Body Sculpture BR3010
- Low budget price
- Easy to move around and store
- Nothing to assemble
- Doesn’t take up much space
- Suffers from not having a flywheel
Welcome to our BR3010 Rower Review
In this review, we’re diving into a home rowing product called the BR3010, from Body Sculpture.
It’s one of the cheapest home rowing machine on the market in the UK and can be bought for less than £100 if you look around.
Is this ultra-budget rower any good?
What exactly are you getting for your money? And can a ‘silly-cheap’ rowing machine at this price range actually be any good? What compromises have been made to get to this price? And how does it compare with the way-more-expensive ‘big boys’ like the Concept 2?
Let’s find out!
We’ll cover everything you need to know about this machine in this review – good and bad – and help you decide if it’s worthy of a place in your home gym.
What will this machine do for you?
Meet the Body Sculpture BR3010. This is a home rowing machine that also lets you do simple exercises on your arms, legs and upper body.
If you’ve not discovered rowing yet, what can we say about this form of exercise? It’s always been one of our favorite’s here on Home Gym Experts.
Why do we love rowing so much around these parts?
Rowing is awesome. It’s easy on your joints, can be as easy or hard as you like, is suitable for all ages, ideal for recovering from an injury… the list could go on and on. It’s also one of the more time-efficient ways to exercise and get a sweat on.
Let’s check out the specs of this budget home rower:
- Combined rower and gym
- Adjustable resistance
- Free DVD
- Secure foot plates (that also rotate for comfort)
- LCD display calculates calories and shows time
What’s all this rower combined gym stuff then?
I remember the first time I saw someone using a rowing machine for different kinds of exercises. I thought they were mad.
Then I thought, why not?
There’s technically all sorts you can do with what is effectively a cable resistance machine, so why not use it to tone other things?
There’s loads of interesting exercises you can do with a standard rowing machine (check them out on Youtube).
The Sculpture BR3010 takes this to the next level and explicitly designed with these ‘other’ exercises in mind. It’s interesting that a cheaper rowing machine is the one leading the way on this but, there you go.
What kinds of exercises can you do on this machine, apart from rowing?
Body Sculpture’s machine comes with three simple cables which can either be used to do the regular rowing stuff, or they can be used to work different parts of the body. There’s actually a handy free DVD you get with it to show how to do it all properly. But you’ll likely not need to watch it over and over as it’s pretty simple to pick up.
List of possible exercises
- Rowing!
- Bicep burls
- Triceps
- Squats (with the rowing machine creating forward tension
- Bench press (chest workout)
How does that work?
The rowing machine has two cables that attach to the rowing bar. This bar can be taken off and the two separate handles can be attached. These are used for the other exercises you can do with this machine.
How brutal is the assembly?
One thing you can’t really get out of with just about any bit of home gym equipment is that will come all neatly separate in a cardboard box.
There you go. Put that together.
And the Body Sculpture BR3010 is no different. So just how tricky is this machine to assemble?
The quick answer is: not too bad. A lot of the assembly has already been completed, with the absolute minimum left for you to do. If you really take your home, it could take 45 minutes. But some folks will definitely get the job done in less time than that.
As far as rowing machines go, the BR3010 isn’t too bad at all when it comes to putting it all together. Phew.
How ‘foldy’ is this folding rower?
Whereas once ‘folding up’ was a novel feature for a home rowing machine, you’d be hard-pressed to find one these days that doesn’t come with it as standard. Having said that, not all rowing machines are created equal in this department. Some fold away a lot better than others.
It does fold up… a bit
The BR3010 lifts upwards just past the central pivot and definitely takes up less space when folded. It would have been nice to see it fold away to a way more compact size, but as it stands, it’s still possible to store out of the way pretty easily.
How powerful is this rowing machine, and who’s going to get the most from it?
While this rowing machine isn’t going to provide any significant challenge to anyone who is in top shape and used to serious high-intensity workouts, don’t write this bit of equipment off just yet. It’s not exactly a light weight.
The BR3010 provides a really good way to get back in shape without paying for a gym membership.
This is a good choice for anyone who needs a way to get back in shape
It’s easy to get out of the habit of exercising and there’s nothing at all wrong with needing to get back in shape. And the BR3010 is a really good way to do that, especially if you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on one of the more expensive machines right away.
Another good thing is it’s got a DVD which actually doesn’t suck! It’s got some good advice and some simple exercises to try out. These will be of special use and interest to anyone looking to jump back on the horse. Or in this case – a rowing machine.
Not a good choice for tall rowers!
One thing worth noting, and something I see getting asked a lot with this budget rowing machine, is how tall can you be? While technically anyone could use it, if you’re 6 foot or over, you might want to look elsewhere.
Height and weight restrictions on this rower
- Max-Height: 6ft
- Max user weight: 100kg
See more budget rowing machines in our guide: Top 5 buidget ropwing machines
Check Current Amazon UK PriceWhat are the downsides with this cheap rowing machine?
It would be nice if a rowing machine for £100 had all the benefits of the rowing machine that cost then times it’s price. Sadly, that’s not the case! There are some negatives to the BR3010 and here they are.
Problem 1: It can get a bit noisy
Most rowing machines are guilty of this to some extent and the budget BR3010 can make a good bit of noise when it gets up to speed. This isn’t a huger problem if you’re using headphones but silent it is not.
Problem 2: Elastic resistance won’t be for everyone
Unlike the traditional machines out there that use things like flywheels, magnetic resistance or even water, the BR3010 opts for bungee-style bands to provide the resistance for rowing, and the other possible exercises.
While it’s not as bad as it sounds on paper, it’s not going to be for everyone. You can increase the resistance by adding the 3rd included band, but it’s not up to par with your average weighted flywheel machine.
Final verdict: Is the BR3010 worth getting?
Let’s be honest here. This is a budget price rowing machine. Cuts have been made in terms of the method of resistance. All said and done, this is a very cheap rowing machine, but it’s definitely worth a look if you’re looking ot get back into shape or just need something more casual for home use. For the price, this is a good little machine
Check Current Amazon UK PriceSources and further reading
- Visit the body Sculpture website here for more info on the BR3010 and their other products.
