The original Bowflex machine came out in 2004 which was the combination of polymer rods. It was marketed as a machine that created constant tension or resistance, and taking up much less space than a complete weight set. It was created by an Ethiopian engineering student in San Fransisco. Bowflex Inc. was the name of the production company since 1989, they also own and market the Nautilus, Schwim Exercise, Stairmaster, and Pearl Izumi lines among other brands.