[6] The BowFlex grew out of a now-expired patent[7] first conceived by an Ethiopian engineering student in the United States, named Tessema Dosho Shifferaw.

With the success of BowFlex, the company bought Nautilus International, Inc., Schwinn Fitness, and Stairmaster.

In March 2024, BowFlex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing poor post-COVID sales for its collapse.

Taiwan-based Johnson Health Tech soon announced that it would acquire all of BowFlex's assets for $37.5 million.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said that the seats could unexpectedly break and that the backboard bench could collapse when in the incline position on the Power Pro model.