One of the absurdities that many Americans encounter daily is the use of weight-trained bodies to advertise non-weight-bearing exercise devices. I don't understand why people are so afraid of standard or olympic weight equipment that they feel the need to buy complicated resistance gizmos that have far less durability than plates and bars, but they spend untold millions yearly on gizmos.
For example, about six years ago I bought a power rack and bench from New York Barbells, and to the extent that I lift weights with any frequency, I still use that equipment. It's got some dents and scratches as a result of light-to-moderate use over the years, but it still does the job and probably will for decades to come. If I ever get around to having kids, they'll probably use the same rack, bars and plates that I do. (The bench may have a shorter lifespan, because it contains parts that are less durable than iron and steel.) I probably paid $800 for the whole set.
Or consumers can pay $2,799 for the Bowflex Revolution, which creates resistance using things that look like rubber bands.
I'm going to guess that the expected lifespan of a rubber band is less than a 45-pound iron plate, so what is the $2000 premium in owning a Bowflex Revolution? It's clearly not lifespan. I doubt it's ease of use, though buyers may think that the device is easier to use when making their choice. The advantage is certainly not in the results, or by now free weights would be universally regarded as obsolete. It's astonishing to me that people would make such a substantial investment - almost $3000 - on a device that is not demonstrably superior to a much more modest assemblage of free weight gear.
I will say that we all owe thanks to Bowflex for using women like Jelena Abbou and Kristia Knowles for its advertising campaigns. I caught the most recent infomercial the other day while sitting in a sports bar, and Abbou looks utterly stunning. Better still: Abbou is not the only noticeably muscular woman featured. The production values on the spot are extraordinary - it probably cost several million dollars to put together. With that kind of investment, it's likely that Bowflex conducted focus groups to identify the perfect model to market the device, and I'm pleased to see that Abbou's long, strikingly muscular physique was considered the best for the job.
There are photos and video of Jelena Abbou all over the Bowflex Revolution site. I wish there was video to link from here, but YouTube and other sharing sites seem to be empty of official Bowflex content. The absence is so striking that I find myself wondering if Bowflex actively discourages online discussion of its products. I suppose we'll find out.
Its all in the power of "buffed-up" advertising is why they sell and sell. Remember the Soloflex ads from the 80s? Same old story - other then the fact that you now see femuscular women helping to hawk these expensive machines, which usually ends up becoming another clothing rack in someone's home or apartment.
And I agree with you, an individual is still better off with the old school set of free weights and a static bench - both personally and in the pocket book.
CptMatt
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Other Side of Coin
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Registered
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2007-07-08 21:57:40
Y'all must have nice big houses with lots of room or earn enough money to afford a health/weight club.
Unfortunately, I don't.
I purchased one of the Bowflex machines, admittedly used, for the price of about 6 months membership dues at a HC. It sits very nicely in a small room with bookshelves lining the walls and a couch on one side. This is the only room I have with any floor space in, and it is not big enough for a weight bench, bars, weights and other components needed to get the workout I get from the Bowflex.
And in the year I have had it, I have never hung any cloths on it. It gets used almost every day.
Lingster
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My set
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Super Administrator
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2007-07-08 22:22:02
My weight set sits on those 2-ft jigsaw floorpads - three of them deep by four wide. Granted, it needs a foot on either side so the olympic bar doesn't hit the walls, so the total space requirement is 6' x 10'. My apartment has a second bedroom that is about 15' x 12', so I keep it in there along with a twin size bed for visitors.
