Question

Great site! I'm getting back into lifting and was wondering which one of these two home gyms to buy. I'm torn between the Bowflex Ultimate 2 and the PowerTec Leverage Gym with 300 pounds of plates. To start with I just want to get toned back up but would like to build some strength too.

I've gotten into cycling and bought the Sole e95 Elliptical based on your recommendation if that makes any difference in the advise you give. Also, the gym will be in my living room on hard wood flrs but I plan on buying some padding (any tips on that to would be apprceciated where to buy vs over paying). I'm 43yrs young, and in my 20's and early 30's use to lift a lot of free wt. I'm strugling with the Bowflex, but it offers so many exercises, but the thing looks kind of female : ) Who knows maybe my wife would use the Bowflex? Could you help clear this up for me? Thanks man.

Answer

You have your home gym choices narrowed down to a couple good machines in my opinion, the Bowlfex Ultimate 2 and the Powertec Leverage Gym are models I recommend and are a good investment for toning and muscle building.

I like each gym for different reasons, so let me explain what I would get if I were you based on the information you supplied about you background, space requirements and what your goals are for you and your wife (I'll assume your wife will get invloved in working out)…

Gym Flooring First
I'm  going to start my recommendation, not on the home gym, but on the flooring you should get to protect your hardwood floors (especially important if you get the Powertec because you'll be changing olympic weight plates regularly).

When I did my gym remodel I searched high and low for good rubber gym flooring at a reasonable price. I ruled out foam padding like they carry at Dicks Sporting Goods because it just can't handle the abuse of heavy weights and equipment sitting stationary on it for long periods of time.

The flooring I chose is 1/2" rubber puzzle tile flooring that I bought from a local exercise equipment dealer in Minneapolis. I did find a couple of good deals online at Gymcor.com and the Ironcompany.com - You can also type in "rubber gym flooring" or "interlocking rubber gym flooring" or "gym flooring" to find online retailers too, just watch out for shipping charges as this stuff weighs a lot more than you think it would.

Bowflex Ultimate 2 vs Powertec Leverage Gym
Now on to which home gym you should buy, the Powertec or the Bowflex? Based on the information you've provided me here is what gym I would buy if I were in your shoes…

You stated that you're more interested in toning than in hardcore muscle building.. You also said that you're going to have the gym set up in your living room on hardwood floors. And you said that your wife will use the machine in time once you get started.

Taking these factors into consideration, I would chose the Bowflex for the fact that it will take up less space, you won't chance damaging your floors by dropping weights on them and if I  know women like I think I do, your wife will get sick of looking at the yellow and black Powertec in about a month (big screen TV's ring a bell) and will want the gym moved out to the garage.

By choosing the Bowflex Ultimate 2 you'll use less of your precious floor space, have to buy less rubber flooring, be able to change exercises in a few  seconds, and get a great workout that you and your wife will both benefit from.

You'll certainly gain strength using a Bowflex, so don't be fooled into thinking that you need steel weights to get strong. Your body doesn't know the difference between power rods, dumbbells, a bag of sand or resistance bands - resistance is resistance when applied correctly to muscle.

A few years back (10 or 12 years to be exact - I'm 37 now) I never would've considered getting a gym that didn't have free weights or barbells. Now that I'm a bit older and wiser, I've incorporated more tools into my workout arsenal like a Bosu Ball, a TRX Suspension Trainer, Bodylastics Exercise Bands and - God forbid - a jump rope!

Think of your body as a construction project and choose the right tool for the job, not the one that "all the other guys use" because that's all they've ever known.