Re: Soloflex and a Home Gym

[Guest guest]

Mine was great! The only problem is I got too strong for the bands (and

I was in gr 9). Mine wasn't soloflex brand but same idea. I've actually

thought about pulling it out of the closet and making a longer bar and

buying more bands. It would be great for some supplementary speed work.

But it's still a machine. I wouldn't make it the core of your training.

A bar and a bunch of plates still works the best!

Good luck,

Dmitry Voronov

Ontario, Canada

Soloflex and a Home Gym

I just joined the group with the hope of doing some research before

buying a home gym. I was wondering if anybody has used, or still uses

a Soloflex machine? If so, would you reccommend picking one up?

Thanks,

Stefano

....City??

[Guest guest]

One of the best home gyms out on the market is probably the Bowflex. It uses a

similar resistance system in the elastic rods, which isn't ideal, but has a

better strength curve and longevity than the rubberized band system of the

Soloflex. Also, the Bowflex uses separate cable handles for the resistance,

which is far superior to the single bar of the Soloflex. Because of this,

as well as other design features, the Bowflex is a lot more versatile and

offers more exercises.

I personally do not own either, and I am a big proponent of free weights over

either of these machines for many

biomechanical and physiological reasons. But, if you are limited because of

space or worried about safety, then I would definitely recommend the Bowflex

over the Soloflex, or any other universal gym for that matter.

[if you begin your gym with a power rack, then you need have few concerns about

safety.

Besides its obvious use with weights, you can attach chains, bands and springs

to it, use it

with flat and inclined benches, use it for box and regular squats, jerks and

presses off racks,

dips, pullups, limited range movements - the list of possible exercises is huge.

Mel Siff]

Good Luck.

Comfort,

NYC

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From: pstefano@... [mailto:pstefano@...]

I just joined the group with the hope of doing some research before

buying a home gym. I was wondering if anybody has used, or still uses

a Soloflex machine? If so, would you reccommend picking one up?

Thanks,

Stefano

[Guest guest]

It depends on how tall you are if you can use a Soloflex. It is rather

difficult for tall people, just not geared for them. It is also very

limiting. If it is the only choice, of course, use it, but your money could

be spent much better. It is quite a beautifully designed machine (the tv

infomercial is a work of art) and therefore seductive but you can do more

with a bench and some dumbbells and other basics. No one who really wants

to work out is ever satisfied with either a Soloflex or a Bowflex for long.

Ron Dobrin

New York City

www.dolfzine.com

Fax: (212) 644-5690

Soloflex and a Home Gym

> I just joined the group with the hope of doing some research before

> buying a home gym. I was wondering if anybody has used, or still uses

> a Soloflex machine? If so, would you reccommend picking one up?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Stefano

> ...City??

>

>

>

>

> Modify or cancel your subscription here:

>

> mygroups

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My experiences with a whole body machine (not a Soloflex) was that it was fine

in the beginning, but as I became more serious, I realized that I was severely

limited. So out went the machine and in came the rack, Olympic bar, plates and

dumbells. Over the many years I had a home gym, I kept adding to it.

If you are going to purchase a piece of equipment, I would suggest a power rack

right from the beginning. Mine took up less room than the machine and was much

more versatile. If I remember correctly from the cursory attention I pay to TV

commercials, the Soloflex folds up for storage. Things that fold up and are

stored are rarely unfolded. If you bump into the power rack, it will remind you

to exercise.

If you belong to a gym but can't always get there, it's worth having a small

amount of equipment at home to use in a pinch. You can get a great workout with

dumbbells and a bench and they won't cost you anything near what a Soloflex or

other machine will. Besides dumbbells are indestructible and have lots of other

excellent uses such as door stops, hammer substitutes and burglar deterrents.

There are also routines you can do with bodyweight only that will absolutely fry

you. It pays to have some routines written down that you can follow. These are

excellent when traveling or any other time when you want to get in a good

workout but something interferes with a trip to the gym.

I just tried a routine that was part of an article written by Joy on

exercise alternatives that appeared in the November 2001 edition of Pure Power

Magazine. Photos were by " our own " Kreiger. This particular suggestion

was called " Gambetta's Legs " and attributed to Vern Gambetta of Gambetta Sports

Training Systems.

Full Circuit using body weight only: 20 repetitions squats followed by 20 reps

of alternating lunges, followed by 20 reps of power step-ups (I used a large

turkey roaster, but any kind of a sturdy box that will hold your weight will

do), followed by 10 reps of squat jumps. Rest 1 to 3 minutes between sets and

aim for 5 to 6 sets (but not in the beginning!). The advice was to only do half

the reps and sets the first time through and I'm glad I took it. Gambetta says

that you can change exercises and that any basic pylometric would work for the

last exercise.

Although this is a bit more of an endurance workout than some people would care

to do, it's certainly better than nothing and is extremely effective. The same

article was full of really interesting routines as were a couple of others. Dan

Wagman is putting out a first class publication that I would highly recommend.

And for you guys who want cheesecake, wait till you get an eyeful of the lovely

Olympic lifter, Heidi Carpenter, on the cover. It sort of dispels the notion

that lifting weights and loss of femininity are synonymous!

Rosemary Wedderburn-Vernon

Marina del Rey, CA

IronRoses@...

[Guest guest]

What about the Bowflex for supplemental exercises? I need to add some cable

movements to my home gym and thought this to be a simple method.

Steve Lofton

Skiatook, OK

Soloflex and a Home Gym

>Someone anonymously wrote:

>

><My brother in law gave me a Soloflex this summer, and I decided to

>give it a try out of curiosity. The rubber bands gave me no pump

>whatsoever, because the tension they produce is at maximum at the

>extension of a repetition, and this tension decreases rapidly as you

>move back into position. So, a bench press or any other exercise for

>that matter, is a very frustrating experience.

>

>You push the bar up, and by the time the force is challenging you, you've

>reached the maximum of how far your arms will go. You bring back the

>bar, and within inches, you've lost the resistance.

>

>In short, the Soloflex is trivial or pathetic as a serious workout device;

it is a pretty

>device that looks good in an advert, but has minimal real value.>

>

>------------

>

> pstefano@g... wrote:

>

>> I just joined the group with the hope of doing some research before

>> buying a home gym. I was wondering if anybody has used, or still uses

>> a Soloflex machine? If so, would you reccommend picking one up?

>>

>> Stefano

>> ...City??

>

>

>

>

>Modify or cancel your subscription here:

>

>mygroups

>

>

>

>