hate going to the gym. Thinking about getting the Total Gym pro

[holden j caufield]

$200 seems like a good investment to get me in shape 20-30 min a day.

 

[Platypus]

Why do you hate the gym?

 

[vi edit]

I'll stand by the Bowflex as a viable alternative to freeweights, but I draw the line at the Total Gym. You peak at a very low level of resistance and it has a very limited range of exercises.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Platypus
Why do you hate the gym?

I hate gyms because they are typically overcrowded and it takes me 3x as long to get a workout in.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: Platypus
Why do you hate the gym?

I hate gyms because they are typically overcrowded and it takes me 3x as long to get a workout in.

The one I go to is typically never overcrowded. Then again, I go in the evenings...

 

[Platypus]

It really depends on when you go, I've run into overcrowding but I typically time it so there are very few people around. That and there are tons of 'redundant' machines of the same thing as well as weights so *usually* there's no issue.

 

[mb]

I love my local gym. Nice basketball court, a few racketball courts, separate rooms for free weights, nautilus machines, and treadmills/bikes/ellipticals... and it never gets crowded. It'd be perfect if they had a swimming pool and opened an hour earlier and/or closed an hour later. But it's nice for only $200 a year.

On the other hand, the gym back by my parents house was crowded all day, every day, and cost over $1,000 a year. So if yours is like that, I can understand why you wouldn't want to go.

 

[RgrPark]

it's actually pretty good. just make sure that you get the model that lets you add some weight (forgot which one) once you get more advanced.

i suggest it for toning up and getting fit, but if you're looking to bulk up, it's not a good choice.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: Platypus
Why do you hate the gym?

I hate gyms because they are typically overcrowded and it takes me 3x as long to get a workout in.

Find another gym or try going in the early evenings (I usually go right after work, like 6pm).

My gym is awesome, recently renovated with brand-new state-of-the-art equipment, basketball court, racquetball courts, Olympic swimming pool, you name it, with always plenty of equipment to go around so you're not waiting in lines. A tad expensive at $65/mo. for a couple, but worth it IMO.

 

[zerocool84]

Hell if it works for CHUCK NORRIS it must be the best in the UNIVERSE!!!!!

 

[holden j caufield]

Gym is about 15-20 min away. Not far but a gazillion lights and overcrowded when I need to go. Only saving grace is the really hot girl on the stairmaster that is always there. Working out at home would be sweet. I could do sessions whenever I wanted, I surf so I'm not looking for bulk but tone, endurance and flexibility. Total gym seems to fit the bill. I'm going to get it unless people have horrid experiences with it

 

[mb]

I don't know of anyone who owns one or anything like it. Usually if you look around online, people say they are a waste of money... but that's just opinions from random strangers on the internet.

Look, if you want to do it, and you think you will actually use it, then go for it, especially if they have a flexible return policy if it turns out to be junk.

If you think it might just end up sitting in the corner unused, or don't want the hassle of possibly returning it because it's junk, then don't waste your time and money on it.

 

[Reckoner]

Yeah, I hate going to the gym as well. I just bought a bench, olympic bar, ez curl bar, some barbells, and some free weights. That's all I need.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Yeah, I hate going to the gym as well. I just bought a bench, olympic bar, ez curl bar, some barbells, and some free weights. That's all I need.

Yep that's what I did, just some weights for me to use at home, some running and I bought one of those knock-off Ab-roller wheels that really works your upper body to hell.

 

[mithrandir2001]

I own a similar piece of equipment called the BodyRail. I chose it over the Total Gym because it has direct resistance (no pulleys) and therefore takes longer to reach your peak: you can go up to 89% of bodyweight for resistance (Total Gym is 50%) and that's before you add optional weights. It's also built better.

The biggest problem with the BodyRail is that changing exercises during a cycle can be a pain because you have to unhook and re-attach cables and bars; you need more resistance for pullups than chest presses, for instance.

Of course money is usually an object but the best situation is perhaps having a gym membership while owning some home gym equipment.

 

[dawza]

My parents picked up a Total Gym from some generous neighbors, and I tried it a few times. It is not a bad machine compared to the garbage that comprises >99% of the exercise equipment advertised on TV, but it is grossly insufficient for anything beyond a rank beginner. Aside from the fact that you are limited by your own body weight as far as resistance is concerned (at least on our model), there is no way to work your lower body effectively. Add to that the fact that almost all of the exercises are performed with your entire core and the bulk of your posterior chain fixed in position, and you also have very little carry-over to day-to-day movements. Not something anyone would want, much less someone looking to benefit their athletic performance. In other words, what you do on the Total Gym will have next to zero applicability to surfing- or walking up and down the stairs for that matter.

Either deal with the commercial gym by visiting at off-peak hours, or if you have the space, invest in a power cage, adjustable bench, and a set of olympic weights. That should be good for the majority of your needs. Spend the rest of your resources on finding someone knowledgeable to show you the proper form for the major compound movements; the latter will probably prove to be somewhat of a challenge.

BTW- a personal peeve of mine: there is no such thing as "toning." Tone is a function of the nervous system. What most people refer to when they say "tone" is the appearance that results from a combination of well-developed muscle + low subcutaneous body fat. When it comes to resistance training, you always want to shoot for maximum development/growth. Trust me when I say that you will NOT get excessively bulky. Ask anyone who has trained for any period of time whether excess growth of skeletal muscle has ever been a problem.