So anyone think a bowflex will be ok?

[Deleted member 33117]

As those who used to know me know, I'm stuck at home full time with severe bi-lateral meneire's disease, and live with my best friend who has a couple extra bedrooms. I've been trying to get back into shape and just have my excersize bike a chinup bar and a pair of 25 lbs dumbells. I'm been losing bodyfat with just these for the last few months by basic activities and a clean diet.

I'm stitting at 238 lbs right now and had a friend test my bodyfat at 19.5% (gross) anyway I've maintained a lot of lean mass and my roomate's fiance has asked me to start training her and she is buying a bowflex for the house.

I know it is not a power rack and olympic set, but does anyone have thoughts on if this in combination with my chinups (I do 10 or so a day) and HIIT on my cardio bike will be enough for me to build a decent body again? Honestly at this point in my life I am just trying to focus on my health and quality of life. My disease is not fatal, but it can make one pretty miserable, and I've not responded to any treatments positively in the last 1.5 years since being diagnosed.

So what do you guys and gals think of a bowflex, and what the practical limits are for what one can do with this? Keep in mind I have infinate rest time so overtraining is not really a major concern for me.

 

[eliteandy]

I google searched your condition and the only thing i came up with was an ear problem. What exactly is it?

As far as the bowflex goes. Hell yeah! If that's what you have to work with then go for it! Hell, if all i had was a chuck norris total gym to work with then so be it!

 

[Deleted member 33117]

It is a vestibular disorder of the inner ear, and I have it in both ears. It causes continual ringing and pressure in the ears. I am dizzy and off balance most of the time, and get random vertigo attacks which are about like being heavily intoxicated, and they come without warning, so it makes things like driving, or working a full time job rather impossible. Car rides are often pretty bad as well.

 

[-SD-]

It is a vestibular disorder of the inner ear, and I have it in both ears. It causes continual ringing and pressure in the ears. I am dizzy and off balance most of the time, and get random vertigo attacks which are about like being heavily intoxicated, and they come without warning, so it makes things like driving, or working a full time job rather impossible. Car rides are often pretty bad as well.

holy shit rob, very sorry to hear that. I was going to suggest kettle bells but since you get dizzy and off balance i dont know about that. bowflex is good for overall health and fitness, wont turn you into a mass monster or olympic powerlifter or anything but you already knew that. Do you draw disability or SS or anything? since you cant work?

 

[musclemom]

I've only used a regular bowflex one time and I really, really did not like the action of the machine, it's weird and unnatural. Maybe the bowflex with the flywheel technology would be different but I found the regular one so annoying I'd never use it. I'd rather spend the money on a pair of power blocks and a small bench.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

holy shit rob, very sorry to hear that. I was going to suggest kettle bells but since you get dizzy and off balance i dont know about that. bowflex is good for overall health and fitness, wont turn you into a mass monster or olympic powerlifter or anything but you already knew that. Do you draw disability or SS or anything? since you cant work?

I'm in the process now to get ss disability now. I have an apointment with my neurologist on Friday who is helping me with that.

Right and it only goes to 310 lbs, and I used to deadlift 615... but I think it is possible I could be a nice lean 200 lbs with abes with it if I train hard enough perhaps.

 

[eliteandy]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that man! Like i said, hell yeah use it! And your roommates GF is buying it? Win-win right there!

Keep us posted on your progress with everything!

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that man! Like i said, hell yeah use it! And your roommates GF is buying it? Win-win right there!

Keep us posted on your progress with everything!

Right she is buying it so we both can work out and she is seeing it as a win win becuase I'll help her with her routine and diet. She knows I used to bodybuild and studied nutrition in college. So yeah a win win.

 

[UA_Iron]

I thought you were married buddy?

Sorry to hear about your condition.

 

[puddlemonkey]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but bowflex machines suck.

 

[lartinos]

Bow flex is a POS. Get some adjustable dumbells and some rubber bands.
Leave things like bowflex and abcoasters for people who wanna waste their money.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

I thought you were married buddy?

Sorry to hear about your condition.

No Anna and I got divorced. We seperated last summer.

 

[puddlemonkey]

We had an employee that worked for us back in the 90's, Nautilus (Bowflex) wanted him for their commercial. He had never touched a Bowflex in his life.

Their world headquarters is just a few miles from my house, I have a buddy that works there and even he can't say anything good about the machines.

They were fined nearly a million dollars a few years ago for shady business practices that resulted in people getting injured etc, I'll see if I can dig up the article.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

We had an employee that worked for us back in the 90's, Nautilus (Bowflex) wanted him for their commercial. He had never touched a Bowflex in his life.

Their world headquarters is just a few miles from my house, I have a buddy that works there and even he can't say anything good about the machines.

They were fined nearly a million dollars a few years ago for shady business practices that resulted in people getting injured etc, I'll see if I can dig up the article.

Ouch. Well my other option is rtying to talk them into getting a power rack and an olympic set which she may not go for. I will wait until I get my ss checks coming in and get one perhaps.

 

[puddlemonkey]

April 12, 2005
Nautilus Fined $950,000 for Bowflex Problems

The all-in-one fitness machine Bowflex, made by Nautilus, has some serious safety issues, and the government says the company failed to adequately warn consumers. As a result of action by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nautilus has agreed to pay a $950,000 fine.

CPSC said the company failed to inform it about serious injuries and safety defects with nearly 800,000 Bowflex fitness machines. Under federal law, manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers must immediately report information about potentially hazardous products to the Commission.

"The recent penalties levied by CPSC send a strong message that failing to report potential hazards is illegal," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "Companies need to understand that the quicker they report product safety problems to CPSC, the quicker we can take action together and protect consumers from injuries."

Backboard Bench Hazard

Between 1995 and December 2003, Nautilus made and sold about 420,000 Bowflex Power Pro fitness machines with a "Lat Tower" and a backboard bench. The CPSC alleges that between December 1998 and July 2002, Nautilus knew of 27 incidents and 25 injuries to consumers when the backboard bench broke apart and collapsed unexpectedly during use.

The company allegedly knew, but did not report to CPSC, that consumers suffered back, disc and neck injuries and falls resulting in chipped teeth. In addition, CPSC alleges that the company failed to report a June 2000 design change, intended to reinforce the bench by adding a steel plate.

In January 2004, after the company had finally reported in full, CPSC and Nautilus announced the recall of Power Pro machines.

Seat Pin Hazard

Between August 2002 and April 2004, Nautilus received 32 reports of consumers suffering injuries when the seat pin on the Bowflex Power Pro (with a "Lat Tower") and Ultimate fitness machines unexpectedly broke or became disengaged during use.

Nautilus, it is alleged, failed to tell CPSC that users unexpectedly fell back on the adjustable seat and suffered injuries. The injuries included a blood clot, a laceration requiring stitches, pulled ligaments and back, disc and neck injuries.

In November 2004, after the company had finally reported in full, CPSC and Nautilus announced a new recall of Power Pro and Ultimate fitness machines.

Incline Support Bracket Hazard

Between January 1995 and April 2004, Nautilus made and sold about 260,000 of the Bowflex Power Pro exercise machines without a "Lat Tower." These fitness machines were equipped with an incline support bracket for the workout bench. CPSC alleges that between May 2001 and April 2004, Nautilus failed to report 28 injuries to consumers when the incline bracket broke or bent unexpectedly during use. The injuries ranged from a laceration requiring stitches to a fracture to back pain to numbness.

In August 2002, Nautilus made a design change to strengthen the support bracket, but failed to report the defect or risk to CPSC at that time.

In November 2004, CPSC and Nautilus announced a recall of the Power Pro fitness machines. After its first recall with CPSC last year, Nautilus worked with CPSC to review its entire product line and cooperatively determined the need for corrective measures. That review resulted in two additional recalls last fall.

 

[puddlemonkey]

They make crap, it's all marketing hype.

 

[hurricane]

They make crap, it's all marketing hype.

x2.. stick to the iron

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Well unfortunately for now all I have available will be a bowflex for at least another 6 months, so sticking to the iron may not be an option for me. It is good to know about the lat tower issues though in that article. I have a chinup bar so really have no need of the lat tower.

 

[RADAR]

April 12, 2005
Nautilus Fined $950,000 for Bowflex Problems

The all-in-one fitness machine Bowflex, made by Nautilus, has some serious safety issues, and the government says the company failed to adequately warn consumers. As a result of action by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nautilus has agreed to pay a $950,000 fine.

CPSC said the company failed to inform it about serious injuries and safety defects with nearly 800,000 Bowflex fitness machines. Under federal law, manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers must immediately report information about potentially hazardous products to the Commission.

"The recent penalties levied by CPSC send a strong message that failing to report potential hazards is illegal," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "Companies need to understand that the quicker they report product safety problems to CPSC, the quicker we can take action together and protect consumers from injuries."

Backboard Bench Hazard

Between 1995 and December 2003, Nautilus made and sold about 420,000 Bowflex Power Pro fitness machines with a "Lat Tower" and a backboard bench. The CPSC alleges that between December 1998 and July 2002, Nautilus knew of 27 incidents and 25 injuries to consumers when the backboard bench broke apart and collapsed unexpectedly during use.

The company allegedly knew, but did not report to CPSC, that consumers suffered back, disc and neck injuries and falls resulting in chipped teeth. In addition, CPSC alleges that the company failed to report a June 2000 design change, intended to reinforce the bench by adding a steel plate.

In January 2004, after the company had finally reported in full, CPSC and Nautilus announced the recall of Power Pro machines.

Seat Pin Hazard

Between August 2002 and April 2004, Nautilus received 32 reports of consumers suffering injuries when the seat pin on the Bowflex Power Pro (with a "Lat Tower") and Ultimate fitness machines unexpectedly broke or became disengaged during use.

Nautilus, it is alleged, failed to tell CPSC that users unexpectedly fell back on the adjustable seat and suffered injuries. The injuries included a blood clot, a laceration requiring stitches, pulled ligaments and back, disc and neck injuries.

In November 2004, after the company had finally reported in full, CPSC and Nautilus announced a new recall of Power Pro and Ultimate fitness machines.

Incline Support Bracket Hazard

Between January 1995 and April 2004, Nautilus made and sold about 260,000 of the Bowflex Power Pro exercise machines without a "Lat Tower." These fitness machines were equipped with an incline support bracket for the workout bench. CPSC alleges that between May 2001 and April 2004, Nautilus failed to report 28 injuries to consumers when the incline bracket broke or bent unexpectedly during use. The injuries ranged from a laceration requiring stitches to a fracture to back pain to numbness.

In August 2002, Nautilus made a design change to strengthen the support bracket, but failed to report the defect or risk to CPSC at that time.

In November 2004, CPSC and Nautilus announced a recall of the Power Pro fitness machines. After its first recall with CPSC last year, Nautilus worked with CPSC to review its entire product line and cooperatively determined the need for corrective measures. That review resulted in two additional recalls last fall.

Yep! Mine broke as i was doing lats,the tower collapsed i fell backward the tower hit me right bet the eyes, A week later I got a recall they sent me the update modifications for it.


RADAR

 

[RADAR]

Well unfortunately for now all I have available will be a bowflex for at least another 6 months, so sticking to the iron may not be an option for me. It is good to know about the lat tower issues though in that article. I have a chinup bar so really have no need of the lat tower.

It has it uses like isolation exercises, add enough power rods and there you have it, the lat machine at the gym is exactally the same machine both provide resistance exercises. but the reason i got one is because i tore my delt an wasn't able to raise my right are for over a yr, light weight were a no no as i was fighting gravity and risking tearing my shoulder up more, so yes they have their place, but! Nothing will beat free weights, but you sometimes gotta do what you got to do.

Good to see you still around bro.
RADAR

 

[binö]

i think that with a combo of pushups/situps/pullups and i think you'd be gtg
and btw rock on good bro

 

[RADAR]

i think that with a combo of pushups/situps/pullups and i think you'd be gtg
and btw rock on good bro

That is actually a good suggestion, and fork out 10 bucks for an ab wheel, but do it on carpet for better resistance.

RADAR

 

[Tatyana]

If you have issues with vertigo, then a machine is going to be the best option for stability.

Just be careful of any of the design flaws.

Sorry to hear about the condition, oddly enough, I have looked it up in the last year.

Let us know what sort of treatment or progress you have with it.

 

[digimon7068]

I've only used a regular bowflex one time and I really, really did not like the action of the machine, it's weird and unnatural. Maybe the bowflex with the flywheel technology would be different but I found the regular one so annoying I'd never use it. I'd rather spend the money on a pair of power blocks and a small bench.

i'm sure that if you used it regularly, and got used to the idiocyncracies, you could get an excellent workout with it. . .for one reason or another, over the years, i've had to get used to different pieces of cardio equipment. . .each time, the change felt weird and unnatural. . .but i got used to it. . .quickly, and learned how to work with it so i got the same level of effort in approximately the same amount of time.

 

[Mr. dB]

I've only used a regular bowflex one time and I really, really did not like the action of the machine, it's weird and unnatural. Maybe the bowflex with the flywheel technology would be different but I found the regular one so annoying I'd never use it. I'd rather spend the money on a pair of power blocks and a small bench.

Agree.

 

[lartinos]

No, it is weird and unnatural........ Total POS!
Next time you're at Dick's sporting Goods give it a try for yourself.
It costs ten bucks for rubber bands, get a few dumbells and you've got a better work-out for a fraction of the cost.
The motion you get from the rubber bands is FAR better than those stoopid flexing BOW's. I'll drop a BOW on that stupid machine like Hulk Hogan to get a work-out from it.

 

[Y_lifter]

The beauty of a Bowflex given your situation is that you can't get dizzy while working out and drop a 200lb Bar or 60lb DB on your neck/head/chest.

Hypertrophy is from putting an increasing load on the muscle.
Sand bags can do that.

Good luck fina

 

[digimon7068]

No, it is weird and unnatural........ Total POS!
Next time you're at Dick's sporting Goods give it a try for yourself.
It costs ten bucks for rubber bands, get a few dumbells and you've got a better work-out for a fraction of the cost.
The motion you get from the rubber bands is FAR better than those stoopid flexing BOW's. I'll drop a BOW on that stupid machine like Hulk Hogan to get a work-out from it.

powerbands are expensive as hell (for what you get). . .and to get enough dumbells to be able to get a full body workout would cost me an arm and a leg. . .not to mention the addition on my house or my garage for the racks. . .i've never used a bowflex. . .but, resistance is resistance. . .and resistance through the full range of motion (e.g., no let-off on top) like you get with a cable machine or a bow-flex has more of an effect at full contraction than dumbbells (e.g., dumbbell curls). . .how much does a friggin' bowflex cost anyway?

 

[RADAR]

powerbands are expensive as hell (for what you get). . .and to get enough dumbells to be able to get a full body workout would cost me an arm and a leg. . .not to mention the addition on my house or my garage for the racks. . .i've never used a bowflex. . .but, resistance is resistance. . .and resistance through the full range of motion (e.g., no let-off on top) like you get with a cable machine or a bow-flex has more of an effect at full contraction than dumbbells (e.g., dumbbell curls). . .how much does a friggin' bowflex cost anyway?

They list about 1,500.00 but you can find them on E bay, shoppers guide,classifieds, for as low as 250.00

RADAR

 

[Deleted member 33117]

They list about 1,500.00 but you can find them on E bay, shoppers guide,classifieds, for as low as 250.00

RADAR

Well she is buying one with her money regardless of what I tell her because she doesn't want to deal with the "hassel" of free weights. We've seen one's on craigslist nearby for as low as $500 still in the box never used, she got email replies on two already and is out looking a them tonight.

Anyway it is certainly not ideal, but it is costing me nothing personally becuase my roomate's fiance is getting one regardless and since I am helping her get into shape she doesn't care how much I use it.

So my choice right now is the bowflex plus what I already have, or just stick to my chinup bar, pushups, and bodyweight squats. I will keep in mind the potential saftey issues and limitations of the machine.

 

[lartinos]

powerbands are expensive as hell (for what you get). . .and to get enough dumbells to be able to get a full body workout would cost me an arm and a leg. . .not to mention the addition on my house or my garage for the racks. . .i've never used a bowflex. . .but, resistance is resistance. . .and resistance through the full range of motion (e.g., no let-off on top) like you get with a cable machine or a bow-flex has more of an effect at full contraction than dumbbells (e.g., dumbbell curls). . .how much does a friggin' bowflex cost anyway?

rubberbands cost ten bucks a piece bro, and for a reasonable price you can get adjustable dumbells.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Oh once I get my ss disability I will be getting a monthly check, non-taxed and will qualify for a number of other benefits, and will then invest in a power rack and such, but that could be 6 months to a year or more still.

 

[digimon7068]

rubberbands cost ten bucks a piece bro, and for a reasonable price you can get adjustable dumbells.

interesting. . .one of my buddies that i train with once in a while has some of those rubberband setups, with the handles on the ends and what-not. . .several different ones, each providing different levels of resistence. . .he uses them for all kinds of excercises. . .but i think he paid quite a bit of money for them.

geeaawwd, i hate adjustable dumbbells. . .kinda ruins the whole flow of things for me.

i hear what you're saying, though. . .guess i'm just spoiled by convenience. . .

 

[XBiker]

There are plenty of exercises where the Bowflex is great. Compound heavy movements is not really one of them. Pull/push downs, flies, kick backs, all kinds of 1 arm delt work is where it really excels.

I have one and use it for specific stuff and that's about it. Then again I picked it up super cheap locally and it's well worth the $$ spent.

 

[ceo]

The beauty of a Bowflex given your situation is that you can't get dizzy while working out and drop a 200lb Bar or 60lb DB on your neck/head/chest.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Safety should be a major concern for you. That coupled with the fact that you are not trying to become a mass monster and are more concerned with being healthy should make the bowflex fine for you.

I guess people didn't bother to read about your issues with vertigo, etc. and only wanting to be a healthy 200 or so lbs. with abs. Typical EF'ers.

Enjoy your broflex, stay safe and get better. There's much more to life than getting huge and deadlifting 600 lbs. (as you well know).

 

[Deleted member 33117]

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Safety should be a major concern for you. That coupled with the fact that you are not trying to become a mass monster and are more concerned with being healthy should make the bowflex fine for you.

I guess people didn't bother to read about your issues with vertigo, etc. and only wanting to be a healthy 200 or so lbs. with abs. Typical EF'ers.

Enjoy your broflex, stay safe and get better. There's much more to life than getting huge and deadlifting 600 lbs. (as you well know).

We got it today, a bowflex ultimate. I can already see I am going to need to power rod upgrade. I managed to do the 310 (all the rods) for 6 reps on the bench press, after having been doing pushups every day. Overall though it does seem to give a decent burn. I'll try the squat station on it tomorrow, the lady who sold us this used one had all the extra attachments still and it is in great condition. I'll outgrow this machine I think rather quickly but at least it will help me regain some strength and speed up my metabolism to get to a lean body fat again.

 

[Smurfy]

We got it today, a bowflex ultimate. I can already see I am going to need to power rod upgrade. I managed to do the 310 (all the rods) for 6 reps on the bench press, after having been doing pushups every day. Overall though it does seem to give a decent burn. I'll try the squat station on it tomorrow, the lady who sold us this used one had all the extra attachments still and it is in great condition. I'll outgrow this machine I think rather quickly but at least it will help me regain some strength and speed up my metabolism to get to a lean body fat again.

this is great dude!

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Well it does give a good burn. I was able to do all the rods (310) for 12 reps on squats and set the tension really low so I could still have tension below parallel.

It is a good machine, but I feel like I need more resistance on it, still it is not a bad machine, and I feel safe using it with my vertigo issues. It seems viable for my goals having used it now... just wish I had a bit more resistance to work with for the bench and squat. LoL

 

[Deleted member 33117]

I worked out with my roomate on it this afternoon, and was able to get 15 reps on both rows and bench using all the weight available so he said "Oh we need to get the extra kit then for 410 lbs... becuase you are just starting on this and already maxing it so I will probably need them too eventually." Anyway he is a police officer and wants it because he knows he needs to be in better shape for his work than he currently is in... so we will be getting more resistance for it soon.

 

[RADAR]

Great!
People can call it a piece of junk ,but! it has it's place, Overpriced? Hell yes!

RADAR

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Great!
People can call it a piece of junk ,but! it has it's place, Overpriced? Hell yes!

RADAR

The one we got runs $2000 with the attachments we have, but we got one in great condition, including all the manuals and accessories for $500 (well they did, I did not pay anything). The resistance is definately too low because ony a few days later I can rep 15-20 reps on all the compound movements (squat bench, row) with the 310 available (it feels more like 225ish to me to be honest) and can military press it for 10.

Maybe in a few weeks we will get the +100 lbs kit, which should help a bit more.

Anyone who has played with one, what do the conversions feel like verse free weights? 65-70% maybe? The squats you do lose a huge amount of resistance once you get to parallel or below, from what I can tell, so I just tighten the straps up tight so I can get a couple more inches of resistance on the lower part of the rep.

Anyway, everyone in the house has decided to get in shape, so we went grocery shopping last night and stocked up on lower GI fruits, tons of veggies (broccoli, romaine, cucumbers... and some Newman's Own olive oil based dressing), grass-fed beef, plain fat-free yogurt, bread with flax seeds and no HFCS, beans, almonds, natty peanut butter with flax, fish oil caps (you guys know me, I always push EFA's), rolled oats, etc etc.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Well since getting this thing 6 days ago, and training as hard as possible with the limited resistance (I've skipped my HIIT cardio this week since adding more resistance training... and just taking a nice 1 mile walk every day when not dizzy), on 2500ish clean calories (ok I did go out for BBQ with freinds for lunch a couple days ago and had some amazing sausage and brisket) a day, I noticed I am down 4.5 lbs today compared to a week ago. I'll assume that I did not lose muscle.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Weighed 235.5 lbs today, took the day off from training other than a morning walk for about 2 miles.

I've pushed my bowflex to the limit already. I've now repped my poor 310 lbs rods (it definately feels like less weight) for 22 on squats and rows, 17 on bench, and 15 on overhead press. I'm seeing the need for the extra 100 lbs of resistance in the near future. Still the high reps are certainly better than no reps for holding onto my lean body mass while dieting and for speeding up my metabolim.

 

[ceo]

sounds like things are going pretty good so far bro. keep upping reps till you get the extra resistance. Meantime look for other things to do/add. Any bodyweight resistance exercises you can do, like pullups, dips, etc., then maybe add weight to those? Dip belts are pretty cheap and you can use things around the house (get creative) for additional weight (cinder block, dog, buddy's gf, etc.).

 

[Deleted member 33117]

sounds like things are going pretty good so far bro. keep upping reps till you get the extra resistance. Meantime look for other things to do/add. Any bodyweight resistance exercises you can do, like pullups, dips, etc., then maybe add weight to those? Dip belts are pretty cheap and you can use things around the house (get creative) for additional weight (cinder block, dog, buddy's gf, etc.).

For pushups before we got this, I was justputting my toes up on the arm of a couch to get more weight on my chest. I don't trust my chinup bar to hold me + weight on a belt. LoL

 

[Smurfy]

keep up the good work, BBF.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

ceo, am I going to have enough resistence on this to maintain my lean body mass if I continue to diet down? I've already dropped 30 lbs before I got it, but I am now squating and rowing all 310 lbs on the rods for 25+ reps, benching 20 reps, and military pressing 19. If my bf test was even close I have just over 190 lbs of lean body mass still.

I'm about to clean my diet up further, and cut a few more calories out. I've been out of the game awhile any idea how much lean body mass I can expect to use with access to resistence light enough that I can rep everything for over 20 reps, if I drop another 35 lbs over 6 monts or so? My deit will be perfect, becuase I have a background in nutritional science... I'm just concerned that my training intensity might be too low to maintain LBM.

 

[RADAR]

I seriously doubt it,as long as you have the extra power rods ,with a good diet you can keep your size.

RADAR

 

[binö]

meh i think you can make more do with what you got, with supersets and weighted pullups.

 

[lartinos]

I think if that's all I had I could get something out of it. I implore everyone to actually try the thing. POS

 

[ceo]

ceo, am I going to have enough resistence on this to maintain my lean body mass if I continue to diet down? I've already dropped 30 lbs before I got it, but I am now squating and rowing all 310 lbs on the rods for 25+ reps, benching 20 reps, and military pressing 19. If my bf test was even close I have just over 190 lbs of lean body mass still.

I'm about to clean my diet up further, and cut a few more calories out. I've been out of the game awhile any idea how much lean body mass I can expect to use with access to resistence light enough that I can rep everything for over 20 reps, if I drop another 35 lbs over 6 monts or so? My deit will be perfect, becuase I have a background in nutritional science... I'm just concerned that my training intensity might be too low to maintain LBM.

I think you could probably maintain most of your LBM for a while with what you have. Obviously, to increase LBM you need to increase resistance though.

You can get as creative as possible with what you have, incorporating supersets, static holds, rest-pause sets, slow negatives, etc. to help prolong your use of it before adding more bars and I think that will help you to maintain your current mass longer. Throw in pushups, pullups, and other varieties of bodyweight exercises and you should be in fine shape with what you have. But, if you want to gain some mass...better get to a gym!

 

[bigmann245]

It has it uses like isolation exercises, add enough power rods and there you have it, the lat machine at the gym is exactally the same machine both provide resistance exercises. but the reason i got one is because i tore my delt an wasn't able to raise my right are for over a yr, light weight were a no no as i was fighting gravity and risking tearing my shoulder up more, so yes they have their place, but! Nothing will beat free weights, but you sometimes gotta do what you got to do.

Good to see you still around bro.
RADAR

I agree