Bowflex dumbbells review

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This article explores the Bowflex brand and its reputation. It also describes how these dumbbells work and the health benefits and risks generally associated with dumbbell use.

Bowflex sells many types of fitness training equipment, including bikes, treadmills, and weights.

The company has been trading since 1986, and its initial aim was to create home gym equipment, as opposed to the equipment found in a commercial gym.

Its headquarters are in Washington state, and it has distributors worldwide.

Its reputation

As of April 2021, Bowflex has an average customer rating of 2.2 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 12 customer reviews.

One review awarded the company 4 stars and mentioned satisfaction with the products and improvements in quality over time. Less favorable reviews noted poor overall product quality and customer service.

Please note: The Trustpilot review statistics are correct at the time of publishing this article.

A person adjusts the weight of Bowflex dumbbells by turning a dial. Beyond the ease of use, adjustable dumbbells may be popular because they require less storage space than a standard set of weights.

A person can use these weights to work the legs, back, chest, abs, shoulders, and arms.

Each of the three models of Bowflex dumbbells is compatible with the Bowflex SelectTech smartphone app. This allows a person to track their workouts, including their use of weight and how many repetitions and sets they are doing.

The app also includes 70 coaching videos and workouts. Some examples include:

• The 6-week challenge: Bowflex says that this is a total-body program, complete with tracking, motivational coaching, and education.
• Single workouts: A person selects a targeted area, such as their arms, legs, back, core, or chest, and the app shows appropriate exercises.
• Just lift: This is only available for the 560 dumbbell model, and it helps a person customize a workout program while tracking every move.

As the American Council on Exercise notes, some of the many benefits of using dumbbells include:

• activating different muscle groups
• increased flexibility in muscle tissue
• the ability to do a variety of exercises with a single piece of equipment
• the ability to focus on one arm or leg at a time

Other benefits of dumbbells might include:

• their relative cost-effectiveness, compared with other exercise equipment
• their relative compactness and easy storage
• the additional ease and convenience of adjustable dumbbells

One 2016 study suggests that exercising with dumbbells might significantly reduce waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, and skeletal muscle percentage. This is only a benefit, however, if changing these aspects of body composition is a goal and recommended by a healthcare professional.

Like any home exercise equipment, dumbbells can cause injury if a person drops or misuses them.

To avoid this, be sure that a Bowflex adjustable dumbbell is securely on its stand or the floor before turning the dial to change the weight.

The American College of Sports Medicine provides the following more general tips for preventing injury:

• Start with the least amount of weight and increase it slowly.
• To maintain balance, do not hold dumbbells too far in front or behind the body.
• Do not hold dumbbells while walking or doing other activities.
• Warm up before exercising, including when lifting weights.
• Exhale through the mouth when lifting a weight.

Still, a 2017 systematic review observed that weight training sports tended to have lower injury rates than team sports.

There are three models of Bowflex adjustable dumbbells. Below, we look at one, as an example.

Bowflex SelectTech 522

Bowflex says that this single adjustable model replaces 15 sets of weights. The minimum amount of weight for this model is 5 pounds (lb), and the maximum is 52.5 lb.

In addition to a weight selection dial, this model has premium grips and durable molding around the metal plates to muffle noise when the weights are set down, the company says.

These dumbbells are compatible with the Bowflex SelectTech app.

Shipping and warranty

Bowflex provides free shipping for the SelectTech 552 model. However, the company’s website says, these dumbbells may take 4 months to ship due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about the latest coronavirus developments and research here.

The product comes with a standard 2-year warranty, but a 3- or 5-year protection plan is available for an additional cost.

Environmental impact

Adjustable dumbbells are typically more eco-friendly than individual weights because fewer materials are used.

However, at the time of publishing this article, Nautilus, the company that owns Bowflex, has a 20 out of 100 rating from CSRHub, an agency that measures environmental, social, and governance performance.

In the U.S., Bowflex sells three types of dumbbells, all of which are adjustable. A person can use any of these models with the company’s app to track their workout activities.

To prevent injury, check the correct ways to use dumbbells before adding them to a workout.

Please note: Medical News Today do not imply warranty of fitness for a particular purpose or endorse any of these applications. These apps have not been evaluated for medical accuracy by Medical News Today. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not approved them unless otherwise indicated.