The Bowflex PR3000 Home gym is the big brother of the Bowflex PR1000 system. The Bowflex PR1000 got rave reviews from most users, but one of its failings was the 210lb maximum resistance that could not be upgraded. Can the Bowflex PR3000 fix that limitation?
The Bowflex Home Gyms use a patented “Bowflex Power Rod” system to power the Bowflex PR3000 workouts.
These rods are highly durable rods that can be combined to vary the resistance levels of the gym. The minimum resistance levels is 5lb and this can go up to 210lb (the same as the PR1000 model). However, the Bowflex PR3000 power rods can be upgraded to 310 lb resistance so that will please a lot of people who complained that the 210lb maximum was not enough.
Another improvement with the PR3000 model is that there are over 50 exercises (compared to the 30+ found in the PR1000 model).
Features of the Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym
- 50+ strength exercises (includes a vertical bench press and lat pull downs) to workout arms, abs, chest, back, shoulders and legs.
- no cable changes needed between sets
- Patented power rods technology which can vary resistance from 5lb up to 210lb as standard. Upgradeable to 310lb. These Power Rods feel almost as good as free weights, but without the risks of free weights.
- Padded leg rollers for more comfort when doing the leg exercises.
- Compact, space-saving design.
- Built in rowing station for aerobic workout, or warm up & cool down periods.
- Triple Function hand grips for lat pull downs.
As you can see, the Bowflex PR3000 is a fully featured home gym that can provide resistance training as well as some cardio workouts. This home gym has over 50 exercises for strength and resistance, so let’s look at those.
Bowflex PR3000 Exercises Include:
How big is the Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym?
To accommodate this gym you will need a workout area in excess of 100 inches x 78 inches. The gym itself is 83 inches tall (211 cm), so make sure your ceiling height is sufficient. The machine is 64 inches long (163cm) and 41 inches wide (104cm).
Also, bear in mind that the maximum user weight for this home gym is 300lb (136 Kg).
Bowflex PR3000 210lb to 310lb upgrade
One of the advantages of the Bowflex PR3000 home gym is that you can upgrade the power rod system from 210lb to 310lb with a simple upgrade that is very cost effective.
The 310lb Rod upgrade is specifically designed for some of the top of the range Bowflex home gyms, like the Power Pro, Motivator, Xtreme, Xtreme 2, Sport, and Blaze models.
This upgrade includes 2 more 50lb power rod attachments so that you can get even more resistance in your workouts.
What do Bowflex PR3000 Users think of it?
The average Bowflex PR3000 review on Amazon is above 4 out of 5. Here are just a few of the comments that I found interesting as I read through them.
- it has a no-cable-changes design that made switching exercises easier
- It doesn’t take much floor space
- I don’t have to move heavy weights around during my workout
- Can be upgraded to 310 pounds
- Bows resistance isn’t the weight specified (I measured and it’s lighter) but there was still more than enough resistance to give me a burn. Larger men and very fit people should probably get the 310 lb upgrade pretty quickly.
- the machine provides a wide range of exercises that enable you to work almost all of the muscle groups
- Easy to put together, a perfect machine for me even at 6’3″ tall. Felt a little awkward at first doing kickbacks but, got used to it quickly.
The main problems that people mentioned in their reviews was related to the rod “weights”. As mentioned above, the bows resistance does not seem to accurately reflect the same free weights. For example, a 50lb rod does not seem to provide the same resistance as a 50lb free weight.
Where can I buy a Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym?
You can often get free shipping on the Bowflex PR3000
Other Bowflex Home Gyms
Also from Bowflex:
Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells – Adjustable dumbbells that replace a full rack with their innovative design.
Other Recommended Multi-Gyms
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I bought the BowFlex PR3000 home gym a few weeks ago and I have to say I love it. Although the manual has a good range of exercises, you can find even more on the BowFlex website. overall the machine gives me a total body workout and exercises all the muscle groups. My only complaint is that I can’t afford 310lb upgrade at the moment. I highly recommend this gym to anyone that wants a flexible work out station at home.
This home gym is wonderful. I find the power rods very effective in giving me a good workout. I’m not a bodybuilder and only use the gym to keep in shape and for this purpose it’s perfect. For hard-core bodybuilders you might need to look elsewhere since the resistance given by the power rods doesn’t seem to equate to real weight very well. For amateurs like me though, go for it.