Best Home Gym Reviews and Tips for Your Home Gym
As someone who’s a huge believer in doing bodyweight exercises, I have to say that the Bowflex BodyTower is a better-than-average bodyweight station, with a durable and stable frame, along with all the accessories you’d expect in this price range.
This bodyweight trainer is really affordable and versatile; built to a much more rugged standard than cheaper models like the Weider Power Tower, and may well be right on par with the BodyCraft T3 Life Tree that I reviewed recently (in terms of build quality, not features), which is near double the price of the BodyTower.
Specifications:
- Footprint: 50” W x 50” D x 77” H
- Weighs 120 pounds.
- Commercial-grade steel frame.
- Maximum weight limit is 300 pounds.
- Ez-Adjust Horizontal bars.
Included With Each Purchase:
- Workout placard mounted on the tower.
- Sling straps.
- Rubber handgrips.
- Comfortable cushioned backrest.
- 5-year warranty on frame.
- 1-year warranty on wear items (backrest, handle grips, slings).
Key Movements Offered on the Bowflex BodyTower:
- Pullups
- Bodyweight Rows
- Dips
- Planks
- Pushups
- Kneeups
- Leg Raises
- Hanging Oblique Twists
- Crunches
- Squats
Features: The Good & Bad
- EZ-Adjust Arms (Good): One really awesome feature on the BodyTower is the EZ-Adjust Horizontal Arms. There are 3 upper level adjustments for the dip station. And 4 lower (below hip height) positions that you can use for planks, feet-on-the-floor reverse dips, and a variety of pushup positions. The adjustment method is as easy as moving the arms from one slot to another.
- Heavy Duty Frame (Good): One gripe I have with the BodyTower is that the specs aren’t terribly forthcoming about the steel (gauge, size) used to construct the frame. However, the BodyTower weighs 120 pounds and doesn’t have many accessories to make it heavier. All-in-all: the frame looks rugged and the weight of the BodyTower would lead me to believe it’s much stronger than the Weider Power Tower or Xmark XM Power Tower, both of which weigh less than 90 pounds.
- Exercise Variety (Good): The Bowflex BodyTower doesn’t offer near the variety that the pricier BodyCraft T3 Life Tree, however you can easily do 18 solid movements safely on this equipment, including the 10 that I listed for you earlier.
- Height (Bad): Why oh why did you make the BodyTower so short Bowflex? At 77” in height, most people of average height or higher can grab the pullup bar without leaving the ground. Most other bodyweight stations in this price range (and most below it) are at least 83” in height. This isn’t a deal-breaker for everyone, but I’d personally rather have the extra 6 – 8” in height that other manufacturers offer. To make good of a bad situation: the shorter height should make the BodyTower perhaps more stable than other bodyweight workout stations with a 300 pound or less weight capacity, and accommodate rooms with shorter ceilings too.
- Free Standing Unit (Neutral): There are no holes for bolting the BodyTower to the floor. This, along with the low height makes it hard to do aggressive movements like kips and bodyups safely. I’ve listed this as neutral because you can move it around easier to, which might fall in your plus-column as far as features go.
Conclusion:
The Bowflex BodyTower isn’t the best out there, simply due to the 300-pound weight limit, but you’ll have to spend over $250 more to get something sturdier with a “true” 400-pound capacity.
For most of us, this limitation doesn’t create an issue: a 200-pound man could strap 100 pounds on and comfortably do weighted dips or pullups on the Bowflex BodyTower with no issues.
I’d highly recommend this entry-level body station from Bowflex if you’re serious about quality and weigh less than 300 pounds – it’s a no-brainer in terms of build quality and the unique EZ-Adjust Arms.
