The All New Bowflex Max Intelligence App…What’s it All About?

The new Bowflex Max Intelligence App (now called Bowflex JRNY) seemed to come out of nowhere, as did the brand new models that feature this new technology.

Although the Max Trainer M5 and M7 were both introduced not too long ago, they were just replaced by the all new M6, M8 and new top of the line model Max Total. We’re guessing the company was anxious to incorporate the new version of the Max app.

This appears to be Bowflex’s answer to ICON Health’s iFit program, found on all of the NordicTrack and ProForm elliptical trainers. The two programs share many similarities.

Let’s take a closer look at the Bowflex JRNY App to see what it is all about….

Max Intelligence App (JRNY) – Bowflex M6, M8 and Total Max Trainers

Bowflex currently offers four different Max Trainers.

You have the base M3, the new M6 that replaced the M5, the new M8 that replaced the M7, and the latest model, the Max Total.

The M3 is the entry level model, and doesn’t have Bluetooth capability or any app integration. The M6, M8 and Max Total do however, and those Max Trainers give you access to Bowflex JRNY.

What is that exactly? In a nutshell, it’s a complete suite of tools that help you get more out of your workouts.

Using your own smart phone or tablet, or the Samsung touch screen on the Bowflex Total Max, you can open up the app and begin your journey.

For starters, you get customized workouts based on your inputs and performance. The system adapts to your progress and recommends workouts to fit your needs, even if you only have as few as four minutes to work out.

It also gives you access to a library of on-demand workouts featuring Bowflex Master trainers, so you can choose whatever workout most appeals to you, and change things up from one day to the next.

You get Bowflex radio, which streams music of all genres to provide the background of all of your workouts.

There’s also the Run Social app integration with maps of locations around the world, and Samsung Health syncing to keep tabs on your progress.

Bowflex states that the JRNY program is ever-evolving, so they will be adding new features and capabilities based on feedback from customers and data that it gathers through the program itself. So by the time you are reading this review they may have already incorporated many additional things.

It’s part of a growing trend of interactive programming that goes beyond workout tracking to help you get as much as possible out of your elliptical.

So far, iFit and Bowflex’s JRNY appear to be the most comprehensive of all of the programs out there, but that’s not surprising because ICON Health and Bowflex’s parent company Nautilus are two of the largest exercise equipment corporations in the world.

They both have huge budgets to work with in developing these programs.

How Does Max Intelligence (Bowflex JRNY) Compare to iFit Coach?

As we mentioned above, the JRNY app appears to be very similar to ICON Health’s iFit, a program that can be found on all of the newer NordicTrack and ProForm ellipticals.

They have their similarities and their differences. Let’s take a look at how the two compare:

Bowflex JRNY App

• Available on Bowflex equipment only
• Some Max Trainers come with two free months
• Cost is $19.99 monthly or $149 per year
• Requires a tablet/smart phone (except Max Total)

iFit

• Available on NordicTrack, ProForm and other ICON brands only
• There is a paid version only (some ellipticals come with free year)
• Cost is $15/month for individual, $33/month for family of 5
• Requires tablet/smart phone on some models, built into others

The Bowflex JRNY app is obviously newer, so it doesn’t have all of the features of iFit, which has been around for many years now.

iFit gives you endless on demand workouts, training worldwide with Google maps, a huge community of over a million users, sleep tracking, personalized meal plans and so much more.

One of the key differences though is that iFit is required on all of the NordicTrack and ProForm ellipticals and Bowflex JRNY is not as of this writing. Note that it’s not even available on the base Max Trainer M3.

That might change over time as Bowflex figures out the best way to develop the product, but for now you don’t have to pay a membership fee on the Max Trainer M6 or M8.

Bowflex JRNY App Review – What’s the Bottom Line?

We’ve just started working with this new app, so check back with us often to see what our experiences have been and how it compares with other programming out there.

For now JRNY seems like a great new addition, making your workouts on the M6, M8 and Total Max Trainers that much more effective and enjoyable.

If you’ve used the new app on your Max Trainer, tell us about your experiences. We love to hear from our readers, and it helps us create a more comprehensive review.