The Bowflex Revolution is an innovative design of home gym that uses a new resistance technology that the company has dubbed Spiraflex. The Spiraflex plates duplicate the benefits of the traditional plate-loaded machines you'll find in most commercial gyms and health clubs. Simply adding or removing plates varies resistance, but since the Spiraflex plates are constructed of coiled elastic straps in plastic canisters, they are significantly lighter than a regular weight plates. Also, because the Spiraflex plates contain no metal parts, there is no clanging of heavy plates as you work out. The Bowflex Revolution is whisper-quiet to use, which is ideal if you live in an apartment or condo with thin walls.

Unlike some exercises performed on Bowflex's power rod-based home gyms, we find that the range of motion of the Revolution was uniformly smooth and delivered a constant resistance throughout the exercise. The Revolution succeeds in replicating the feel of a traditional plate machine. It also offers an impressive array of workouts -- more than 100, according to Bowflex's claims. The twin variable Freedom Arms at the rear of the unit pivot 170 degrees for a broad range of upper body exercises. The unit includes a leg press station, a preacher curl attachment and an integrated rowing machine function that allows you to add a cardio workout to your strength training. The 220 pounds of resistance can be upgraded to 300 pounds for a nominal fee, while the leg press station maxes out at an impressive 600 pounds of resistance (with upgrade). Anyone but serious athletes should be able to obtain a complete body workout with this machine.

As impressed as we were by the design and performance of the Bowflex Revolution, it does have some drawbacks. This unit takes up a great deal of space, measuring 9X5 feet. It folds to nearly half that size for storage, but since it weighs 240 pounds, folding and moving the Revolution is a workout in itself. The Revolution is also far too expensive for budget shoppers or those testing the waters of home exercise for the first time. If you have the space and the budget, however, we rate the Bowflex Revolution as a high-quality, highly effective home gym.


Pros: Spiraflex technology replicates commercial-quality plate machines, lightweight plates, huge variety of exercise options, includes leg attachment and preacher curl attachment, folds for storage, whisper-quiet operation
Cons: Bulky, heavy, requires a lot of space, expensive

Warranty
10 years