I'm likely going to replace my Bowflex with free weights and a bench system. Question is, do I need a all-in one system, or can some things be done free weights and not need a machine?

I was looking at the BOL site and the leg press seems to be the one thing I can't duplicate unless I buy a massive machine. I was hoping to keep things simple.

I can't join a gym because the closest good one to me is a half hour away and I don't have the time to commute there.

I was thinking that possibly leg presses can be replaced be squats, but I wasn't sure.

I can't do leg presses either w/o a machine (even my universal system doesn't allow a press mechanism), but I do awesome 50 lb free weight squats! I think squats can do the same, but you won't see the big numbers that some people post for their presses, so if you want to do that, you'd need a machine. I posted in the BFL thread to you the same I'm saying here, but, it CAN all be done with free weights. Check out the Pam Peeke site (she wrote BFL-W) and there may be a whole slew on there. Also the stumptous.com site.

You can do a BFL challenge (or anything else) entirely with free weights. The leg press is highly overrated. Free squats, either dumbbell or barbell and lunges are far more effective full body, multijoint exercises. Unless your goal is only muscle hypertrophy for aesthic reasons (bodybuilding) you're better off using as many muscles as possible to do an exercise.

Mel

Thanks, Mel. That's good to know.

Beth

I have a home gym and it is very simple. An elliptical() and a $50 weight bench with various sized dumbbells. I also have a step and a ball. I find that I can do very challenging workouts with the tools that I have. I was thinking of maybe getting a bosu but not so sure about that yet.

I workout at a personal training facility, and there are NO leg press machines. Just various cardio equipment, and a cable 'thingy'. Everything else is body weight, bands, balancing equipment, and dumb bells.

Even when I had a personal trainer at a gym, we almost never used the leg press. Instead it was endless squat and lunge variations.