Your thoguhts on the Total gym

[stedyedy]

I was just watching some late night infomercials and every night the total gym is advertised, in my opionion it looks **** but i havent actually used it for a real workout.....Just wondering what you guys thought about it, im talking about the one that chuck norris is on

[musclekid2010]

it is a piece of ****,my friend has it and i used it once,i hated it,i wasnt really gettin any pumps at all

[RiPPEDTiDE]

i think it's just good for females or people that don't wanna workout hardcore and just wanna "get a lil workout in" you could probably do enough stuff to maintain a fitness model look.

[SLTS]

but if it has resistance isnt it enough to stimulare growth?


im not gonna sit here and say they work...but im not going to say they dont either.

not until i try one

[Ulyanov]

I've tried it at the store, and seen the infomercial way too many times, and it seems like a nice machine, but there's no way I could do a full work out on it. It'd be a nice thing to have in a gym though, to supplement a real workout.

My first post. Wee.

[LiFtInIsFuN]

all it does is tone u up...... i havent used it with the weights on the bar underneath it tho... but i own totaly gym 1000.. and i didnt get big off it, it helps tone and stuff.

[RiPPEDTiDE]

the best home gym...beside a room full of free weights...would probably be the bowflex but you gotta sell your house just to afford one.

[Mark21087]

If you aren't a hardcore bodybuilder, it is fine. The exercises are fun do do b/c your whole body moves.

[Jon_85]

if u use the total gymn ull be built just like chuck norris

[SLTS]

Originally posted by Jon_85
if u use the total gymn ull be built just like chuck norris

really!? dude id love to be built like that when im his age!

[eltorro]

chuck norris can whoop some ass

[Jon_85]

Jet li is awesome. Whod win out of Bruce Lee and Jet li who u think would win?

[thewrestler14]

Are you kidding Bruce Lee is the best martial artist of all time. He could kick Jet Li's ass with a pillow.

[bigjay00]

good for toning but thats it

[BeefMaster]

Tried it just to say I did.I can honestly say I had a better workout mixing a protein shake. Chuck Norris claims to have used it for the past 21 years....dont think so! Now on the other hand, if Christie Brinkley comes with it.....

[jackleg]

Sorry for the posting on something this old, but Chuck Norris has been using the Total Gym for at least 20+ years. I came across an old issue of Black Belt magazine that had the best of the Chuck Norris articles and 2 from 1981 showed Norris working out on the TG. It is quite different than the one he promotes now. It looked like it had about 20 levels of resistence. Also in one article Norris stated he and his family did use others types of equipment to stay in shape, Nautilus and free weights.

[thor93]

i own the "body former",which is a total gym clone.
yes,if you go on it with a negative attitude thinking,"i'm gonna try this just to be able to say it sucks",then your workout on it will indeed definetely suck.but that goes the same for even free weights.if your really not into it and you just decide to nonchalantly and casually do a free weight workout just to tell someone it sucks because you dont really feel interested in working out then yeah,it'll suck as well.
however,if you take this supplementary based machine with the proper approach and use it for all of what it's worth then you can 1)get in a great warm up and conditioning based workout before hitting the free weights and 2)use it after your free weight workout as well to really finish off your chest and especially shoulders.
i've gotten in some tremendously stimulating shoulder workouts on my total gym clone.also,the straight arm pullover is a very dynamic and safe alternative to doing dumbell pullovers.these really overload the tri's,abs,and ribcage region,promoting enhanced pec development.if you put your mind to it and go at it for all it's worth it'll surprise you with it's credentials.btw,i've put plates on the shoulder pad attatchments and this allows me to do one handed rows with 50 lbs added onto my 180 lb frame.so it does have it's place amongst a balanced and complete workout in conjunction with free weights.
when my gym membership runs out in august i will do 20 min on the "body former"followed by 30 min on free weights and then conclude with another 10 on the "body former".

[BloodSugarSxMjk]

I agree with Thor that it's probably a good piece of equipment for supplementing a free-weight workout, but I'd never use a Total Gym by itself. I bought one a few years ago, when I was 17, and ended up selling it and putting the money toward a free-weight setup instead. The one I bought was a lower-end model, though--not the nice one they show on infomercials.

[s8163j]

The TotalGym isn't a bad machine but don't expect to get big from it. The problem with it is that is uses your bodyweight for resistance and that isn't enough for some muscle groups, like legs, back and chest. Still, the TG isn't bad for the "fitness model" look, but if you're trying to look like a bodybuilder the TG simply won't do it for you.

[Tyciol]

Much as Jackleg has done, time for a bi-annual ressurection!

I think TotalGym looks like an excellent device for variation and allows some interesting exercises. I think it's neat how you're on a moving platform, it probably gives a very unique feel. Also interesting using the body weight for resistance.

For anyone who BW is enough, why not just put some plates on the moving sled thing, or do some one-arm exercises, or where a weighted vest, or put a barbell on your knees? *shrug* BW is probably plenty for most arm things.

Besides variation for strength, it looks like an awesome thing for arm endurance. Arm endurance exercises are fun!

but if it has resistance isnt it enough to stimulare growth?

Exactly!

all it does is tone u up it helps tone and stuff.

good for toning but thats it

Die.

[Barry Bonds]

check out what they have at www.bayoufitness.com

[HitItHard]

Much as Jackleg has done, time for a bi-annual ressurection!

I think TotalGym looks like an excellent device for variation and allows some interesting exercises. I think it's neat how you're on a moving platform, it probably gives a very unique feel. Also interesting using the body weight for resistance.

For anyone who BW is enough, why not just put some plates on the moving sled thing, or do some one-arm exercises, or where a weighted vest, or put a barbell on your knees? *shrug* BW is probably plenty for most arm things.

Besides variation for strength, it looks like an awesome thing for arm endurance. Arm endurance exercises are fun!Exactly!
Die.

uhhhhhhh

[gnstalodz]

I had it sitting in front of my tv and i would always be on it. Just sit there watchin tv and working out. i got very tone arms b.c of it and a better core. I say get it, just dont use it for ur only workout, do it pre workout

[Brother Steel]

I was just watching some late night infomercials and every night the total gym is advertised, in my opionion it looks **** but i havent actually used it for a real workout.....Just wondering what you guys thought about it, im talking about the one that chuck norris is on

I have written about the Total Gym several times on this forum. I was in an auto accident years ago and used a Rehab/PT version of the Total Gym. It was a great machine. If you want to get into shape and tone up I would, say go for it. One thing don't buy the cheap TV version get the same type they use in the rehab centers they are not much more (the basic PT model is cheaper) in price than the Chuck Norris version and a whole lot better made.

The 14000 looks like the same model I done my rehab on (people use this one day in and day out in PT) and costs around $1200 dollars. The Chuck Norris version costs around $1550 dollars. I like Chuck Norris but why pay more and get less?

Here is a link to the real Total Gym made by FFI: http://www.efisportsmedicine.com/hom...-gym-14000.htm

(PT = Physical Therapy)

[thor93]

uhhhhhhh

Check out the T.G videos on my youtube channel.
My machine is actually called "the body former".....I bought it back in 2002 on hsn for the total price of $166.....Overall....It is Quite Good For Upper Body.

[CosmikDebris]

I have a total gym 2000 that my parents bought back in the mid 90's and now i use it all time along with my free weights. I use the TG with a weight bar to add more resistance.

[RedHulk]

I am very happy with my total gym. I was raised on free weights. I was taught to lift the old school hard core way, and I loved it.
But I saw a total gym for sale for 140 dollars. It was name brand total gym, but it was the stripped down version. I figured I could use it for some isolation and cable exercises. So when i bought it, I did about 90% of my workout on free weights, then used the total gym for the other 10%. Within a month I was using it 50/50 (about half of my workout). Now, for awhile now, I have been using only the total gym. With free weights I have torn my left rear delt, right pec minor, blew my back out, and really messed up my knees. With the total gym, I not only get the best pump ever, but I do not feel any negative pressure on any of my joints or tendons.
I am not the biggest guy around, but I am bigger than the average guy, and according to the mirror and measuring tape, still getting bigger, and the ONLY thing I use is the total gym.

[ImBIGGERThanU]

i got one for christmas... a name brand total gym... love it. i tend to mix my workouts up a lot (keep my muscles guessing)

I'll hit the gym 2-3 times a week... totalgym or TRX or plain body weight (pushups and it's many variations, pullups, plyometrics) on the other days....

the beautiful thing about the total gym is the great stretches you can get. and you can adjust the weight from light to heavy and switch exercises without doing more than getting up and turning around. i would say it's a little bit better for upperbody/core workouts than the legs. but it makes it fun.

sometimes after the gym i might put it on low weight and stretch out on this thing... or get the blood flowin..

don't waste your time with the clone ripoff copycat ones... make sure its the totalgym

bottom line... you CAN get a great work out with this thing.
as someone said before, its a great supplement i wouldn't JUST use the total gym but i like mixing it up.

[VooDooATL]

I was just watching some late night infomercials and every night the total gym is advertised, in my opionion it looks **** but i havent actually used it for a real workout.....Just wondering what you guys thought about it, im talking about the one that chuck norris is on

I can't understand why folks say its so bad and you can't build muscle on it. Lets say you are 200lbs, so 65% of your weight is about 130lbs. If I can curl 130lbs I think I will have some decent size on my arms, and when that gets easy you could do them one hand. Someone 200lbs doing 130lbs curl isn't bad at all.

Sure it isn't going to replace squat/dead/bench but it can certainly work, actually I avoid flat bench as I don't want another rotator cuff injury. Still it can be a very effective machine for well under $300, heck the Weider clone is like $100 and you can add straps for an extra 50lbs (for that same curl, 180lbs now).

I may be wrong but it sounds like a good choice for a limited space/budget problem.

[thunderchild]

I am a little late to this party, but I am using my TG quite a bit. I still squat, deadlift and chin, but i am using my TG alot for the other exercises. I have added 50 lbs. to it with the weight attachment. It makes a difference believe you me. Try the swimmer exercise with extra weight. You will have a whole new outlook.