The 'not-quite-million-dollar' question that anyone who has sat awake late at night watching a Bowflex infomercial is bound to ask is: Does the Bowflex really work? The answer depends on three things.
1. What are you hoping to achieve?
If you are interested in losing a lot of weight, then you need to get that big ass out of the house and start walking/running/cycling or any number of aerobic activites. The bowflex is a strength training and conditioning machine. It is NOT an aerobic workout, though you can of course do an intense enough workout to get your heart rate pumping. But before you can notice the results you are getting from your bowflex you need to reveal the muscles from under a layer of fat. Get lean, then get ripped.
2. How committed are you to the results you seek?
The bowflex is a machine that allows you to use resistance to strengthen your muscles. This only happens when you use it. Buying it, setting it up, then letting the dust collect while you watch TV is not going build your muscles or get you in shape. You must use it, and use it regularly to reach a level of intensity that actually works your muscles. The workouts don't have to be long, but they have to be consistent and intense. You should be a gasping, sweaty mess when you are through to know that you are on the right track.
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3. How are you measuring your results?
Working out with weights (or power-rods or spiralflex technology in the Bowflex Revolution) can often seem as if nothing much is happening to your body. Even after you have gotten lean and exposed the muscle results are not always immediately obvious. Since getting fit is such a gradual process often we have already gotten used to our new look and forgotten where we came from. If you are not charting your progress in any meaningful way it is easy to get discouraged and conclude that the exercise program is not working. Take your measurements when you start; weight, waist size, biceps, shoulders, etc. Whichever parts of yourself you want to change. A photograph is a great reminder of who we were, and you can instantly compare the 'old' to the 'new'. Seeing and measuring your progress is a great way to keep motivated and keep on your exercise regimen.
So to answer the question: does the Bowflex really work? The answer is an unequivical YES! But before you slap down your money (even if buying a discounted or used bowflex) and clear out a space in the basement, make sure you are really ready to begin your program. Get everything you need ready before getting the equipment, so that once you have that new shiny machine in your home you can use the excitment of having a new workout machine to get you energized and motivated and ready to start working on your brand new body.