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The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is the next step up from the popular PR3000, with a greater range of exercises, full resistance upgrade options, and Bowflex’s unique power rod resistance system.
But is it really the best choice of home gym equipment for your fitness goals and budget?
In this review we’ll take a closer look at your choice of exercise options. We’ve also included some important comparisons between the Xtreme 2SE and other top rated Bowflex Home Gyms, such as the PR3000 and Bowflex Blaze.
Design features
When it comes to working out from home, there are few pieces of fitness equipment that can match the variety of exercises offered by a good quality multi gym.
This is particularly true with the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE, where 7 cable pulley positions support over 70 different upper and lower body exercises.
Starting at the top of the frame you have the lat pulldown bar, which can be used for a variety of back and triceps exercises.
Moving down the machine we have a feature unique to the Xtreme 2SE. The mid-range pivot point lets you clip on a set of cable pulleys and attachments to perform a range of exercises that just aren’t possible with other Bowflex home gyms.
But the main collection of pivot points for the cable pulleys is positioned just above the back support, ideally placed for chest press and shoulder press exercises.
In terms of the seat itself, you can quickly switch between different height positions or even remove it from the frame completely if you want more space to perform exercises standing up.
With the seat attached you have the obvious benefit of the leg developer for extra leg exercises, as well as the contoured padding of the back support to help add some extra lower back protection.
Bowflex Xtreme 2SE – Features Summary
- Offers over 70 exercises for a total body workout
- 210-pounds of power rod resistance is upgradeable to 310-pounds or 410-pounds
- Compact size fits nearly any home gym leaving room for additional exercise equipment
- Build back and shoulder muscles quickly with the integrated lat tower and angled lat bar
- Move quickly from exercise to exercise without having to change to cable set up
Comparison with the PR1000, PR3000, and Blaze
While the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE uses the same unique power rod resistance system as other Bowflex home gyms, there’s actually a number of important features that set it apart from the rest of the range.
Perhaps the most important is the range of resistance upgrades available. While each of the Bowflex home gyms is loaded with 210 lbs of resistance (105 lbs per side), some models also offer upgrades to 310 lb and even 410 lbs.
The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE offers the full range of upgrade options, with a maximum resistance level of 410 lb when you purchase the 2 additional upgrades.
Aside from the resistance, there’s actually a feature on this home gym that you won’t find on any other Bowflex designs. This comes in the form of the mid-range pulley positions.
As well as the horizontal bars that extend out from the frame, there’s a second set positioned just above these that create an angle unique to the Xtreme 2 SE.
This lets you perform a wider range of exercises, including rope twist variations, seated ab crunches, and overhead tricep extensions.
Despite the slightly higher price, you do get a wider range of exercises, lifetime warranty on the power rods, and more resistance upgrade options compared to the PR3000.
Exercise options
Providing over 70 different exercise options, Bowflex have grouped these into working specific body parts:
- Chest – 6 exercises
- Shoulders – 14 exercises
- Back – 16 exercises
- Arms – 24 exercises
- Abdominals – 3 exercises
- Legs – 10 exercises
Where many home gym systems will struggle to provide more than leg extensions for a lower body workout, having 10 exercise options and the extra workout space by removing the seat is an excellent way to help build a balanced physique.
Customer reviews
Although there aren’t as many reviews available as for the PR3000, it’s still encouraging to see that the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE has such an impressive average rating.
To help summarise the reviews that are available on popular shopping sites such as Amazon, we’ve collected the pros and cons from these reviews and put them together in the lists below.
Pros:
- Quick to assemble – less than 1 hour in some cases
- DVD provided gives some useful inspiration for your workouts
- Useful selection of workout routines provided in the user manual
- Wide range of grip positions makes pressing exercises more comfortable
- High quality materials
- 410 lb resistance upgrade makes it suitable for a wider range of strength levels
- Ideal for fitness programs such as P90X, P90X2, and T25
- Allows you to workout from home safely, without the need for a spotter
- Smooth resistance created by the pulley system and power rods
Cons:
- Resistance provided by the power rods does differ slightly between warmer and colder room temperatures
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4.5 / 5
Aside from the their 'Revolution' home gym, the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym offers the widest range of exercise options of any of their home gym systems.
While it doesn't provide the 100+ exercises that come with the Revolution, it can usually be found for $1000 less, and can actually be upgraded to provide a higher level of resistance.
Utilizing Bowflex's patented Power Rods, the range of motion for each exercise feels a lot smoother than free weights, and helps to prevent the possibility of injury from lifting at home without a spotter.
Being able to change the resistance level and switch between the different cable pulley positions so quickly makes this ideal for many popular home fitness programs, even if you don't have a lot of time.
Product dimensions: 96" (L) x 78" (W) x 83" (H)
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
