Bowflex’s best sellers since it came out in 2008, and it’s the least expensive home gym they make.

And with the built-in rowing machine, you can not only build upper body strength, but also burn calories. With 25+ exercises, you can circuit train every day of the week and never get bored. Exercises include:

Owners like that the PR1000 is easy to put together and gives them a lot of exercises, which is why it’s popular with families and casual lifters.

Why a Home Gym Instead of Free Weights?

If you’re frustrated with gym memberships, maybe you’ve tried to exercise at home. Running is a great way to get your cardio workout, but if you live in an area with a four-season climate, you’ve discovered that running is simply no fun during the winter months.

Free weights add up fast once you price out dumbbells, plates and a bench. A home gym like this covers a lot of that in one machine.

What about home gym machines?

A lot of all-in-one machines are built cheap and end up in the corner of the basement. The PR1000 is built well enough to keep using, and it gives you strength work plus rowing for some cardio.

Power Rods Instead of Weight Plates

Bowflex exercise machines use flexible polymer rods to create resistance. In combination with the appropriate hand grips, ankle cuffs, and rollers, these “Power Rods” can be used for a full complement of upper-body and lower-body strength training exercises.

Power Rods are compact and lightweight, which means that you don’t need to lug around hundreds of pounds of steel plates just to get ready for your next set! The brainy guys at Bowflex say that Power Rods deliver resistance without inertia, so you can exercise without straining your joints. As an added bonus, inertia-less resistance also makes it impossible to “cheat” your way through exercises.

Comments about the Bowflex PR1000

Many reviewers purchased the Bowflex PR1000 home gym as part of an overall fitness plan, and found that daily exercise for a few weeks produced visible improvements in body appearance. Reviewers frequently mentioned features such as:

• Upholstered roller cushions for leg exercises
• Workout placard you can hang on the wall
• Sliding seat rail for aerobic rowing
• Small footprint (84″D x 38″W x 82″H)
• Folding bench for storage

Experts agree that the PR1000 is a great entry-level exercise machine. Paul Rogers of About.com picked the PR1000 for his home gym category, and this Bowflex home gym is also popular with fitness gurus such as Nick Sharp at WxFitness.com and Wes McDermott at TheHomeGymCritic.com.

Is the PR1000 Power Rod Resistance right for you?

It isn’t for everyone. The main limit is resistance: the Power Rods top out at just over 200 lb. Most owners never get near that.

If you’re a serious lifter or bodybuilder, you’ll want a machine with more resistance, like the Bowflex Xceed.

The second common criticism is that the PR1000 does not include an instructional DVD to help you learn how to set up your exercise routine. Many reviewers felt that a video would be the easiest way to get their feet wet, especially since Bowflex-style Power Rod workouts feel a little different from traditional workouts with free weights. Some customers found instructional materials on Youtube to be helpful, while others felt that the PR1000’s manual was sufficient preparation.

Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym Review Conclusion

Bowflex products are available from a number of online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores. You can even buy a Bowflex machine directly from the manufacturer, in which case you may be eligible for special financing with a Nautilus credit card. It’s just like buying a new washing machine: you won’t be charged any interest if you pay off your bill within 18 months.

It’s heavy, so shipping costs can vary a lot depending on where you buy it. Add shipping in when you compare prices.

The PR1000 is a solid all-in-one home gym for the money.

It’s the cheapest Bowflex home gym. For more resistance and features, look at the Bowflex Xceed. If you’re not sure a home gym is right for you, the Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbells give you hundreds of exercises in a small space.