Bowflex

The Bowflex grew out of a now expired patent first conceived by an Ethiopian engineering student in San Francisco, Tessema Dosho Shifferaw. Bowflex of America, Inc. began marketing the first product, The Bowflex 2000X in 1986. Bowflex of America changed its name to Bowflex, Inc, and became a public company on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Instead of conventional weights or pulley machines, the original Bowflex machine uses a combination of polymer flex rods (where the name "Bowflex" comes from) to create resistance or tension. Bowflex markets their machines as taking up much less space than a complete set of weights and home gym machines.

Bowflex has expanded their exercise equipment line to include treadmills, free weights, the new Bowflex Revolution system, and more.