Best for Home Use
Best for Serious Runners
Best for Walkers
Best for Seniors
Bowflex LateralX LX3 Review
Although discontinued from production, the Bowflex LateralX LX3 remains for sale on some online retailers and represents a good bargain if found at the right price. This fitness machine supports total-body strength training along with cardio exercise – and compared with a standard treadmill, the Bowflex LX3 is gentler on joints. People at a wide range of fitness levels can achieve all-over toning and significant calorie burn with just three short sessions per week.
Watching a LateralX video is the best way to understand how this cross trainer works. Basically, it lets you exercise your arms and legs together or separately. For the upper body you can push/pull a set of handlebars. For the lower body you can stand/squat with a side-to-side motion that helps promote strength, balance and calorie burn. The LX3 has eight resistance settings from gentle to strong.
Plenty of exercise guidance is included. First, the Bowflex LX3 has a 7.5” monitor that shows feedback for seven on-board workout modes. The backlit LCD screen makes it easy to see data for upper-body exercise, lower-body exercise and the two combined. Second, Bowflex offers a free LateralX mobile app with 30 workout videos and long-term data storage. Space to dock and charge a tablet computer is built into the cross-trainer.
If you shop around online, you’ll find the LX3 can be had for a real bargain.
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What We Like:
- Engaging: Exercising on the Bowflex LX3 is more dynamic than treadmill training, as it involves your whole body. Exercising with free LateralX videos is especially engaging and motivating.
- Efficient: Because it recruits all major muscle groups and is low-impact, the LX3 is more efficient than a typical high-end treadmill with incline. It can also be nearly twice as efficient as standard elliptical trainers if used as directed in LateralX videos.
- Pedal Incline: The LX3 has 10 settings for pedal angle. This feature helps make the machine comfortable for a wide range of users, plus it lets you add challenge and diversity to lower-body exercise.
- Lateral Pedal Motion: LateralX fitness machines are unique for allowing lateral or side-to-side motion. This helps you develop balance and train for real life activities like handling a soccer ball, keeping up with a toddler or moving through crowds.
- Adjustable Resistance: The LX3 lets you choose from eight resistance settings for a personalized challenge. Controls are built into the handlebars for convenience.
- Moving Handlebars: Like the best elliptical machines, the LX3 lets you take two grip positions. This can help you avoid fatigue and lets you train the upper body in different ways.
- On-Board Workout Programs: Manual mode and six diverse workout programs are built into the LX3 console. The best-advertised routine is named X-Mode 16 Minute Interval Program. It guides you through intervals of upper-body and lower-body training (90 seconds for the upper body, 30 seconds for the lower body, times eight).
- Video Workouts: Thirty workout videos are made for the LateralX series. These are accessible on the LateralX mobile app for iOS or Android. Together they can form a 12-week fitness plan.
- Media Dock: The LateralX LX3 has a tablet computer dock with charging port. It’s placed for easy viewing of LateralX workout videos. A tablet computer isn’t include with this model, but a Samsung tablet is part of the LX5 Performance Pack.
- Large LCD: The LX3 data screen measures 7.5” and is backlit for easy viewing. Windows show data for upper-body intervals, lower-body intervals and total-body exercise. Two users can save their data long-term on the console, and with Bluetooth the numbers can be exported to the LateralX mobile app.
- Heart Rate Monitoring: For heart rate monitoring the LX3 has contact sensors and is compatible with a wireless chest strap (not included).
- Bowflex Radio: Bowflex Radio offers energizing playlists in country, hip-hop, pop, classic rock and other genres.
- Two User Profiles: Two trainees can save profiles with age, weight, preferred screen brightness and more.
- Buy-Back Guarantee: The LX3 has a satisfaction guarantee including buy-back within six weeks of receipt.
Bowflex LateralX LX3 Treadmill - Key Specs:
| Star Rating: | -stars |
|---|---|
| Motor: | n/a |
| Incline: | N/A |
| Running Area: | N/A |
| Folding: | No |
| Top Speed: | n/a |
| Weight Capacity: | 300 LBS |
| Dimensions: | 63.2" L x 53.6" W x 46.6" H |
| Built-In Programs: | 10 |
- Discontinued Model: The machine might be hard to find and service could be tough to get from the manufacturer.
- Warranty: Free warranties for the LateralX series aren’t competitive. For the LX3 the parts are covered for just one year and the labor warranty is 90 days. Prices for the extended warranties are low though, suggesting that these machines are built to last. For $149 you can get three years of parts and labor, and for $199 the deal is five years.
- Assembly: Assembly involves many steps and requires two people. Assembly by the delivery service costs $249.
Our Verdict:
The Bowflex LX3 is a worthy addition to the home gym that already has a treadmill or other standard fitness machine. The new LateralX series offers a low-impact and super-efficient way to improve your whole body, and no other fitness machines are made for moving side-to-side in the same manner. The LX3 in this review features eight resistance levels and dozens of training programs to accommodate almost anyone. A bonus is that Bowflex Radio can be synced to any standard or video workout. The LX5 might be preferable for a family, but for a single person or a twosome the LX3 can be an especially rewarding investment in fitness. We recommend adding a Bowflex Protection Plan (an extended warranty) for the best value.
Where to Buy
Get $100 Off + $50 Shipping by entering the coupon code at checkout.