"AlecLager" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> John, before you decide on any machine, consider what areas of your body you want to work. Is your
> plan to strengthen areas that will improve biking performance, or are you looking for overall
> fitness? Reason I as is because if you are looking to reshape your whole body, lifting is only
> half of the deal. I personally use freeweights and have a bowflex ($1200 model that I got in mint
> condition at a yard sale for $400). For basic muscle groups, a combination of cardio vascular
> (running biking etc) and basic freeweight excersizes every other day (benches, flyes, curls,
> situps ,squats,calf raises, tricep extensions, and lat pulldowns) will get you in pretty decent
> shape. Although you can do all those excercises on a bowflex (or similar machine) also, I find the
> bowflex to be much more useful for muscle specific excersizes. The bowflex is fantastic for back,
> shoulder, tricep, and forearm excercises, (areas which have few freeweight options) and also, the
> Bowflex is incredible for legs. (calves quads hams) Many people who lift are totally stuck on the
> whole freeweight thing, and although freeweights are excellent for many excercises, give a bowflex
> or similar machine a try before you decide, because they incorporate many more excercises into one
> station, you don't need a spotter, and as soon as you slap 250lbs or so on the bowflex cables and
> start benching, you won't think its a gimmick anymore.
>
I'm not disputing the Bowflex, because I would love to have one. You had made reference to limited
back, shoulder, tricep, and forearm options. My options are limited to my imagination, as I have
many ways to work these groups. Some I've made up (or have never seen before), and get results.
Also, to get around getting some solid bench press reps without a spotter, use dumbbells. I can
bench as much as I want, and when I'm done with the set, I simply drop them. be sure to have a good
solid mat(s) to drop them on.