Bowflex or Free weights

I have lifted weights since I was 16. I got away from it for awhile and want to get back into it.
I have heard alot about Bowflex and was wondering if anybody I this forum has tried it and what is your opinon.
Thanks David

[Stubborn]

Free weights.

I concur. Free always fit the person. Some machines just don't work out that well if you are tall or shor-they seem built for the average. Can't say for sure about bowflex, but many cable oriented machines look as if they can cause cable marks on your arms. Especially when doing upper body, press type movements. The cables always seem to be touching the persons body at some point (usually apex) of the movement. Guess cables have advantage in some ex.'s by their constant tension, but in others they seem to lose that very principle is not done very specifically. Almost as if one can do more body movement than movement of weight.

David I wouldn't waste your money on a bowflex. From my experience, all of my friends that work out in the homes or apartments fall out of it fast. If you are going to invest money. Look into a gym. Because if you are serious about working out and looking better, a gym will have better resources for you to achieve it. The question of whether to use cable machines or free weights can be broken down into this. With the cable machines you can isolate a specific muscle group. That is why a lot of people work with them. Because they can feel it, and it burns right where it is supposed to. Using the free weights, you have to use a collection of muscle groups. These other muscles are called stablizer muscles. Now, here is the thing. If you only do one and not the other you are going to have mixed results. If you only do cables, you will work big muscle groups. They will develope with large gaps between them. However, if you only do free weight you could get a solid build. (This also depends totally on genetics too.) I don't know about differences in time spands either.
I guess what I am getting at is that, working with both cables and free weights is the way I would go. Also remember that the best plans are the ones that are specifically molded around you and what you want to accomplish.