Bowflex PR1000 Review — Great For Beginners, Easy On Joints

Staying consistent in a workout program can be tough when life gets busy. That is one reason why owning home gym equipment can be beneficial for progress. Bowflex home gym equipment is designed to provide lifters with full-body workouts while not breaking the bank. From treadmills to adjustable dumbbells to kettlebells, Bowflex produces a wide variety of training equipment. We took a hard look at one of their most popular and versatile home gyms — the Bowflex PR1000 — to determine who would benefit the most by adding it to their cart.

Will this machine benefit serious strength athletes? To an extent, yes, but it is more so a great option for beginning lifters and athletes looking to perform at-home maintenance work.

Who Should Buy Bowflex PR1000

• Those who want to take it easy on their joints.
• People who can perform all of their training needs with 200 pounds or less of resistance.
• Folks working in tighter spaces and value the vertical-folding bench for easier storage.

Who Shouldn’t Buy Bowflex PR1000

• Advanced lifters may need more resistance than the 200 pounds
• Anyone who would rather work with a weight stack and/or free weights.

Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended to diagnose, prevent, and/or treat health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.

Bowflex PR1000 Key Specs and Features

The Bowflex PR1000 comes with some notable key features. This machine allows a lifter to perform over 25 different exercises, which should be a  sufficient amount for achieving a full-body workout. Users can be pretty creative with the tools the Bowflex PR1000 provides, so in practice, users may be able to more than 30 different exercises and variations.

There are not any in-depth instructional videos on how to properly perform different movements on this machine. Beginners who are brand new to working out on a Bowflex will have to read through the written instructions for guidance or seek demonstrations online.

Another key feature of the PR1000 is how it’s equipped with power rods instead of standard free weights. The rods offer some important advantages. They are relatively low impact on the body and can save additional joint stress and provide up to 200 pounds of resistance. That should be plenty for the beginning lifter. A veteran strength athlete may find that they need more resistance than that and should likely seek a home gym that offers more resistance.

Since the rods work with resistance rather than a standard weight stack, transporting the machine may be easier — something that can be beneficial in the long-term if/when moving homes.

[Related: The Lifter’s Guide To Magnesium: What This Nutrient Does For Strength]

Bowflex PR1000 Versatility

As mentioned above, this piece of equipment allows you to perform upwards different exercises. This is a sufficient amount for a full-body workout while also allowing bodybuilders or those with a more aesthetic focus to really hone in on specific body parts or isometric workouts. 

Possible Exercises

Below are a few examples of the major muscle groups and exercises that users can perform on the Bowflex PR1000:

• Legs/Lower Body — Leg extensions, hamstring curls, and kickbacks 
• Chest — Flat, incline, and decline press
• Back — Lat pulldown, various rows, lower back extension 
• Arms — Bicep curls, triceps pushdown
• Shoulders — Overhead press, lateral raise, shrugs 
• Core — Abdominal crunch, trunk rotation, and oblique crunch 

One of the last features that make the Bowflex PR1000 versatile is the relatively small amount of space it requires. The minimum dimensions for this machine are 100 inches by 78 inches — likely a good fit for an apartment, garage, or basement.

[Related: The Real Pros And Cons Of The Bodybuilding Lifestyle]

Bowflex PR1000 Ease of Use

The Bowflex PR1000 is one of the more basic home gym models they offer, which makes it beneficial for a variety of home gym users from beginners to those working with a tighter budget.

Beginners who may not have any competitive aspirations within strength sports but still want to maintain a consistent training routine and increase strength would likely pair well with the Bowflex PR1000. Additionally, they can perform efficient at-home circuit workouts with easy-to-use adjustable settings. 

Bowflex PR1000 Price

The price for the Bowflex PR1000 hovers around $499 to $549 — reasonable considering what this home gym offers compared to other comparable options in the same price range. Importantly, it takes up minimal space, the design is elegant, the number of exercise options is fairly high, and it’s durable to last for the long term.

[Related: 3 Ways To Find Your 1-Rep Max (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced)]

Wrapping Up

The Bowflex PR1000 is a piece of home gym equipment that allows a lifter to perform up to 30 different strength-building exercises. It provides up to 200 pounds of resistance, which could be great for the beginning gym-goer, or someone who needs a quick maintenance workout. This machine may not be the best for the advanced strength athlete, but it definitely holds its own for providing a simple and versatile workout approach.

If you’re someone in need of a space-saving home gym that won’t break the bank, then the Bowflex PR1000 could be a good fit for you.