There is no doubt that the Bowflex Ultimate 2 is sturdy, versatile home gym; it is also, unfortunately, an expensive unit that requires plenty of space. This power rod-based gym is built around a horizontal bench; experienced exercisers will likely appreciate this configuration, since it's more like the adjustable benches that you'd find in health clubs and many other home gyms. Of course, this does make the Ultimate 2 a larger piece of home fitness equipment; you'll need a workout area of 8.33X6.5 feet for this home gym, along with plenty of additional space to store its assorted attachments. The unit does fold up and rolls on wheels for storage, but this is a heavy machine that features a folded footprint that still measures 46X44 inches.

The Ultimate 2 includes a leg attachment, a lat tower and a preacher curl attachment, although like some other Bowflex exercises, we find that the preacher curls have a smaller range of motion than we would like. The integrated squat frame allows for a safe, comfortable squat workout. You can also add an ab crunch attachment as an optional extra. The horizontal bench design also allows this unit to offer a built-in rowing machine feature, so you can add a cardio workout to your strength training. We were particularly impressed by the fact that the Ultimate 2 doesn't require you to change cable changes in order to switch from one exercise to another; you simply adjust the resistance levels and keep exercising. This makes for faster workouts -- maybe not as fast as shifting a pin in a weight stack, but certainly much faster than adjusting free weights.

The Ultimate 2 offers over 95 different exercises, enough to keep your workouts varied and interesting. The maximum resistance level is 310 pounds, though this can be upgraded to 410 pounds for a nominal fee. The Bowflex Ultimate 2 is expensive, but if you have the budget and the floor space to accommodate it, we think that you'll find it to be a highly effective home fitness product.


Pros: Sturdy design; no cable changes to switch from one exercise to another; wide variety of exercise options; includes leg attachment, lat tower, preacher curl attachment; folds for storage
Cons: Bulky, heavy, expensive

Warranty
Lifetime, rods; 12 years, machine