Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE Review: A Versatile But Weight-Limited Workout
Bowflex
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A solid home gym setup can save you the cost of a gym membership and the time spent driving to the gym, and keep you moving toward your fitness goals. The Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE (2 SE) is a home gym that relies on a power rod resistance system with a design that maximizes the use of space.
In this Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE review, we’ll cover the ins and outs of this complete home gym, along with who will benefit most from the design of the power rod system. We’ll also cover the pros and cons and how the 2 SE differs from other strength training machines. Keep reading to get a better idea of whether or not a power rod resistance and all-in-one machine is right for your home or garage gym.
Key Features:
- Dimensions: 53 inches long x 49 inches wide x 83.25 inches high
- Product weight: 185 pounds
- Maximum resistance: 210 pounds (optional upgrades to 310 or 410 pounds)
- Warranty: Machine is seven years, power rods are five years
The 2 SE has a series of pulleys, cables, carabiners, handle attachments and power rods to provide a full body’s worth of resistance exercises—so you can ditch that bulky set of free weights, kettlebells and medicine balls for a full-body workout on one home gym system. While there’s a bit of a learning curve when using a Bowflex machine, most people find that it provides an effective home workout.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Full-body workout with one machine
- Difficulty increases at the peak of each exercise
- Smooth movement
- Adjustable seat height
Cons
- Lumbar pad doesn’t adjust
- Power rods lose resistance over time
- Small learning curve to change pulley system for each exercise
Specs
Bowflex
A big strength of the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE is its versatility. It’s designed to do over 70 different exercises, covering all of the major muscle groups. However, how effective and easy it is to do each of those exercises varies because of the 2 SE’s cable pulley system. Some exercises, like bench press and lat pulldowns are easy to set up, while others, like squats and calf raises require shifting of cables, pulleys and handles.
The power rod resistance underlies the difference between the 2 SE (and other Bowflex weight machines) and traditional weight machines. Rather than a weight stack or weight plates, the 2 SE uses power rods at different resistance levels, with a 10-pound rod creating roughly the equivalent of 10 pounds of resistance. The rods vary in thickness, with 50-pound rods being the highest resistance. They’re made of a nylon composite material with a rubber coating.
You can then mix and match the rods to get the weight/resistance level you want. The 2 SE comes with 210 pounds of power rods, with the option of upgrading to 310 or 410 pounds. It has a pulley and cable system, so you can knock out exercises for your upper and lower body and everything in between.
The system requires users to move the hooks, carabiners and cables according to the chosen exercise. Slider pulleys let you personalize the position of the pulleys to fit your height and stature, as well. The sliders also let you perform exercises in narrow and wide positions for greater exercise options.
Most people figure out the pulley transitions without too much trouble, and they appreciate that transitions between exercises don’t require lifting free weights or adjusting a barbell. Users with back issues frequently comment on this design perk. One reviewer on the Bowflex website writes, “I suffer from a number of back and neck injuries and this makes it easy to perform safe weight training. The quick switch allows me to keep my heart rate up and shortens my workout time.”
The ease of adjusting the power rods is another convenient feature. The rods aren’t as heavy as you would think—I own an older Bowflex model and can personally attest to this—because they rely on the rod thickness to provide resistance. It’s a matter of bending the rod to attach it to the hook, which is easy even if you’re not particularly strong. The rods also create smooth resistance that increases as you reach the peak of the exercise. You can also get good resistance on the eccentric (return) portion of the exercise by fighting the pull of the rods.
If you’re new to lifting, the 210 pounds the 2 SE comes with is plenty of weight. However, experienced lifters might be able to max out the 2 SE within a fairly short period of time. If you’ve got some weightlifting experience under your belt, I recommend getting the power rod upgrades, which take the max weight to either 310 or 410 pounds.
It takes quite a few attachments and muscle-specific stations to target the major muscle groups. Consequently, the 2 SE comes equipped with:
- A squat bar
- An ab crunch shoulder harness
- Single-function hand grips
- Five-way hand-grip/ankle cuffs
- A leg extension
- A squat station
It also has a built-in lat tower with a lat bar. Optional upgrades that come with an additional fee include the 310-pound and 410-pound power rods, preacher curl, tricep rope and lumbar pad. One thing to note is that the lumbar pad position is not adjustable. That can be a problem for some users, especially if you’re under about 5'8" tall. If you lower the seat so that your feet are flat on the ground, the lumbar pad stays in place, which puts it too high on your back.
In total, the 2 SE weighs 185 pounds and has a 300-pound user weight. It’s available on Amazon and through Bowflex.com. If you buy through a third-party seller like Amazon, check the warranty as it may not be the same as that offered when buying through the Bowflex site. You may also want to consider some kind of gym flooring to protect the floor over time.
Footprint
The 2 SE measures 53 inches long by 49 inches wide by 83.25 inches high, with a required workout area of 96 inches by 78 inches. You need that clearance space for the rods to extend and flex from the machine as you lift. Compared to equipment like power racks and full-size barbells, the 2 SE isn’t too bad in the use of space. It can also save space because you can work the whole body with a single machine instead of a full set of dumbbells, medicine balls or barbells. Just make sure you’ve got the required clearance. If the power rods run into anything, it can limit your range of motion.
Working Out with the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE Home Gym
Bowflex
The 2 SE requires some shifting around of cables, weights and pulleys as you’re working out. It’s not difficult, but learning how to transition everything can take time. Once you’ve got the cables and pulleys set, you attach the power rods to the hook at the end of the cable, get into position and lift. I’ve learned from using a Bowflex myself, though not this machine, that you learn how to group your lifts based on the cable and pulley position to further reduce transition times. And if you’re not sure how to start, the owner’s manual includes 20-minute, bodybuilding, circuit training, cardio, strength training and muscle group-specific workouts to get you started.
The power rods flex as you pull or push, with resistance increasing as you near the peak of the lift. Something you have to learn to do is slowly release on the eccentric portion of the lift moving back to the start position. That creates resistance through the full range of motion rather than releasing the power rod at the peak and missing the benefits of eccentric resistance.
The 2 SE’s four-position lower pulley/squat station is a big plus. It can be hard to target the lower body with a cable machine, but this station, which includes the leg extension, lets you target the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves with the same machine you use to work the core and upper body.
Bowflex specifies in the owner’s manual that the rod resistance degrades over time, which may require replacing rods after a few years. Make sure not to store them attached to the cables to reduce overall wear and tear.
Warranty, Shipping, Assembly and Price
This Bowflex home gym comes with a seven-year warranty on the machine and five-year warranty on the rods. The five-year power rod warranty covers broken rods, not rods that have bent due to use. There’s also a 30-day return window if you’re unhappy with the product. Using the 2 SE in a commercial setting voids the warranty, and damage due to normal wear and tear is not covered under the warranty.
Shipping to the contiguous U.S. costs $149 and $424 to Hawaii and Alaska. That’s added to the price for the 2 SE, which varies depending on the discount or sales run by Bowflex. If you find the 2 SE sold at a lower price at an authorized dealer (not a third-party seller), Bowflex will price match. For that price, you could maybe buy a low to mid-range power rack, barbell and a few weight plates, or fill your home gym with dumbbells, pull-up bars and other home gym equipment that will probably take up more space.
Regarding assembly, one reviewer on the Bowflex website writes, “The installation instructions were generally clear and easy to follow for the main unit as well as the arm and leg accessory attachments.” The general consensus seems to be that assembly is straightforward and easy to follow.
Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE FAQs
What is the difference between Bowflex PR3000 and Xtreme 2 SE?
The PR3000 is a less advanced piece of equipment that’s no longer sold on the Bowflex site. It offers 50+ exercises to the 2 SE’s 70+, and maxes out at 310 pounds, whereas the 2 SE can accommodate 410 pounds of resistance.
Can you build muscle with Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE?
You can definitely build muscle with the 2 SE. Many casual users will build muscle with the provided 210 pounds of resistance, but you can increase the max to 410 pounds to further challenge and build muscle.
Does the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE fold up?
No, the 2 SE does not fold up, though you can detach certain attachments to reduce the footprint slightly.
What year did the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE come out?
The Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE came out in 2008. It was revamped in 2013, so there’s a pre-2013 model and a post-2013 model.
Final Thoughts: Is the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE Worth It?
A Bowflex machine, especially the Xtreme 2 SE, is a good home gym alternative for many people. It’s relatively compact when you consider you can work your full body without needing a full set of kettlebells, resistance bands, a power rack, barbell, weight plates and other free weights. Instead, you’ve got one machine that can work everything using smooth resistance with the power rods.
The 2 SE takes a little practice to learn how to transition the pulleys and cables between exercises, but most people report that the learning curve is shallow, and they can get through their workouts at a decent pace, even transitioning fast enough for a cardio workout. Though it has its limitations, if you want a one-and-done weight machine, definitely put this model on your shortlist.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
