Muscular man sitting in a gym drinking water
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There are some mighty strange pieces of infomercial exercise equipment out there -- but not everything you see advertised on television is a hoax. Case in point, the Total Gym -- one of the original "poster children" for infomercial exercise equipment -- is an effective, even therapeutic, piece of equipment, as long as you have realistic expectations and use it properly.
How It Works
The Total Gym could be called a glideboard gym, because you perch on a board that glides up and down a pair of inclined rails. You control the glideboard's movement by pushing or pulling on handles attached to cables that run from the top of the glideboard, through pulleys at the top of the inclined rails and back down to your hands. Your body weight plus the weight of the glideboard itself are the sources of resistance. You can change how much of your weight you lift -- in other words, the resistance level -- by adjusting the rails to a higher incline for more resistance or a lower incline for less resistance.
Where It Excels
A Total Gym workout is enough to challenge almost anybody, but it really excels at forcing your muscles to stabilize your joints as they exert power; if one arm pushes or pulls more than the other, you're going to notice it. Yet at the same time, you don't have to worry about dropping any weights on yourself. Those are just two of the reasons why the Total Gym and similar glideboard gyms are so commonly used in therapeutic settings, although they can provide similar benefits in the comfort of your own home.
The Total Gym's Limitations
Like all exercise equipment, every model of the Total Gym has an upper limit for how much weight it can support. If your body weight plus any weights you intend to add to the Total Gym surpass -- or even come close to -- the weight limit for a particular model, you could be at risk of a fall or other injury if the Total Gym breaks. Consider upgrading to another model; you'll have a better workout experience overall. For example, the Total Gym 2000 only has a 300-pound weight limit, while the Total Gym FIT and Total Gym XLS can both support up to 400 pounds.
When It Doesn't Work
In order to continue developing your muscular strength and endurance, you must subject your muscles to increasingly greater challenges; this is known as progressive overload. Although the Total Gym can do a lot for you, it limits you to lifting about 70 percent of your body weight at most -- and in many cases, 50 percent or less. If you develop your muscles to the point where this is no longer a challenge, it'll be time to look for another piece of exercise equipment.
FAQs
A Total Gym workout is enough to challenge almost anybody, but it really excels at forcing your muscles to stabilize your joints as they exert power; if one arm pushes or pulls more than the other, you're going to notice it. Yet at the same time, you don't have to worry about dropping any weights on yourself.
Does Christie Brinkley really use the Total Gym? ›
Unsurprisingly, Brinkley's secret to her fit figure is the Total Gym Direct, which she's previously opened up about as a part of her fitness journey. Brinkley—who is a spokesperson for Total Gym—told Shape that she uses the machine for 15 minutes each day, going through her “own little routine.”
How long does it take to see results from Total Gym? ›
In short, use the Total Gym for your strength workouts, but to see real results, also do cardio and eat a healthy diet. With that program, you should see very significant results and change your body within a few months.
What is better than Total Gym? ›
“By Far the best piece of equipment“
The VigorFit® Gym is by far the best piece of exercise equipment on the market, bar none! I've personally tried the Crossbar®, the Bowflex®, free weights and have been a member of two health clubs. None of them compare to the workout I can get with this VigorFit® gym from you!
Can I lose weight with the Total Gym? ›
If you've chosen the Total Gym as the equipment you'll use to work out and lose weight, you can see results -- but keep in mind that a combination of a calorie-controlled diet, strength training and cardiovascular exercise is the best approach.
Is the Total Gym like a Pilates machine? ›
Total Gym offers you a professional Pilates workout in the comfort of your own home. The benefits of Pilates inlcude building core strength, improving posture & flattening abs. Slim down & evenly tone your whole body while increasing flexibility & range of motion with Pilates on your Total Gym.
What company owns Total Gym? ›
Total Gym is a fitness equipment brand created by Tom Campanaro and Doug Marino in 1974. It was founded in San Diego, California. Total Gym is marketed and sold by brands Total Gym Commercial, Ltd., and Total Gym Fitness.
How many times a week should a 70 year old go to the gym? ›
It's recommended that most adults get 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity exercise each week: 30 minutes, at least 5 times per week. While over-exercising is certainly a risk, especially when recovering from an injury or illness, adults aged 60 years or older should try to exercise every day.
Can I build muscle at 70 years old? ›
Seniors who work at it, however, can still make strength gains. “Research shows that, even into your late 80s, your body still has the potential to build muscle mass,” Stacy Schroder, director of wellness at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, said.
How far should a 65 year old walk? ›
Older adults who walk three to four miles a day — 6,000 to 9,000 steps — were found to be 40 to 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who walk a mile (2,000 steps) a day, according to research published in the journal Circulation.
Easy and fun to use, I love my TotalGym and highly recommend to anyone wanting low impact exercise. Easy on your joints but provides highly effective resistance workouts that immediately shows progress you can see and feel. I purchased this as my first piece of equipment for my home gym.
Is Total Gym good to lose weight? ›
If you're sedentary or you don't exercise at all and you start using the Total Gym, you're going to be moving your body more than you did before, and that could result in more calories burned and a subsequent calorie deficit.
Are total body workouts effective? ›
Full-body workouts generally yield a higher total energy expenditure per session (i.e., you burn more calories). It's no big deal if you miss a workout. If you train three times per week and miss one workout, you've already worked all of your muscle groups twice.
What is the real cost of the Total Gym? ›
You don't need equipment to work out. The Total Gym is a serious fitness investment. Depending on the model, it can cost anywhere from $1,295 to $4,895 at the time of publication.
