Anyone own a bowflex m5

I'm using one right now. It's awesome but a lot of work. It really does push you like it says. If you aren't use to using your legs a lot you will feel the burn and soreness the next day. It's kind of like an elliptical but also like stair master as well. You really need to push down to get it going and feel the burn. Have been working on it and so far I'm doing great with weight loss!

I got the M5 set up this weekend and you are right...it KICKS YOUR BUTT! I can't wait till I can begin the max interval training...I need to build up to it. This machine is wonderful!

We just got ours set up tonight and it is a workout! I can't wait to jump on it!

I've been using the M5 for around a year now. At first it was so much of a workout, even on the lowest resistance, that I simply couldn't do it. I walked instead for several months. After a couple of injuries I went back to it about six months ago and just kept at it until I could stay on the thing. I started at the lowest resistance and when I felt like I couldn't continue I would simply slow way down, almost stopping, until my heart rate would go back down and it felt like I could go longer. I started with 5 minutes, then 7, then 10, then 15 and eventually up to an hour. I then slowly over the last months started adjusting the resistance up. This was all on the steady state or the manual program mode (just push start and select your resistance and go as long as you want). I now do 30 minutes each morning on level 10 for a 500 calorie burn or so, then after doing some weight training I go back and do a 14 minute MAX workout on level 10. It's a hell of a workout.

My M5 started to grind today so it probably needs repair which is a bummer (just when I was getting used to it), but I still love it and it's under warranty for two years (the M5 is anyway) total so I should be able to get it fixed.

Feel free to ask any questions you want, I'd be happy to answer. Not sure what I would do without my MAX trainer and honestly if it broke and couldn't be repaired I would buy another one. It's that good.

Looks like an awesome machine. Too much for my blood but looks like it would get you results.

mca90guitar wrote: »

Looks like an awesome machine. Too much for my blood but looks like it would get you results.

It was expensive, but worth it to me. I bought it on a sale/promotion so I got a decent deal direct from Bowflex, and they gave me 0% interest financing so it was easy to buy. I've had it for about 3 years now and it's still going strong. I break it down every few months (at least twice a year) and grease all the bearings/rollers and it keeps on kicking my *kitten* hardcore lol. I expect to get another year out of it and then will probably need to have it repaired by Bowflex (I think eventually the internals will wear out) since I run the thing these days on max resistance 100% of the time.

simon_weir wrote: »

@Spliner1969
Thanks for your advice on this - I've bought a Polar H7 but I am having trouble getting it to connect to my Bowflex M5. Can I just check what settings you are using in the Polar Beats app for the H7 (do you use this?) - there are two toggles for "Visibility" and for "GymLink" - at the moment the M5 sees the H7 for a few seconds when I turn off "GymLink" but then drops out... - turning "GymLink" on and off again makes it reconnect but only for 5 seconds or so. (As far as I can see "Visibility" has no effect)

Otherwise the H7 is a huge improvement on the supplied strap and I agree about the calorie counting - you have to take into account the heart rate as well

Thanks for you help !

How long have you had your H7? Could it need a new battery? I notice my M5 drop mine out when the battery is about half way or a bit less. These days I ignore it because I use Endomondo instead on elliptical setting go gauge my calorie burn rather than the M5 so to me it doesn't matter if it connects or not, I just lay my phone on the cradle on the M5 and can watch my heart rate without it dropping. My older H7 (I had it for about 1.5 years) got really bad about dropping out with both the M5 and the phone so I replaced it. Been great but the last couple of weeks it's been dropping in and out on the M5 (but not the phone yet). It's probably the battery needing replaced since I've had the 'new' one for about six months now.

There are a few other things you should try with the H7...

1) At least every other use (I try to do it every time) take off the unit from the strap and rinse the strap under warm water really good, dry it with a towel and hang it to let it dry overnight. I hang mine in front of a standing fan on a hanger to dry it quicker. Once a week I'll soak it in hot water and a little laundry detergent (a very light amount) then rinse and dry for use the next week. It keeps buildup from sweat/salt on the snaps and keeps it from smelling bad lol.
2) Make sure you are moistening the contacts and your skin under where the contacts are well when wearing the strap. I even keep around a couple tubes of Electro Gel (you can find it cheaply on Amazon). It's water based conductive gel, a dab about the size of a small pea on the contacts makes instant contact with your skin and helps connectivity. Some dropouts are caused by your skin getting dry under the contacts. Generally with the Bowflex this isn't an issue (especially after about half way through a workout lol) but at first if you're not sweating it can be an issue.
3) Try replacing the battery. If you've had it a while, or if it sat in a warehouse for a long time before you bought it (who knows) it might be low. The Polar app always tells me mine is near full even if it's not. They are available at local stores, either in the battery isle or around the jewelry counter (because some watches use the same types). I believe the H7 uses a CR2025. If you have a choice, go with a good brand, Duracell or Energizer. Off brand/cheaper ones don't seem to last as long before they give me trouble.

I bought it but I didn’t like it, I found it required WAY to much work to burn the same calories I did on a elliptical easily. Not sure if the calorie counter was off but either way it seemed to be more of a weighted workout then an actual active workout. The more weight you added the more calories you burned where as on an elliptical you can burn more calories with different incline as opposed to adding weight. It was to hard for someone who’s not used to weight training. I have lost 50 pounds on the elliptical so I’m sticking to it