Should I buy a total gym??

ndj1979

I personally would prefer a power rack, adjustable bench, barbell, weight plates, bumper plates, floor pad

Me and you both bro!

capnrus789

Get it, or Chuck Norris will round-house kick your face off.

FitnSassy

I suggest going to a fitness equipment store and trying it out first to see if you like it. That's what I did. I went to Sears. #hatedit

LeslieC1970

I bought one but would recommend you look at a Bowflex. The Bowflex is better.

GoneKona

Absolutely, dude! I'm getting back into triathlons and the TG is the ONLY method of resistance training I use. It's brilliant! You can't go wrong. Unless you want to be a heavy duty bodybuilder, this thing is the only thing you need to lift with.

ndj1979

update - I got a gym membership and freaking love it! Waayyyyy better than working out from home...been at it for like four months now...

JNick77

If space is a concern then get a Horizontal Dip & Chin-Up Station, a Hex Bar and start buying plates. Far more useful than the Total Gym. I guarantee that Dips and Chin's are far better than anything on the Total Gym.

jasonheyd

If space is a concern then get a Horizontal Dip & Chin-Up Station, a Hex Bar and start buying plates. Far more useful than the Total Gym. I guarantee that Dips and Chin's are far better than anything on the Total Gym.

Total Gym's useful for working up to full-blown dips & chin/pull-ups though. When I started, there was no way I was doing anything resembling a real dip or a real pull-up.

links_slayer

chuck liddell jack rack instead plz

susan45013

I had a total gym. I hated it. Ended up being a great shelf for awhile till i gave it away for free. Couldnt even sell it.

pcdoctor01

I had a total gym. I hated it. Ended up being a great shelf for awhile till i gave it away for free. Couldnt even sell it.

Wow! Couldn't even give it away?
I vote for free weights instead of the Total Gym.

ittybittybadonkadonk

I have a total gym and absolutely love it :bigsmile:

Muggsmagee

We have a Total Gym XLS and love it. I have free weights, pullup bar, etc, etc, also...but for convenience, the Total Gym is my go to for resistance workout. My goal is to strengthen my muscles (overall body) and lose weight. I am not looking to become a body builder at this point in time, but I have no reason to think someone couldn't get there while using this gym. While there are pilates attachments and exercises, the TG is not at all like pilates if using it for merely resistance. Right now I mostly use the TG for circuit training.

Free weights are fantastic. No doubt about it. But there are moves you CAN do on the TG that can not be done with free weights and a flat bench alone. Pullovers, leg curls, outer hip and thigh, iron cross (you can't get that range with a simple dip or free weights), inner thigh pull, inverted situps, surfer...to name a few. I personally love doing pullups on the TG because I can work on that range of motion and target the muscles without feeling like a failure on my actual pullup bar, which I can not use properly...even with a stool or chair. Plus the stretch before engaging the muscle you are using is fantastic!

CONS of the Total Gym:
~Price...it is very expensive
~Size...it is big/long. For me, it is not convenient to collapse and move, so it sits in the corner of my bedroom ready to use each time.
~Weight/resistance... you would have to buy the additional attachment to add weights if level 6 is not enough for you.
~Leg Presses/Squats...don't have enough weight for me to get a deep burn without doing many additional reps and sets.
~I prefer bicep curls/exercises with free weights (this is a personal choice for me).
~Some floor exercises are better at targeting certain muscle groups.

PROS of the Total Gym:
~Convenience...it's always ready to use.
~Great range of motion.
~Targets multiple muscle groups with minimal change of position.
~Quick change of attachments and resistance levels keeps your heart in target range when moving from each exercise.
~Tricep workouts hit my arms best on the TG than with most free weight exercises, and I feel it in the parts that are the most difficult for me to target.
~Great for family to workout on. My kids use it a few times each week...my son for building strength, and both for practicing their jumping (one and two legged) and lunges to help with the sports they are involved in. My husband is big into playing sports but does not enjoy working out or free weights. He just started with the TG and raves about it. Shoulder presses are currently one of his favorites (no problems for his surgically repaired rotator cuff).
~Stretching while exercising. I don't feel tight after "lifting" like I have in the past with free weights because I get a full stretch on the TG as I'm performing each exercise...and I don't have to stretch for longer periods of time at the end of my workout.
~Great for toning.
~Great for building muscle.
~Control of movements is easy. Sometimes with free weights you hit your max rep and just want to drop at that peak/burn. There is no fear of dropping weight on your head, foot, toe, hand, buddy, etc.
~No need for a spotter.
~You can't swing through your movements (like too many novices do with free weights).
~I can use it in the morning while my husband sleeps...there are no loud noises and clanging of weights.
~The DVD's are great to get you started and give a better understanding on how to best use the TG.
~Saves time and money from going to the gym (not just the gym fees, the gas to drive there, etc).
~Sturdy piece of equipment

I have used my Total Gym to assist with other workouts. During P90X I used the pullup feature on the TG, used it as a bench for some of the seated moves.

From someone who is an all around sucker for workout infomercials the Total Gym is no gimmick. It is consistently the one thing I use over and again. I'm not sure the free weight advocates here have ever tried one, or they may feel differently. To the original poster, if you want to spend the money and have the space for it, I say go for it! Once you have it set up and learn how to move the attachments around, working out is a piece of cake. :0)

OkieTink

I am currently watching a Total Gym on Ebay and wondered if anyone has used one and if so if they are worth the money? (the one with Chuck Norris in the promo)

I currently don't do much in the way of strength training and can't really afford a gym membership and thought this could be good.

Thoughts and comments would be welcomed.

Cheers

Buy a treadmill, ya' can't hang clothes on a Total Gym

jak12345

I would NOT buy TG new, but I bought one used for $75 and thought it was well worth the money. Other similar brands are far less expensive new as well. This type of machine allows for a variety of exercises to get full body workout. That said, you might outgrow it as your fitness level increases. Some models allow you to add additional weight, but otherwise you are limited to `60% of your body weight for resistance. If you are in the beginning phases of exercising and looking for something for 3-5 months I would recommend a used TG. It is a great way to work up to doing pull-ups. Trying before buying is always a good idea if possible.

I also have free weights and dumbbells, but still enjoy the TG for variety and some of the unique exercises.

jasonheyd

I would NOT buy TG new, but I bought one used for $75 and thought it was well worth the money. Other similar brands are far less expensive new as well. This type of machine allows for a variety of exercises to get full body workout. That said, you might outgrow it as your fitness level increases. Some models allow you to add additional weight, but otherwise you are limited to `60% of your body weight for resistance. If you are in the beginning phases of exercising and looking for something for 3-5 months I would recommend a used TG. It is a great way to work up to doing pull-ups. Trying before buying is always a good idea if possible.

I also have free weights and dumbbells, but still enjoy the TG for variety and some of the unique exercises.

Agreed... I love my TG, and Muggsmagee's analysis (above) is spot on as well. It's still an expensive piece of equipment, and there tend to be a lot of them on Craigslist, so ... shop around.

Like folks have said, if your workouts are effective and you continue to gain strength, it's pretty easy to out-grow the TG in terms of increasing resistance.

With that said, you can add additional weight through accessories (also not cheap), it will continue to be a good option for blended-cardio style workouts, and it's a really good option for building into full-blown pull-ups, dips, etc. that can be impossible if you're overweight and/or just starting strength training.

I actually use a combination of free weights, resistance bands, the TG and other stuff, all of it at home. Pros and cons to all of it, so figure out what you enjoy and what you'll stick with. That's the most important piece of the equation.

P.S. OkieTink, the TG makes an excellent clothes-rack. Although my wife tends to gripe when I hang my sweaty stuff on it to dry. ;-)

jimmie65

I picked up one with a load of other equipment I bought on Craigslist. I set it up, tried it out a couple of times, and then re-sold it on CL. And I'm the type to hold onto something if there's any use for it. I've even got a bosu in my home gym.

It was just another piece of equipment taking up space that didn't do anything I couldn't do with dumbbells and a pull-up bar.

gsbrooks1

bump

cstinson496

I have the total gym xls and I think its great. It does what it says it does, and its easy to change from one exercise to the next, and fold it up when you are finished to get it out of the way. Its still you that has to keep you accountable and using it. I have the cyclo trainer also and im not a fan of it. It just does nothing for me. It gets boring and tedious and I'm not sure why. I have a total gym, a 40 lb heavy bag, a Stamina orbital rower and a pull up bar (because eventually my goal is to be able to do an unassisted pull up) and i can get a great workout at home in my little gym. I love it.

csuhar

So, a lot of bias towards free weights here... My own perspective is that free weights are quite likely "the best" way to go, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways.

I've got a weight bench in the basement. Plates, bars, bells, the works. I love my free weights. But I don't necessarily love switching out the plates. I don't love having to use a spotter, and I don't love having a row of dumbbells or, in general, the amount of space that it all takes up (1st world problem, I know).

The Total Gym (and other systems like the Bowflex) do let you increment the weight over time, they can provide a good variety of exercise, and they can save you from needing a spotter.

Really, there's nothing the TG will do that free weights won't. It's just a matter of convenience & preference if you're looking to get some basic resistance training into your life.

So, I still say the TG is worth it, and it does get more use than my other equipment. But, like folks have said, a good set of barbells and a pull-up rack of some sort will get you close to everything the TG can offer at a fraction of the price.

I agree. The TG might not be "the best" equipment, but it all goes back to what others have said: "The best" gear is the gear you use. You can have a top-of-the-line home gym or gym membership, but if you're not using it, it's a bunch of expensive paperweights.

The TG can be a good, starter, home gym. If you find the home gym scenario works for you and you keep up with it, you can upgrade as you outgrow it. But at least you're in the habit of using your home gym instead of finding out that you might be one of those people who really needs to go to a standalone gym or one of those people who just isn't ready to make the time commitment, yet.

contingencyplan

My father has one. It's "okay," but the way it works makes many exercises awkward, and the way it works forces poor form on many of them. For a similar (and cheaper, and more compact, and just plain BETTER) system, look into suspension trainers. Far superior.