Re: bowflex

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 12:53:53 GMT, "David" <[email hidden]>

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<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

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On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 09:59:25 GMT, "David" <[email hidden]>

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<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 00:00:12 GMT, "David" <[email hidden]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> ><[email hidden]> wrote in message
> >news:[email hidden]...
> >> On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 12:42:13 -0800, "Larry Hodges"
> >> <[email hidden]> wrote:
> >>
> >> >joggernut wrote:
> >> >> any bowflex users out there? if so i would like to start a
newsgroup
> >> >> to exchange info. i use one about 6 mos out of the year at a

second

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> >> >> home where there is no gym. it does a good job for me in that
> >> >> situation.
> >> >
> >> >Not really any Blowflex users here bud. For the money you spent on
that
> >> >piece of [censored], you could've had a nice weight room with the real
stuff.
> >> >But, it's guys like you that fuel the economy. Carry on.
> >>
> >> I've never seen a Bowflex except on infomercials. Like other folks
> >> here, I primarily use free weights for strength training.
> >>
> >> Do you think elastic resistance training or progressive variable
> >> resistance using resistive bands or tubing is also a waste of time?
> >> (I'm talking about using cables, bands or tubing by themselves as
> >> opposed to attaching these things to BBs.)
> >>
> >> I use Lifeline's Power Pushup 2 and might buy IronMind's Fabled
> >> Cables. I also use band and tubing exercises from Strength Band
> >> Training by Page and Todd on days when I don't go to the gym.
> >>
> >>
>

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http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showexcerpt.cfm?isbn=0736054936&exce

r

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pt_id=3705
> >> (Anyone interested in strength band training should read the

excerpts

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> >> on this page.)
> >>
> >> I don't know what the differences/similarities are between Bowflex's
> >> "power rods" and resistive tubing/bands, but I do know that
> >> bands/tubing alone can give you quite a workout. Again, I use these
> >> in addition to free weights not as a substitute for them.
> >>
> >> I wonder whether people here object to the Bowflex (and similar
> >> products) only on the basis of cost, design/construction-related
> >> factors, susceptibility to infomercials, and/or aversion to free
> >> weights. Leaving all these issues aside, is there something
> >> intrinsically wrong about Bowflex's "power rod" technology and
> >> the strength training principles associated with this technology?
> >>
> >Bowflex has limitations because it is one machine designed to do 20 or

so

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> >exercises. It is hard enough to get a dedicated machine that does one
> >exercise only to give you the right bio mechanics - so how are you

going

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to
> >get a machine that has the adjustments, pivot points etc to do a

number

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of
> >exercises well?
> >Also the bands or rods give a wierd resistance arc - main problem

other

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than
> >the resistance and the biomechanics is that you can't increment

properly

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and
> >the weight is very imprescise. So you can't say "I am benching 200

lbs"

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plus
> >accurate incrementation is impossible i.e. there is no way to hadd say

3

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lbs
> >or 5 lbs etc. - which means it is very hard to set goals
> >hth
>
> I look forward to reading how Lee might improve the
> design/construction of a Bowflex-type machine.
>
> I agree it's difficult to increment properly and identify the
> resistance with resistive bands Still, it's not hard to set goals. If
> I want precise numbers, I'll go with free weights. (Even then some
> might say that any numbers are open to question unless done at a
> meet.)
>
> I'm basically interested in knowing how valuable it is to do strength
> training and/or sports-specific training with bands (ERT/progressive
> variable resistance) in addition to free weights.
>
You have other options than Bowflex or machines using rods or bands -

this

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type of resistance doesn't work well as I said - if you are after a

machine

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as such, there are machines that use weight plates i.e. pin loaded home

gyms

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(using weight stacks) that are quite good.

I'm not looking for machines that use power rods or resistive cords.

I own and use several cable products from Lifeline-USA, including the
Power Pushup 2
http://www.lifelineusa.com/products.cfm?categoryid=4&productid=12
I also use resistive bands to do exercises from the book Strength Band
Training. I use these products on days when I don't go to the gym.

Although I'm somewhat curious as to how Lee might improve a
Bowflex-type machine,

For serious weight training/bodybuilding the Bowflex will not work no
matter how it's improved. I emphasize 'serious'

my fundamental question has nothing to do with

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machines. I want to know whether using free weights one day and
resistive tubing/bands the next might be valuable with respect to
strength and sports-specific training.

will not be valuable with respect to strength - if anything that will be
detrimental to strength training.
Sports specific is another matter - if the poundages were low enough I don't
think it matters much what you do on your 'off' day

(I know that people attach

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JumpStretch bands to BBs, but my question is different. I'm talking
about using resistive tubing/bands by themselves.)

In summary bands are a poor choice for resistance training - if it is all
you have and you have no other options they would be better than nothing

For anyone who is interested, here is Christian Thibaudeau's take on
band training with and without free weights:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=BA5C850495F3CEE81D7B4CE284507FE0.titan?id=532052
or
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F25B1626A