Bowflex Max Trainer M6 Review: Short Workouts, Serious Effort

The Bowflex Max Trainer M6 is a compact cardio machine that sits somewhere between a stepper and a cross trainer, and it is built around one specific idea: that most people do not have an hour to give to cardio. The motion is steeper and more vertical than a conventional elliptical, which drives your heart rate up quickly and makes short interval sessions genuinely hard work. Bowflex leans on that with a signature 14-minute Max Interval programme. The headline verdict is that the M6 delivers exactly what it promises, a demanding workout in a small space and a small amount of time, but it is expensive for what is a fairly simple machine, and the steep motion will not suit everyone.

This is the mid-range model in the Max Trainer line. It keeps the same frame, the same 16 resistance levels and the same movement as the pricier models, and saves money by using a straightforward backlit LCD console instead of a large built-in touchscreen. In practice that means you prop your own phone or tablet on the media shelf. For most home users that is the sensible trade, because the workout does not change and the saving is significant.

Who it is for

The M6 makes most sense for someone with a spare room rather than a spare garage, and twenty minutes rather than an hour. Time-pressed office workers, people returning to training after a long break, and anyone who wants low-impact cardio that still feels like real effort are the natural fit. It also suits households where a treadmill is out of the question because of noise or ceiling height.

It is a poor fit for two groups. If you like long, gentle, steady-state sessions, the steep motion becomes tiring in a way that is more about local leg fatigue than cardiovascular work, and a plain exercise bike is a better buy. And if you are chasing maximum machine for your money, the M6 is expensive next to a well-specified conventional cross trainer. Our best cross trainer UK guide covers the alternatives at various budgets.

Build and assembly

The frame is the best part of the machine. It is heavy, wide-footed and does not rock or creak even when you are pushing hard out of the saddle, which is more than can be said for a lot of cardio kit at this price. The moving arms are solid, the pedals are large and grippy, and the whole thing feels like it will take years of use rather than months.

Assembly is the usual story for a machine of this size. Expect somewhere between one and two hours, and it is far easier with a second pair of hands because of the weight of the main frame. The instructions are adequate rather than good. Once built, it is heavy and there are transport wheels, but moving it between rooms is a two-person job you will want to do once.

The workout, and why it feels hard

This is the part that separates the Max Trainer from an ordinary cross trainer. Instead of a long, flat oval, your feet travel a much steeper and more vertical path, so every stroke asks more of your glutes and quads while your arms drive the handles. The practical result is that your heart rate climbs quickly and stays there. Level 6 on this machine is not level 6 on a typical elliptical.

That plays directly into interval work, and the built-in 14-minute Max Interval programme is a well-judged use of it: short, hard bursts against easier recovery periods. The evidence behind that style of training is good. Interval work produces comparable or greater improvements in aerobic capacity than longer moderate sessions while taking substantially less time (review of high-intensity interval training). If your barrier to cardio is genuinely the clock, this machine is designed around that problem.

The honest caveat is that "low impact" and "easy on the joints" are not the same thing. There is no jarring, which is the real benefit, but the steep path puts the knee through a deeper bend than a flat elliptical. Most people are fine. A minority, including some with existing knee trouble, find it uncomfortable and would be better served by a conventional cross trainer or a rowing machine. It is also worth remembering that a hard 15 minutes does not replace the broader target of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week set out in the NHS physical activity guidelines, though vigorous work counts at roughly double the rate.

Console, app and value

The LCD console is functional and no more. It shows the numbers you need, the backlight is clear, and the media shelf holds a phone or a tablet at a sensible angle. Nobody will call it exciting, and if you want a large integrated screen you are looking at the step-up models. For a lot of buyers the M6 is the smarter purchase precisely because you already own a better screen than any machine will give you.

The JRNY app connects over Bluetooth and adds guided sessions, adaptive coaching and tracking over time. It is a genuine extra if you want structure and someone talking you through the work, and it is a subscription you can happily ignore. The machine's own programmes and manual mode are fully usable without paying anything, which is worth stating plainly because it is not always obvious from the marketing.

Value is where the M6 draws most of its criticism, and fairly. This is a lot of money for a machine with a basic display, no folding mechanism and a modest programme list. What you are actually paying for is the motion, the footprint and the build quality, and those three things are hard to get elsewhere in this combination. If space is your binding constraint, that premium is easier to justify. If it is not, a conventional cross trainer or a spin bike gives you more for less. For a fuller picture of the compact cardio options, see our home gym section.

Recommended reads

• Best Cross Trainer UK
• Best Spin Bike UK
• Rowing machine vs cross trainer
• Home gym equipment guides