My friend just bought a total gym. He claims its better than free weights and I've told him that free weights are better to get stronger. Has anyone here used a total gym or know anybody that has? And if so, what kind of results?
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Thread: Total Gym vs Free Weights
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12-15-2006, 11:38 PM #1
Total Gym vs Free Weights
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 205
Raw Max Lifts:
Bench: 385
Squat: 355
Deadlift: 430
*LIFT HARD & GET STRONG, OR DONT TRAIN AT ALL*
*WHATEVER YOU DO, BE THE BEST YOU CAN, ALWAYS GIVE 100% OR ITS NOT WORTH DOING*
*NEVER LET FAILURE BE PERMANENT, ONLY LET IT MOTIVATE YOU TO OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLES AND SUCCEED*
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12-15-2006, 11:53 PM #2
If he just wants an easy way to mildly increase strength and muscle size without having to learn good form, he made a good purchase. So, if he's a casual, I'd-like-to-be-a-bit-fitter-and-stronger sort of person, it's all good. Of course free weights are superior, but not everyone wants to go down that road.
"A stupid man's report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand."
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12-16-2006, 05:20 AM #3
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12-16-2006, 05:31 AM #4
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12-16-2006, 07:27 AM #5
Who told your friend that the Total Gym is better than free weights? Chuck Norris? Seriously, like everyone else said, free weights are the way to go for strength. I had a friend that used the total gym religiously for months, and honestly, I never saw one difference in his body.
You could probably get a good cardiovascular workout with it, though.Mr. Beer, handling a powerlifting hater - "You are living in a dream world. I bet you think Ronnie (Coleman) can beat down a dozen MMA champs and then do a lat spread and use the extra width to glide from building to building, right?"
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12-16-2006, 08:12 AM #6
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12-16-2006, 12:58 PM #7
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12-16-2006, 09:33 PM #8
My friend is convinced that whenever he hits a plateau with his strength he can over come it by taking a break from free weights and using the total gym for a while. Right now his max bench is 200. He wants to take a break from using free weights for about 3-5 months and then go back to free weights and be stronger then when he took the break. When my friend decides to go back to the free weights after 3-5 months of using the total gym he thinks his max bench will go up from 200 to around 250-260. Can anyone give information on if there is any truth to what he thinks will happen? I know its good to take a break after workin hard for a few weeks but I don't think he will get results like he is expecting to.
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 205
Raw Max Lifts:
Bench: 385
Squat: 355
Deadlift: 430
*LIFT HARD & GET STRONG, OR DONT TRAIN AT ALL*
*WHATEVER YOU DO, BE THE BEST YOU CAN, ALWAYS GIVE 100% OR ITS NOT WORTH DOING*
*NEVER LET FAILURE BE PERMANENT, ONLY LET IT MOTIVATE YOU TO OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLES AND SUCCEED*
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12-16-2006, 09:44 PM #9
- Join Date: Nov 2004
- Location: New York, United States
- Posts: 2,869
- Rep Power: 814
Well normally id say free weights are better..... but if chuck norris uses it then it must be the superior way! haha jk has anyone watched that infomercial all the way through? Theres this powerlifter who makes a guest appearance and its just this little old guy talking about how great the total gym is. then it shows a lil picture of him powerlifting in competition but the pics are taken from the side so you cant see whether he actually lifts big or not. the old guy then goes into how he does these body weight leg presses on the total gym to supercharge his squat! lol, i had to go change my underwear i was laughing so hard!
STRONGMAN Competitor
weighted pull ups- 100X5 Wide grip70X8
weighted dips-135X4 125X6
Deadlift-585
Farmers hold-295 each hand X32sec
cg incline-265
32 full range pull ups
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12-16-2006, 09:53 PM #10
Yea those total gym commercials make me laugh too. I think its funny how chuck norris is like 60 and in the commercials it seems like they try to make him out to be this very strong guy. I would think even an average person, as far as strength is concerned, could pretty easily do their body weight with a lot of the movments they do in the commercials. I know some of the things might be a challenge to do your bodyweight with but not nearly as hard as these commentercials make it look.
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 205
Raw Max Lifts:
Bench: 385
Squat: 355
Deadlift: 430
*LIFT HARD & GET STRONG, OR DONT TRAIN AT ALL*
*WHATEVER YOU DO, BE THE BEST YOU CAN, ALWAYS GIVE 100% OR ITS NOT WORTH DOING*
*NEVER LET FAILURE BE PERMANENT, ONLY LET IT MOTIVATE YOU TO OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLES AND SUCCEED*
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12-16-2006, 10:05 PM #11
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12-16-2006, 10:10 PM #12
See, this is the great thing about the real world. As long as your friend is weaker than you, you can laugh in his face and poke fun at his 'total gym', and all he can do is...well, whimper I guess. If this is some 'internet buddy' or 'chat forum friend' then there is a problem. If he's dumber and less experienced than you he will win the argument, that's a promise.
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12-16-2006, 10:21 PM #13
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12-17-2006, 01:45 AM #14
- Join Date: Nov 2006
- Location: Azores, Portugal
- Age: 53
- Posts: 182
- Rep Power: 215
Height: 5"6' Weight: 195
Stats -----------------Gains (since joining)------Goals by April 07
Bench: 365 Raw -------------(405 shirt)------------400
Squat: 1st ME Raw 315 ------(455)----------------450
DL: 1st ME Raw 365 ---------(425)-----------------500
Total ------1045-------------(1285)---------------1350
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12-18-2006, 07:48 PM #15
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