Yeah, I preferred the Nautilus machines because the workouts were quick and efficient. But I wasn't trying to get swole. Just adding some strength without bulk or sacrificing flexibility.
Back in the 1980s there was a TV ad campaign for a home gym that used the Nautilus type concept, but designed for the user's own body to serve as the weight. Very clever design. I tried one in a sporting goods shop. Unfortunately it had some quality control problems and, even if that had been resolved, couldn't overcome the stigma against weight machines at that time.
Most Bowflex devices I've tried are terrible, because the elastic bands don't correspond with many real world scenarios where you'd need that particular type of strength. But the Bowflex channel on YouTube offers some of the best videos I've seen for specific workouts that don't require any machines or devices, and they aren't trying to sell anything. Every video is very specific, concise, no fluff or host rambling on incessantly like this post I'm writing...