Looking to Start HST - Home Gym

G

GulfstreamIVCaptain

New Member
Guys,

I realize that the piece of exercise equipment I own is almost universally hated in the fitness world, but my employer actually gave me one for free, and working out at home is the best option for me.... So, how would I tailor an HST workout to a Bowflex Ultimate 2? I've been working out for about 2 months now, and would like to try this method. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Please no flames on the Bowflex. In time I may add to the home gym with some free weights, but want to give this machine a chance first...

Cheers,
 
I'd guess the Bowflex you have has some sort of chest pressing, back rowing, shoulder pressing, and squatting motions built in, so just use those. You could also do some chinups on something besides the bowflex. As long as the bowflex has enough resistance for you, why wouldn't it be fine for body recomposition purposes?
 
I have used a Bowflex Xtreme (for 2 years) for 7 out of 12 exercises in my last HST cycle (SD now).  First, realize that the resistance produced by most of the rods is not up to the resistance marked; I found by measuring with a digital electronic scale that only the 50's produce 50 pounds, and that was only when pegged.  Unless you have very long arms, that won't happen in many exercises.  So, you can't easily compare what you do with it to a similar exercise using free weights.

I gave up trying to do ab crunches on it; it either leaves red marks when looped around my shoulders at high enough resistance or becomes uncomfortable with elbows completely bent (like a pull-up position), especially after any arm exercise.  Your machine has an optional attachment available for abs.

If you have the standard 310 rods, not the 410, you may find a need for an upgrade soon.  I am only 5'8" 149 lbs, but had to upgrade to 410 eight months ago.

I am glad I have it since I don't think I would have started training any other way.
 
Without further adue.

You can only perfrom HST if you have increasing resistance levels, and I suppose it will work for a while but afterwars you will need free weights.
 
Yeah, like Fausto said, it will work for a while, but I would keep an eye out for weights if I were you. You can usually find someone selling a bench with weights or at least a set of weights in the classifieds for cheap, if money is an issue. Or check ebay.
I go to the local MC Sports store occasionally to see if they have any deals. Usually if they have a piece of equipment that is the last model they have, and it's the floor model, they will cut the price in half or better.
You can sometimes get old stuff from gyms too.

Either way, use the bowflex for now, but start trying to amass the equipment to switch over to free weights later. And if you do switch to weights later, you could still use your bowflex for some exercises. It's not totally useless... the problem is just that you'll just grow beyond it's capabilities soon for most of the compound exercises.
 
If you don't have anything else right now, stick to body weight exercises, they do their job to an extent!

The variety is endless, I remember some time ago doing push ups something like this: 50/40/30/20/10, the rest time was as I felt (as little as possible in order to be able to handle the next set).
 
Oh, get a barbell, and a ton of weights. That would be first priority, because you can do DL, OHP, rows, curls, hack squats, shrugs, and if you have a bench (or something that can substitute as one) you can do bench, skull crushers, and pullovers. I may have forgotten something, but a barbell and some weights can do a body good, for relatively cheap.

After you get that, or just along with it if you have the cash, get a squat rack. Then you can do squats, you can OHP easier, you can do partial DLs, benching is safer, shrugs are easier, etc etc.

Also, if your squat rack doesn't have one, find somewhere to do chins.

If you've got that stuff, you have everything you could possible need!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top