Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Home Gym

Unit	Dimensions	Possible exercises	Weight range	Weight increments	Warranty
Bowflex Xtreme 2SE Check Discounted Price	L:53" W:49" H:83"	70+	5-210 lbs, Upgradable to 310 lbs, and 410 lbs	5 lbs	Frame: 1 year Parts: 60 days Rods: Lifetime

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE offers the same flex-rod resistance system as the Bowflex Blaze or Bowflex PR3000, but it’s a machine with a different construction. Due to this fact, it makes available more than 70 exercises, for most muscle groups. Also, it’s equipped with several sets of cables, so you don’t have to change their position too often, thus you can quickly move from a set of exercises to another.

Technical Details and Specifications

• Assembled dimensions: 53″L x 49″W x 83″H (135L x 124W x 211H cm)
• Assembled weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
• Max. user weight: 300 lbs (136 kg)
• Resistance system: Power rods
• Standard weight resistance: 210 lbs (95 kg)
• Possible exercises: 70+
• Warranty: Frame 1 year / Power rods lifetime / Parts 60 days

Frame construction

To begin with, the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE features a frame made of steel tubing, coated with corrosion resistant and scratch resistant paint. The colors used are gray for the main frame, and the black for the base parts, top and mid-pulley bars, and some of the attachments. These are the only colors available for this home gym, at least for now. 

This Bowflex home gym system is equipped with an adjustable bench. The height of the bench is height adjustable, with 6 positions available, in order to accommodate users between 5′ (153 cm) and 6’4″ (193 cm). The bench of this machine doesn’t allow adjustments for 180° position exercises though, only seated exercises.

The backrest is non-adjustable, being attached to the main tube of the frame via two bolts. Both seat and backrest are designed to deliver optimal comfort for all exercises. They feature a faux leather upholstery, with 2″ of polyurethane cushioning. This synthetic leather material is quite durable and should last for many years of use if treated with care. The colors used for the upholstery are red and black.

The specified user weight capacity of the Xtreme 2SE is 300 lbs (136 kg). However, users have reported that the seat can actually support weights up to 325 lbs (147 kg).

This fitness machine is not extremely large. It takes only 53″L x 49″W (135 x 124 cm) of floor space, but since the weight resistance rods bend to the sides, it actually requires a larger workout area. Thus, for safe and proper operation, it’s recommended to allot a workout area of 96″ x 78″ (244 x 198 cm) for it. In terms of height, the assembled machine is 83″ (211 cm) tall. So, even in a room with an 8′ ceiling, it’s quite a tight fit.

Since this Bowflex home gym doesn’t integrate any weight plates, it’s not an extremely heavy machine. When fully assembled, it weighs only 185 lbs (84 kg), while a machine with weight plates, such as the Marcy MWM-990 or Body-Solid EXM2500S weigh more than 250 lbs. But nonetheless, it’s not meant to be moved once assembled; it doesn’t have wheels for relocation or transport. It is recommended though to place it on a rubberized mat, as it’s heavy enough to cause damage to the floors.

Other parts and available accessories

The machine’s pulleys are made of heavy-duty nylon material, and integrate stainless steel ball bearings, in order to deliver a smooth rotation. They’re also designed to swivel 360°, in order to adapt to any exercise that you may want to perform.

One of the major pluses of this machine is that it includes several sets of cables, one set for each workout station. Therefore, you don’t have to swap cables if you want to alternate exercises, being able to move from an exercise to another in seconds. Needless to say, the cables supplied are steel ropes, tested for over 1,000 lbs of resistance. They’re also covered by a thin sheet of PVC material, for a smoother glide over the pulleys.

This fitness machine is supplied with the following accessories: 5-way hand-grips which can also be used for low pulley exercises, such as stand-up curls or leg abduction exercises, 1 angled lat bar, 1 straight squat bar, 1 ab crunch harness and the leg developer.

The leg developer attachment includes 4-inch foam rollers for superior comfort. It can be used for leg extension exercises, but since the machine doesn’t have a long bench, leg curls cannot be performed on it.

A preacher curl attachment is also available for this Bowflex home gym, but not included. This attachment includes a preacher pad, which attaches at the front of the frame, instead of the leg developer. It also comes with a special curved bar for biceps curl exercises. However, you can also perform biceps curls without this attachment, by simply using the hand-grips and the low pulleys.

Workout stations

Since it’s a machine with flexible rod resistance system, the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE only has three distinctive workout stations, but each one fulfills multi-function purposes. These are:

High pulley station. This workout station includes a set of four pulleys and a curved lat bar, offering the possibility to perform all lat pulldown exercises;

Mid pulley station. The mid pulleys can be attached in two ways, in order to make available different exercises. There’s a small bar attached to the frame right above the backrest of the machine, and by attaching the mid pulleys to it, you can perform ab crunches. There are however, two other middle bars situated lower than the ab crunch bar, which are also longer, with 4 positions each for the pulleys, bars that make available various press exercises.

Low pulley / squat station. This workout station integrates several pulleys, allowing you to perform biceps curls, seated rows or leg curls. It has a foot plate for squats or calf raises. As we’ve mentioned above, the machine comes with a leg developer attachment, which also connects to the lower pulleys.

Weight Resistance System

This Bowflex home gym is equipped with a Power Rod resistance system. It doesn’t have weight stacks like other cable machines such as the PowerLine P1X. Also, you can’t use dumbbell weight plates to add resistance to it.

The rods that generate the weight resistance for this home gym system are made from a special elastomer, coated with a thin sheet of rubber material. They’re precision-machined, the rings to which the cable hooks attach are almost impossible to remove from the rods. Also, they’re extremely durable, less likely to break, that’s why they’re under lifetime warranty for this Bowflex machine.

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE comes with a standard Power Rod set which offers a total resistance of 210 lbs (95 kg), 105 lbs (47.6 kg) for each side. The rod set includes the following power rods:

• 2 x 5 lbs (2.26 kg)
• 4 x 10 lbs (4.5 kg)
• 2 x 30 lbs (13.6 kg)
• 2 x 50 lbs (22.6 kg)

However, the machine’s overall weight resistance can be upgraded. You can add 4 additional 50 lbs (22.6 kg) rods (2 on each side), in order to benefit from a total weight resistance of 310 lbs (140 kg) or 410 lbs (186 kg).

Possible Exercises

This Bowflex gym machine offers the possibility to perform over 70, gym quality exercises, involving most muscle groups in the body. The machine actually comes with a full exercise guide, which shows how to perform each one of them correctly. The following list contains all the exercises available.

Abdominal Exercises

Seated (resisted) Abdominal Crunch
Seated (resisted) Oblique Abdominal Crunch
Trunk Rotation

Arm Exercises

Triceps Pushdown w/ Hand Grips
Triceps Hammer Pushdown
Triceps Pushdown w/ Lat Pulldown Bar
Single Arm Pushdown
Triceps Extension
Cross Triceps Extension
Hammer Triceps Extension
“Rope” Pushdowns
Seated Biceps Curl
Standing Biceps Curl
Concentration Biceps Curl
Hammer Biceps Curl
Barbell Biceps Curl
Reverse Barbell Biceps Curl
Seated Hammer Biceps Curl
Reverse Curl
Triceps Kickback
Hammer Triceps Kickback
Arm Opposition Push-pull
Upper Body Opposition Push-pull
Wrist Extension
Wrist Curl
Resisted Dip
Preacher Curl

Back Exercises

Standing Low Back Extension
Bent Rear Delt Row
Crossover Bent Rear Delt Row
Seated Wide Lat Pulldowns
Narrow Pulldowns w/ Lat Pulldown Bar
Narrow Pulldowns w/ Hand Grips
Reverse Grip Pulldowns
Crossover Wide Pulldowns
Crossover Narrow Pulldowns
Pulldowns
Stiff Arm Pulldowns
Standing Shoulder Pullover w/ Hand Grips
Crossover Seated Lat Rows
Seated Lat Rows
Reverse Grip Pulldown with Lat Bar

Chest Exercises

Bench Press
Chest Fly
Incline Bench Press
Incline Chest Fly

Leg Exercises

Leg Extension
Squat
Calf Raise
Single Leg Calf Raise
Standing Hip Extension (knee bent)
Standing Hip Extension (knee extended)
Standing Hip Abduction
Standing Hip Adduction
Leg Kickback
Hip Flexion
Dead Lift
Stiff Leg Dead Lift

Shoulder Exercises

Crossover Rear Delt Rows
Crossover High Rear Delt Rows
Reverse Fly
Crossover Reverse Fly
Seated Shoulder Press
Front Shoulder Raise
Shoulder Extension
Shoulder Shrug
Scapular Protraction
Scapular Depression
Lateral Shoulder Raise
Seated Forearm Lateral Shoulder Raise
Shoulder Rotator Cuff (internal)
Shoulder Rotator Cuff (external)
Crossover Seated Rear Delt Rows
Scapular Retraction

Of course, preacher curls require the preacher pad and bar attachment. But even without it, you can still train your arm muscles in multiple ways.

Also, the machine does not offer the possibility to perform leg presses; there’s no actual leg press attachment for it. But in order to train leg muscles, you can peform squats, using the squat bar varying resistance as you prefer.

Assembly and Maintenance

The assembly of the Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is a straightforward process, but due to the many parts, it may take a couple of hours. An assembly manual is provided though, which offers comprehensive and concise step-by-step instructions for it. However, only the two Allen wrenches required are included, and you’ll also need an adjustable wrench and a Phillips screwdriver.

For maintenance it’s a good idea to unhook the Power Rods from the cables, so that they remain in straight, upright position. Other than this, you’ll just have to make sure that all the bolts and joints hold well together, and re-tighten them if possible.

The Pros

• Sturdy steel frame construction;
• Heavy-duty pulleys integrating stainless steel ball bearings for smooth operation;
• Polyurethane cushioning, with durable faux leather upholstery, for optimal comfort;
• Height-adjustable seat;
• Leg attachment included;
• Lat bar included;
• Ab crunch harness included;
• Squat bar included;
• Multi-grip handles;
• Multiple positions for mid pulleys;
• Multiple cable sets, which allow you to move from an exercise to another without changing the cable setup;
• Innovative Power Rod weight resistance system, no weight stacks required;
• Up to 105 lbs of resistance per arm, 210 lbs in total;
• Upgrade possibilities up to 310 lbs and 410 lbs of total weight;
• Exercise guide, covering all the exercises possible on this machine, included;
• Over 70 exercises available;
• Fairly easy to assemble;
• Quiet operation;
• Excellent warranty. 

The Cons

• Not all tools required for assembly are included.

Summary

The Bowflex Xtreme 2SE is a home gym system with a flexible rod resistance system, offering a standard total resistance of 210 lbs (105 lbs for each arm). The power rod set can be upgraded though, up to 410 lbs. It’s an extremely versatile gym machine, offering the possibility to perform more than 70 exercises. It comes with all the accessories required, except the preacher curl attachment. It offers the training setting for users of all levels, except maybe power lifters who may need exceptional weight resistance, higher than the machine can offer. Finally, even though it’s not the most affordable piece of home gym equipment, due to the wide array of exercises that it does make available, the quality in its components, and the lifetime warranty on the power rods, we can safely say that it comes with an excellent price / value ratio.