My family and I are delighted to be test driving a brand new cross trainer from Bowflex called the Max Trainer M7.

As you can see above, we all got involved in building the equipment up, which was not only great fun but an excellent team building activity. It didn’t quite take 33 seconds to build but it was just over an hour real time! Instructions were really clear, the main part of the cross trainer is quite heavy so make sure you have at least two pairs of hands to help you build it up.

Please note, this blog post is not a review. Yet! This is more of an introduction to the Bowflex Max Trainer M7. My Wife and I will be including this piece of kit into our exercise routine over the next few weeks. Then I’ll be doing a more in depth product review.

What Does A Cross Trainer Do?

The best thing about the cross trainer (or elliptical trainer as it’s sometimes known) is that it allows to work both upper body muscles (biceps, triceps, abdominals and pectorals) and lower body muscles (legs, thighs and buttocks). Unlike some other cardio machines, cross trainers provide a full body workout allowing you to burn a maximum of calories and lose weight.

To give your arms an effective workout, simply hold onto the handles (many positions available with the Bowflex Max Trainer M7), pushing and pulling as you move your feet on the pedals. Bowflex also boast that their unique motion can provide greater activation of the upper body muscles than standard machines.

The Bowflex Max Trainer M7

Here’s an official video from Bowflex on their YouTube site…

The Max Trainer M7 is the top of the range model featuring:

• Enhanced dual mode LCD/LED displays
• Commercial grade handles
• Aerobar grips with burn rate and resistance level adjustments
• Sport performance racing pedals
• 2 additional workout programs
• 4 more levels of resistance

The Bowflex Max Trainer M7 has a unique ‘burn rate’ display, which puts you in total control. It shows you how many calories you’re burning every minute and sets activity level targets throughout your workout. The M7 burns but also learns thanks to the all new performance targeted programming. As you train, the Max M7 stores and responds to you, coaching and adjusting to your needs. I’m really looking forward to putting the Bowflex Max Trainer through it’s paces.

I recently read that ‘lack of time’ is the number one barrier when working out. The ‘Max Interval Workout’ gives you the cardio benefits of a much longer workout in just 14 minutes. Now who doesn’t have 14 minutes to spare every other day?

I personally find tracking helps with my motivation so the free Max Trainer app will be an excellent addition. Track your personal fitness goals, stream instructional videos, and sync with partner apps like Google Fit, Apple Health, and MyFitnessPal.

So the M7 is built in our kitchen, no room in our gym yet! It’s been getting some hammer from the four of us, the kids love it and we’ve been keeping an eye on them so don’t worry. When people visit us, we’ve been making them try it too for feedback, ha!

Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for our thoughts.

*Disclaimer: This was a collaborative post with Bowflex and I was given the Max Trainer M7 in order to give an honest review. All words and opinions are my own.