Bowflex Body Tower Reviewed and Rated

For what the Bowflex Body Tower costs, you could get a squat stand or even an entry-level power rack. The steel cage would open up new and heavier barbell exercises for you, and some low-end racks even have leg attachments and such. Also, any squat rack worth its salt, even an off-brand one, will let you do most of the same bodyweight exercises you can do with the Body Tower. We don't mean to talk bad about Bowflex's bodyweight trainer, just offer some different perspectives. Not everyone lifts weights consistently enough to need a huge rack, and also, racks can get expensive because you will almost invariably want to add a bench. With the Body Tower, you get everything delivered in one shot. That includes the tower, adjustable handles, multi-grip upper handle, straps, and workout guide. Part of the guide is a gym machine-style placard with drawings and explanations of the exercises. You can remove the placard once you master the tower if you'd like. There are plenty of criticisms we could level at Bowflex (or any longstanding equipment maker), but one thing they have always stood for is educating their customers and helping you reach your highest potential through consistent, efficient, fast-paced training.

One disadvantage we found, and one of the only negative reviews on the Bowflex product page, is that the rubberized feet are fixed and there is no way to adjust them. This means that, if your gym space is not perfectly level, you will have to rig up a shim. Bowflex is normally so good at thinking of everything, so we're not sure why they didn't make the legs independently adjustable or just add something to the feet themselves.

The weight capacity is 300 pounds. Unlike with a bench, that is the total weight and not combined user/resistance weight. We mentioned taller users having trouble or needing to fold their legs, but the weight limit won't exclude as many people and the reviews we read show that the steel frame and foundation feel sturdy even during strenuous training.

According to the owner's manual, you need 36 inches of clearance, minimum, on the sides of the tower. That includes the front, and the goal is for you to have enough space to mount and dismount effectively. It is hard to imagine an emergency situation on the Body Tower, but Bowflex wants you able to get off quickly just in case. The tower will not tip over as long as you use it according to directions; if you stay under the weight limit, you can strap a weight plate to yourself or wear a harness to add resistance above your body weight.

All the factoids here about features and specs came from the Bowflex Body Tower owner's manual, to ensure accuracy. We have also included our subjective thoughts, to help you make a purchase decision. If you want to peruse the manual yourself, it is easy peasy to find via Google. Nautilus originated the manual, not Bowflex since Bowflex is a Nautilus imprint.

The Body Tower measures 50 inches wide and 51 inches long at its deepest point, the square steel tubing foundation. The tower is 76.9 inches high, about 6 and a half feet. It is a concession to residential ceilings, which are often 8 feet, and the short length will ensure headroom and safety. But it also causes problems for those of us with long legs or a slender frame. The width is enough to accommodate most anyone with a large curvy frame, though.

At the top of the tower, on the ends of the pull-up bar, you can install the sling straps. You may have used these before. They are thick nylon strips, with padding, that gets narrow on the fabric ends. The ends attach to the bar with snap hooks. Once in place, you can hang on the straps instead of the bar. That challenges your balance and helps bring in overlooked muscle groups in your arms, back, and trunk. Some sling straps use carabiners instead of snap hooks. Carabiners will be stronger and part of a more heavy-duty rig. As long as you are following Bowflex weight limits, the sling straps will be safe and the fabric will not rip or tear. You always have the option to remove the sling straps if they are in your way or you want to do unenhanced pull-ups.

The other assist straps hang from the parallel bars at the center of the tower. Bowflex calls them handgrips. They are similar to the handles you might use on a lat pulldown machine. These grips enable you to get low to the ground and do reverse pushups or dips. Since the grips are a few feet off the ground, too, you get a full range of motion on the dips. You can also do low down dips by holding onto the center handles, without the extra challenge of the straps and with more stability.

If you want the fullest range of motion, with dips, you can climb onto the tower from a standing position and pull your entire body up and down with those center handles. Bowflex calls them "EZ Adjust Bars." Like the J-Cups on squat rack uprights, you can move the center handles to get a lower or higher start position. The top handles are fixed but do offer several widths of padded handle grips. The foam used for padding is comfortable and durable. The back pad is also thickly padded, looking and feeling like the roller on a leg extension machine.

If you would like an exhaustive list of all 20+ exercises you can do with the Bowflex Body Tower, the manual has that. Bowflex manuals, in our experience, are easy to find with Google or by visiting the Bowflex or Nautilus websites. A full list is beyond the scope of this review, but we are going to hit on a few of them including some you may not think of right away.

Single leg squats--rest one foot on the back pad, go down with the other one as far as your joints will allow. You could also hack a Bulgarian split squat this way. The back pad makes single-leg squats available to people (like your editors) who do not have the flexibility yet for pistol squats. And we like that Bowflex wants you to use the back pad for more than just your back.

Supine row--you can lie on your back, with bent legs and feet resting on the back of the Body Tower frame. Bend your back while keeping your glutes on the floor, and use the handgrips to pull yourself up off the floor. It is as effective for your back as rowing with plates and barbells, and you can dial in the handgrip position according to your flexibility and goals.

Incline push up--again, the center handles make this exercise convenient by letting you raise and lower them with the pins and upright holes. Incline push-ups are like regular push-ups, but they force muscles in your hips, legs, and back to engage and act as stabilizers. This adds extra benefits you will not get by doing push-ups on the floor.

Now, about that stick with the "it" factor. Will the Bowflex Body Tower become your new best friend, something you spend time with either as your primary strength trainer or to fill the gaps between sport-specific workouts? Yes. We are sure it will. It is convenient, easy to use, comfortable, and durable thanks to Bowflex engineering. If you do have problems, Bowflex provides several ways for you to reach an outstanding customer service department.

The Bowflex Body Tower is a bit pricey and, as we pointed out, you could get an entry-level squat rack for around the same price. But squat racks require benches, Olympic barbells, plates, and plate storage. If you do not have space or funds for a rack, and you do not want to pay for a gym membership just to have access, you can get a lot of mileage out of the upper body conditioning that the Body Tower provides. The 20+ exercises are plenty, but not as much to learn as the 70 or 80 offered by some multi-gyms. And within each exercise, you get tons of variations by tweaking start position or even hacking the tower with handgrips and sling straps of your choice. The Body Tower has so much more to offer than a doorway pull up bar, so it can be worth the added expense if you know you will use it several times a week.