By 2 January, my Christmas/New Year hangover has just about cleared and, right on time, the annual fitness bug has pulled into the station, as it does every year without fail (clearly not operated by Southern Rail). Nationwide, gyms are filled to capacity, with regulars complaining about the wave of well-meaning newbies and queues for weights and treadmills almost as long as those for a drink in the pub on Christmas Eve. Having endured this annual onslaught too many times before, this year I decide it’s time to try to get my cardio fix from the comfort of my home, and plump (perhaps not the best word to use) for the Bowflex MAX Trainer M7, a compact cross-trainer that “works to build a perfect body,” according to the manufacturer. Challenge accepted.
Essentially the love-child of a stair-stepper and an elliptical (although there’s nothing romantic about their union, I assure you), the M7 of ers 11 workouts, 20 resistance levels and a range of features to track every aspect of your training — an unpaid, digital coach of sorts. Everything, from the detailed displays to the spaceage pedals, is designed to encourage users to push harder and more ef iciently than on previous models.