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Bowflex is an innovative home fitness equipment brand with over 30 years in the industry. Their experience and expertise have culminated in a series of Max Trainers, with the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 being the latest one.
Like all Bowflex home fitness equipment, you can expect exceptional quality and effectiveness from the Bowflex elliptical machine, which is perfect for high-intensity interval training.
The technologically advanced training machine features tailored workouts and a vibrant 10-inch touchscreen display console, providing you with a fully immersive fitness experience.
Let’s take a deep dive into the calorie-torching Bowflex Max Trainer M9 and see if it lives up to the hype.
- Amazing workouts
- Low impact motion
- Simple use
- Ergonomic design
- Compact design
Design Features
The design features will determine if the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 will be an excellent addition to your home gym. Below, we evaluate the most recent Max Trainer’s key features.
Build
Bowflex’s Max Trainer M9 sports a premium build with a sturdy frame. The elliptical and stair stepper hybrid’s sturdy frame is made of steel and aluminum, which makes it suitable for high-intensity interval training. We felt secure and stable while using this machine.
Speaking of steel, you can turbo-charge your workouts with the Max Trainer’s steel resistance dial. We found it cool to the touch and of superior quality.
In addition, the Bowflex M9’s build is versatile, featuring both an elliptical and stair stepper. We liked this as it made it possible to do a variety of workouts on the machine.
Footprint
While the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 has a compact design by combining an elliptical and stair stepper, it still takes up room and is more suited to a large workout area.
The total-body cardio machine, known for delivering HIIT-style workouts, commands a footprint of 49.2″ (L) x 30.5″ (W) and a height of 65.1″. We found this compact enough as it didn’t take up much space in our home gym.
Extras
The Bowflex Max Trainer M9 has a built-in media shelf located just below its interactive console HD touchscreen. We found that this space is perfect for storing our smartphones and other devices while we worked out.
4-grip handlebars
You’ll enjoy a comfortable grip during high-intensity interval training, thanks to the 4-grip handlebars. Ensure you position your hands to be comfortable and stable.
We were impressed by the heart rate hand grips as they make it possible to read your heart rate thanks to the two stationary handles below the console. The heart rate monitor sends your data to the JRNY digital fitness platform, enabling you to look it up on the JRNY app at any time.
Oversized textured pedals
A welcome design feature is the Bowflex Trainer M9’s oversized pedals.
Bowflex’s latest iteration has textured pedals that keep you from slipping or sliding during your high-intensity interval training workout.
We found that the oversized design is ideal for people of all sizes as it provides you with plenty of space to find your perfect sprinting position.
Weight capacity
The Bowflex Max Trainer M9 is designed to handle a maximum weight of 300 pounds, perfect for most users. This weight capacity is standard in the industry. It can safely and comfortably support the weight of any user that falls below the given limit.
Workout style
A fusion of elliptical and step trainers makes the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 a piece of highly efficient workout equipment. This combination allows for both high-intensity training and low-intensity recovery. We appreciated that this beast of a machine offered great versatility in terms of exercise variety.
Torch your fitness at unlimited speeds with high-intensity interval training, thanks to the low-impact Bowflex Max Trainer M9. Your joints will thank you and you’ll be able to exercise for longer periods as a result.
LCD console and JRNY membership
Access tailored workouts thanks to the JRNY digital fitness platform and the Max Trainer’s vivid HD touchscreen display. A JRNY membership offers personalized fitness training that you can complete at your own speed.
In addition to personalized fitness training, your JRNY membership provides on-demand classes with world-class trainers that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. We liked this as we could experience curated workout plans without having to find a trainer on our own.
It’s also great that you can keep track of your metrics and personal bests (JRNY membership required) as all the metrics are stored in one secure place. We enjoyed the gamification aspect of the LCD console as the real-time metrics made us push ourselves to receive rewards.
What’s more, is that the JRNY digital fitness platform creates daily adaptive workouts as your fitness improves. We found this pretty impressive upon testing. Once again, you’ll require a JRNY membership to enjoy this feature.
Need a change of scenery? Your interactive console allows you to explore over fifty picturesque destinations throughout the world at your speed. (JRNY membership required).
You can watch your favorite shows on streaming platforms if you have a JRNY membership and pre-existing streaming subscriptions.
Ensure your home has a stable Wi-Fi connection to have a pleasant experience using the interactive console.
Bowflex Max Trainer M9 – Features Summary
- Steel resistance dial
- Sturdy frame
- Relatively easy assembly
- Fusion of elliptical and stepper
- High-intensity interval training
- Oversized textured pedals
- Built-in media shelf
- Compact design
- 4-Grip handlebars
- 300 lbs weight capacity
- Low-intensity recovery
- Interactive console HD touchscreen
- Watch favorite shows on streaming apps
Bowflex Max Trainer M9 – Available Attachments
We found it quite disappointing that Bowflex only has one optional accessory and one Bluetooth heart rate armband.
The optional accessory is the media rack which holds an additional media device above the interactive console. We thought this was a bit redundant as there’s already a media shelf below the HD touchscreen console itself.
It makes for a cluttered setup. We think you’ll be better off with a large flat-screen mounted on your wall if you need the extra display.
The Bowflex Max Trainer M9 is a relatively new product in the Bowflex Max Trainer series. Therefore, it may take some time for the brand to release new attachments to the market.
There are, however, a few accessories and attachments you can purchase on Amazon.
Protect the display of your interactive console with a screen protector. Plus, you can buy this stylus to make selections on the HD touchscreen. This will prevent sweaty fingers from leaving marks on the interactive console after a HIIT session.
We couldn’t find an AC DC adapter charger (third-party) on Amazon that’s compatible with the Bowflex Max Trainer M9. But, we believe that they’ll be available after some time.
There’s an adapter charger compatible with previous models within the Max Trainer series. So, we expect this to be the case with the Max Trainer M9.
Bowflex Max Trainer M9 Exercise Options
Max Trainers typically provide a total body cardio workout and the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 is no different.
The JRNY digital fitness platform (JRNY membership required) has adaptive workouts you can do to turbo-charge your fitness and get even more out of high-intensity interval training.
Your arms and legs power this machine as you move the handles with your arms and pedal away with your feet. The 4-grip handlebar works your upper body like an elliptical, while your lower body is trained by the pedal motion.
This combination helps you build a fit and toned physique thanks to the total body cardio provided by the Bowflex Max Trainer M9.
We enjoyed using it as an elliptical as we worked our triceps and shoulders while targeting our glutes and calves as well. It was fun getting a low-impact yet amazing aerobic workout with the M9 Trainer.
Types of exercises you can perform include:
- Upper body
- Lower body
- HIIT
- Stair climbs
Warranty
- The M9 has a 3-year warranty on both its frame and parts.
- Bowflex offers a 90-day warranty on labor.
- The use of unapproved parts voids the warranty.
- Change of functionality and design of the machine voids the warranty.
Customer Reviews – Bowflex Max Trainer M9
We understand that it can be difficult to predict how well a product will work or last based on its specifications and attributes. That’s why we believe it’s equally important to consider what others have to say, in addition to our review and testing results.
Given that the machine is fairly new to the Max Trainer lineup, there are likely more Bowflex Max Trainer M9 reviews to come in addition to the ones already out there.
Take a look at the most common pros and cons shared by consumers.
Pros
Here are the top three positive opinions of the Bowflex Max Trainer M9.
Amazing workouts
Users were blown away by the total body cardio workout provided by the HIIT machine and its ability to torch calories in a short period. We fully agree and believe that the pairing of the elliptical and stair stepper produces outstanding results.
Low impact motion
While the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 does an amazing job of delivering HIIT-style workouts, users also appreciate its low impact on joints. Other machines such as treadmills can have a high impact on your joints as you pound away, trying to burn all those calories.
Simple use
Many users noted how simple the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 is to use and valued the ease of operating the machine.
Cons
Consumers had a few negatives to point out in the Bowflex M9 reviews too.
Clunky app
Users have lamented that the JRNY app is quite buggy. Our experience was that the mobile app did not sync with the M9 Trainer, so we had to use the connected display for all workouts.
We were disappointed by this because videos on the internet showed people using the JRNY app on their tablets.
JRNY membership required for full access
A common complaint by users in any Bowflex M9 review is that the machine requires a JRNY membership to unlock the full potential of the equipment. We, too, don’t like this.
Pros & Cons Summary
If you’re pressed for time, you can just check out this summary of the pros and cons of the Bowflex Max Trainer M9.
Pros:
- Amazing workouts
- Low impact motion
- Simple use
- Ergonomic design
- Compact design
- Premium build
- Interactive console
- Fusion of elliptical and stair stepper
Cons
- JRNY app is clunky
- Will require two or more people for assembly.
- JRNY membership required to enjoy full use of the Bowflex Max Trainer M9.
If you’re looking for a max trainer that is more affordable, take a look at the Bowflex Max Trainer M6 here.
Review Overview
Overall Rating
4/5
The Bowflex Max Trainer M9 is a great machine for people who are looking for total body cardio and HIIT-style workout. The machine also has a weight limit of 300 pounds, so it is suitable for most people.p>
The M9 is a great choice if you're looking for an elliptical machine that offers versatility and stability. It also has a wide range of features that make it easy to use, like individualized adaptive workouts and advanced heart rate training.
You'll get to enjoy real-time coaching with real-time metrics when using the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 with the JRNY app
While the technological features of the M9 provide a fully immersive fitness experience, you'll need a JRNY membership. This doesn't sound bad on the face of it, but it's an inconvenience when the app doesn't work as well as it should. One wouldn’t expect that from pricey home gym equipment.
Bowflex's Max Trainer M9 is ideal for anyone searching for a sturdy, high-intensity effort machine that has a low impact on joints, while still burning calories. This versatile machine is a worthy investment, as it costs less than an elliptical and stair stepper combined.
Product dimensions: 49.2" (L) x 30.5" (W) x 65.1" (H) Weight capacity: 300 lbs
Nadia is a USA-HomeGym.com Senior Editor with 15 years+ experience in the health, supplement and nutrition niches. Nadia became a health & fitness evangelist after rebuilding her gut health in 2008 using the Weston A. Price method. She developed a Facebook group that grew to more than 15,000 members sharing information on diet for allergy reduction, eczema & psoriasis cessation. Since 2011, Nadia has been an avid stair climber, achieving race times in the top 5% of her age group and maintaining average times of 3’40 – 3’55 minutes per 12 floors.
