So I've waited a month to write this review. I'm in my 30's, female, and about 220lbs. when I started working out on the Max Trainer, I have since lost 12.3lbs. I have worked out 23 out of the 30 days I have had it.. my 1st work out I burnt 350 calories with 3 sets of 14 mins HIIT work outs throughout the day, a total of 42 mins, my 23rd workout that I just finished I burnt 652 in that same amount of time! It is an AMAZING workout, absolutely the best imaginable and that I've ever had for sure. I quietly tell it I love it like every day lol. So this was pricey for me but I'm glad I took the chance. I did A LOT of research and landed on this machine. Even if money wasn't an object I still would go with the M3 as opposed to the other, more expensive models. They only add a backlit display, a more convenient cup holder, and heart rate sensors on the machine, which I don't find neccessary, you know you're getting an amazing workout on this machine w/o the HR monitor, although the M3 comes with a strap on one but I found that uncomfortable. Putting it together was rather easy. I am a woman and I'm not a weakling but I'm not super strong either and I found this to be a rather enjoyable experience ( I like putting things together). I did have a friend help with the mounting of the body, I would imagine that would be super hard with only one person handling it. Once that was set I did the rest myself (the arms where a bit trick but still duable with just me). The delivery was tricky though. The delivery date kept changing on me and I had to reschedule work for it..it was really frustrating. When it arrived the delivery guys were very nice and asked if the could bring it upstairs ( I have an apartment on the 2nd floor), which was amazing because of the weight I was planning on taking it apart downstairs and bringing it up piece by piece. There was a hole on the box that some parts fell out of inside of my apartment building. that I didn't notice till I was putting it together, luckily my landlord had picked it up for safe keeping and gave it to me a few days later. I did purchase the insurance on this as Bowflex only provides a 1 year warranty on this machine, (but fingers crossed) so far so good. The machine is smooth and durable, that said, you should 100% tighten bolts regularly and keep and eye or ear out for any squeaks or abnormal noises, it should be maintained as you use it. This is literally the most expensive thing I've ever purchased and I absolutely love it. It has given me control over my body that I was desperately needing without access to a gym since Covid hit. If you feel like maybe you can't handle the work out..you can! You can set your own pace and work up to where ever you want to get to.It is pretty small I have it in my "storage room" with the Christmas decorations, doesn't take up too much room like a treadmill would. 110% would reccomend!

I intensely dislike working out. I've tried all kinds of products, regular bike, stationary bike, cross country skiing machine, treadmill, etc. I could tolerate the treadmill but I have a bad toe that gets aggravated walking too long. Many years ago, I had a great little staIr stepper. I still have it but the pistons gave out quite a while ago. I like ellipticals somewhat, but not entirely their motion and definitely not how much room they take up.

I've been looking at the max trainers in sporting goods stores on and off for the better part of a couple years. I've always liked the elliptical stair stepping motion it has. This year I decided to bite the bullet and get one, a basic one is all I need. We received our Max 3 trainer about 3 weeks ago. I am still in process of building up to a full 14 minute session on it, but I really love this machine. It was a little tough to get started the first week as I was so out of shaoe, but after about 3-4 sessions, I'm coming along and really enjoying. It's easy to wake up, do a session on it, watching TV, and go on with my day. My husband likes it too. He said assembly wasn't difficult, just more time consuming than he'd expected. It took the better part of 3 hours, with a break for lunch.

I love that this is a fairly quiet machine and the fact that it takes up about 60% of the space that a true elliptical would.

We considered similar machines from some unknown (to us) brands suggested in the Amazon search, but decided to stick with the Bow flex because it is a well-known brand, is generally well-regarded, and because we could try out other Max series machines in the sporting goods stores so we knew it was a sturdy, quality device and the difference between the basic Max 3 and other higher levels was more about programming and other such features, but the overall motion is the same.

So, in summary, I still hate that I have to work out, but this machine makes it almost pleasant. As a result, I love this machine.

I will try to make this an on going review and check in every few weeks to give updates.
Week (1)
Assembly - Assembly was easy, and took an even 40 minutes for me by myself using only the tools BowFlex provided with the machine. I did not want to use any power tools to give a realistic assembly time and difficulty level. The main portion of the machine is assembled, you will be putting on the rear frame brace (6 bolts), the pedal "arms" 2 bolts, pedals 4 bolts, pop in the rubber pedal pads, the upper arms 6 bolts, and the computer input/middle handles 4 bolts. Most of the assembly time as getting the machine out of the box and set out in the area I was going to assemble it. The rest was very straight forward, there is always available videos to speed you along as well as recommend an impact driver with a set of Allen head bits to make it go even faster.
Use and Ergonomics "“ (Keep in mind I am 6' 235lbs) It is as promised a mix of a stair stepper and elliptical as you are able to use your arms (Biceps - upper bar, or Triceps - lower bar) to help pull/push you through the stepper action. The step action does have a reciprocating action that is similar to a standard elliptical. With that being said my initial feelings on these items are that 1. I wish there was a little more range of movement on the arms. The step stride seems good to me however I feel that regardless of where I place my hands my throw length is short. I would like to have it with a bit more extensions for a fuller range of motion. Perhaps this is was the middle ground for use with all users.
The steps stride seems decent, pretty close to that of a "to code" set of stairs so that part definitely feels comfortable/natural. The elliptical action of the pedals is not all that much really. As state it does a slight reciprocal action but do not expect this to feel like and standard elliptical at an incline. It is a stepper at heart, with the added arm movement.
On last part regarding ergonomics, as mentioned I am 6', I feel as though I am leaning forward while using it. It doesn't cause any issues that I can tell/feel yet, just takes a bit of getting used to. My girlfriend is 5'5" 110lbs and she says the same thing, so it would seem it is just the design.
Machine "“ I have used it 6 days in the first week, and unsure of the full additional use from my girlfriend though everything is working well. Not weird squeaks or noises. Everything seems to be running smoothly as intended. One thing is I do wish it had a slightly wider base. This would of course increase the smaller footprint, which is/was a selling point for at least me though I favor my left leg heavily as my right leg knee down was destroyed in a motorcycle accident. Because of my favoring (not a machine flaw) I can start to wobble the machine at its base. So would be good to have it wider for me personally, but my girlfriend says it's plenty stable for her so I think it would be for the average users so I wouldn't hold this against the machine.
Computer / Training "“ The machine has 2 uses profiles which is nice. My girlfriend has a much lower burn zone that makes me a bit jealous because mine is way up there on the dial. I do not see any sort of logging directly on this model's computer but I basically just use it for time and cadence with I write down on my work out sheet and I also use wahoo or mapmyfitness apps to get the heartrate data etc. This did come with its own heart rate strap which will display on the screen, but again not work out logging so you must document it, if you care, during the complete working screen or I think it is gone after that. Perhaps all the higher/mewer models (m5, 6, 7, 8) keep this all or use their Bowflex app for that. One thing I do wish this had from the higher model is a back lit LCD portion of the screen. The dial/burn rate is light fine, the LCD with the cadence, HR etc. is not. Where I have the machine, and that I am working out first thing in the morning, it is very difficult to read. Can't think of anything else to write other than the effects. Well it exercise, so it will work. I have not setup the "max trainer" interval program yet, I just am warming up to the machine this last week with just going timed so I am sure that will hurt (not sure how manually changing the resistance while using the machine will go though). I cannot attest to their calorie burn claims on this either of course but either way its smallish, works about everything, good work out. More to come later.
Week 2 - Week 2 complete. I still haven't messed with the Max Interval work out program nor settings as of yet. I have kept up with using it 6 days a week and I did hear a noise at one point. I found that the arms that go from the foot pedal to the rotating assembly are able to move side to side a bit. When putting it together it seemed as those the bolt/washer you put over that portion butts up against the side of the bearing and locks it in place but as I said it does allow some side to side movement. This is where the noise came from and I am wondering if I bumped the "arm" with my leg or something to knock it sideways a bit because I don't see how else it could have happened since that entire section self-rights itself as you use it (roller bearings lower and the horizontal bearings upper. I don't think its a problem at all, just for other's information to look if they here a clunk type noise at some point. Everything else is going as in the first week so far. Started week 3 today and will again try to follow up with an update.
Week 3- More of the same. This last week I did not have any new sounds. I upped the resistance and of course it worked just fine. Up to 30 minutes at a time now, still in the early morning and I am still wishing the screen had the back lighting so I can see the cadence etc. but still not worth stepping up the next model of this machine for just that, just need better lighting or work out later to document my stats better. My plan, and due to time constraints, is the stay at 40 minute workouts before work so I will keep upping the resistance until I top out with it at 30 minutes.. then worry about either finding more time to work out or drop the money on one of the newest machines with more resistance levels at that time. One thing I have noticed now is that the lower arms, for working triceps, doesn't do all that much for me. Not sure if it is the posture using them puts me in, their starting location or whatever, but it just doesn't seem to do much. They are more moving arm rests, however when using the upper arms, more back and biceps, like a traditional elliptical I get a better workout and feel it.
Week 4, 5 & 6 / Final - I think I have given this a fair amount of time and consistent usage 5-6 days a week now. I am up to level 3 for minutes in the morning before work which fits my schedule well. I have been increasing the resistance level up 1, for the last 5 minutes of my work out every week to keep advancing. This level seem to work out well with the 1 or 2 days of rest at the end of the week. I am technically now on week 6 so it has been some time. At the start of week 4 the left "arm" developed a squeak at the roller. I put a little water on it to test it out which sure enough silenced it for a bit before evaporating. I contacted Bowflex support who advised I should get some treadmill lubricant (look for 100% silicone brands) which has worked. Though I have to say that I am a little disappointed for the price of these over competitors they didn't include a tiny bit if this is a known issue/maintenance item. Since this squeak started I have of course been looking more at the roller and noticed that the left side that is squeaking seems to ride more on the right side of the roller, toward the inside of the rail bar instead of right in the middle. This is the case even moving it without being on it, as I wanted to make sure my left leg wasn't pushing the pedal outward over compensating for my bad leg. Seems as though mine is just a bit off on alignment or the roller itself is miss formed. Other than the squeak this doesn't seem to be an issue, especially with the added silicone which I apply a tiny bit once a week. The roller slides, without rolling, over the silicone for quiet sometime before it wears of a bit and the roller starts to roller as intended again. Suppose this is a testament to the silicone but just hoping even with the seeming miss alignment this will prolong the time before I need to get new rollers, which I am contemplating ordering now before they are not available any longer in a couple years since they are consumable items. I can't think of much more and hope there isn't any more surprises in the coming weeks but will end my review here unless something big happens. Over all recommended.

9/12/22 Machine still runs like new as long as I use silicone dry spray on the rollers every week or two. Without the spray the rubber rollers start to squeak and grind on the metal bars, but has been like that since the beginning. Very solid after several years of consistent use. If this broke I would buy another.

7/15/20 Update: I still love this machine... use 6 times a week, 3 days anaerobic, 3 days aerobic. I'm off ~25 pounds but have started to plateau. I think I may need to get slightly more diet disciplined. I've added a Polar H10 chest strap and Grit X watch. They are awesome also. Only bad thing is my Max Trainer heart beat sensor only seems to work once every few weeks... its been wonky since Day 1... but now I reference my watch when working out, which pairs perfectly with the H10 chest strap.

I had used a lower cost elliptical in my home for the past year, 3-4 times per week. A year later it was getting very squeaky and wobbly despite my multiple attempts to tighten things up and lubricate it appropriately. With the whole COVID lockdown my 18 year old son, a senior in high school, was now locked in home and had to also use this machine vs. working out at school. He's very athletic. He really tore up that old cheap elliptical. The good news, with my being 53 years old the elliptical helped stop my weight gain after I had quit smoking a few years previously and it toned up select muscles in my body (mostly my thighs and then my biceps a little bit). But a year later my cardio was still not particularly good and at 250 pounds, I now wanted to lose weight, not just stop putting it on.

I ordered the M5 through Amazon in the early stages of the "lockdown" and got a descent price. Let me start by saying the Max Trainer will not burn off the weight. It took me a week of actually starting to gain weight after my purchase to come to the conclusion that weight loss is all about calorie deficit... period. 90%-95% of my calorie burn was from just being alive and the Max Trainer or even the previous elliptical only contributes 5%-10% of calorie burn. With that out of the way, after 3+ weeks of use: I love my M5!
- The unit seems solidly built (note: there are some personal testimonials about pieces breaking or defective from the beginning - knock on wood, hopefully that is not my experience and has not be been my experience)
- A day after I set it up there was a slight squeak... I went back and tightened all the bolts, found some loose ones and all the odd noises went away
- With my respiratory challenges I reprogrammed the 14 minute Max training downward after my first attempt at a work out, real easy to reprogram
- Every single day I have been able to pump up either the intensity level or resistance level a notch in the programming
- My first workout I barely cracked 100 calories, 3 weeks in I'm ~160 calories in 14 minutes
- In 3 weeks, using 6 days per week, I have lost 8.1 pounds, my breathing is greatly improved, my energy level has increased and I am toning up in all kinds of additional places
- During my initial setup I was capable of performing at level 3 and burning 15 calories per minute in HIIT mode without hyperventilating, now I'm up to level 7 burning 25 calories per minute in HIIT mode and I'm not close to hyperventilating... and there are 16 resistance levels and I can (theoretically) go to a 40 calorie per minute (HIIT) mode with the M5, so lots of "growth" potential with the machine
- 14 minutes, while intense, is so quick I'm not bored on the machine like I was on the elliptical doing 1/2 hour sessions
- My son also loves the machine, already knocking out 260 calories in 14 minutes
- The heartrate monitor band sucks. I replaced the battery and it still sucks - connects to the Trainer for maybe a minute of the 14 each session - I've ordered the Polar H10 for a replacement as that has great reviews. We'll see how it goes.

In summary, my experience with the M5 is that it is a solid, well-built machine. It is very easy to use and program. It really pushes me, but I can set it within my personal limitations easily. I find it motivating to seek small improvement daily. Along with a diet that is targeting a 500 calorie per day deficit in 3 weeks I feel like I'm experiencing a greater result with toning and breathing capability than after a year of using my elliptical. I easily hop up 2 flights of steps in my house without being out of breath. I couldn't do that before.

Since winter has fallen I have picked up 7 lbs in 6 weeks not being able to do my normal daily activity. 51 M 219lbs when this arrived. First of all STELLAR shipping - I got it delivered in less than 24 hours from the time of payment on Amazon. UNBELIEVEABLE AND AWESOME!

Assembly was very cool - the initial unboxing is a bit laborious. You basically cut away the box, remove all the parts which are taped into the styrofoam packing, get everything out of the way and get started. There is a GREAT YouTube video showing the assembly - it's perfect. Makes assembly very easy, and the instructions are plenty clear and easy to follow. All parts and tools were provided, no issues at all with the package.

Assembly went well - I assembled it alone. The first step of getting the main support in place was strangely a bit of a PITA but once I got that the rest of the assembly was straight forward. You'll want to be your rachet and allen key sockets if you have them to make the process much easier.

The overall quality of the unit is very good - it feels solid. I've done 2 works outs so far, one 14 min interval training and 20 mins of steady state. The exercise position is between an elliptical and a stair climber so my muscles initially felt uncomfortable/quickly fatigued for a bit as they get used to the motion. I got a great sweat out of the 14 min interval training and was sucking wind pretty good. The steady state was great and I know I'll be up to my normal 30-40 mins of cardio in short order.

A couple of cons:

* Only 2 programs included - 14 min interval or free mode
* LED screen is not backlight and can be a bit difficult to read
* There is a tray to hold your phone or something but once you start sweating the sweat drops right into that spot - don't recommend having anything in that spot, I'm tempted to cut it off lol!

Oh for the interval program the unit makes nice bell noises signaling the start/end of each interval - really sounds good and is a nice touch.

Overall it's a fantastic unit - I'm going to use it for years to come. If it holds up I'm sure an M5 or M7 is in my future.