Total Gym

I was hoping to get some advice on the Total Gym Xli from people who
have had experiences using this machine. I would describe myself as
being in moderate shape, using my local gym more for aerobic workouts
(tredmill, crosstrainer etc) a couple of times a week and using
machine weights once a week. As I'm frequently quite busy, I was
looking to use the Total Gym for those in-between days when I can't
get to the gym, to help supplement my quest to achieve muscle
definition and tone.
Here in the UK, the only Total Gym model available is the Xli,
advertised on TV. Does anyone know if this is the same as the 1500
model available in the States? Is this just a pile of junk or a
reasonable piece of equipment? I am always quite skeptical of products
advertised on TV. I would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

Rich

Bob Cardone wrote:

(Rich Y) wrote:

I was hoping to get some advice on the Total Gym Xli from people who
have had experiences using this machine. I would describe myself as
being in moderate shape, using my local gym more for aerobic workouts
(tredmill, crosstrainer etc) a couple of times a week and using
machine weights once a week. As I'm frequently quite busy, I was
looking to use the Total Gym for those in-between days when I can't
get to the gym, to help supplement my quest to achieve muscle
definition and tone.
Here in the UK, the only Total Gym model available is the Xli,
advertised on TV. Does anyone know if this is the same as the 1500
model available in the States? Is this just a pile of junk or a
reasonable piece of equipment? I am always quite skeptical of products
advertised on TV. I would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

Rich

http://www.epinions.com/sprt-All-Exe...splay_~reviews

http://www.epinions.com/content_81103916676

http://www.fitnessinfomercialreview.com/totalgym.htm

This info should help

Bob

Actually, these sites were VERY interesting--and quite
perplexing. I still have yet to grok the mentality of the American
Pubic(tm), apparently.
The first site gives the Total Gym 4/5 stars. But, it also
gives the Gazelle 4/5 stars!!! The last site reviews almost EVERYTHING
favorably, with a couple of interesting exceptions: The Ab Doer, and
Pentabosol, the ******* brain child of the Eades, MDs, who ruin every
concept on which they choose to write. *One* brave soul called the
Gazelle pure junk--the rest loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD GAWD........ Cardone's gots lotsa company!!!!!

Funny-- only one review of the Gyrotonic--****ed cuz Gyro
refused to deliver it!!
No reviews of Basedow's Fitness made Simple! But about half
the people *loved* Greer Childer's UTTERLY useless Oxycising--the other
recognized it for what it is--hot air.

All's I can say is, when Penn & Teller fed people water out of
a garden hose to unwitting--or witless--restaurant patrons at $7/GLASS
(!!), they SWORE it was the best goddammed water on erf.
One does not ever have to sit in or on a Total Gym, Bowflex, or
Gazelle to know that they are *fundamentally* hobbled--some to the point
of near-total uselessness, some mildly useful.
But all highly misrepresented. With Total Gym now stooping to
the level of having gymnast Kurt Thomas do fake Iron Crosses.
Please....
And harmful, to the extent that if the *real deal* were
properly presented and properly understood, consumers have a much better
shot at true fitness, or at least practical fitness. Even these
concepts, true/practical fitness, are not obvious.
Is the Total Gym "good"? Yeah, for military presses and
kneebends, and as an overall fitness stop-gap. Worth the money? Maybe,
depending on if a stop-gap is really all you want.
----------------------
Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd
HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching Systems, Yonkers, NY
to email: Remove the numeric value of pi in my address
-------------------------------------------------------------------

John wrote:

From: Screachy Preachy

wrote:
Is the Total Gym "good"? Yeah, for military presses and
kneebends, and as an overall fitness stop-gap. Worth the money? Maybe,
depending on if a stop-gap is really all you want.

Knee bends even suck unless you either add a lot of weight (depends on which
model and max. weight capacity) or do single leg presses. If you have the low
end model with the "butterfly attachment" as the foot platform, simply push the
foot end of the unit close to a wall and put your feet on the wall for the
press. Allows for better foot placement and you're not balanced on some bar.
On your posterior side, I find it does an ok row and a decent posterior delt.
work. The military, as Kristofer said is adequate. On the anterior, it pretty
much sucks. Biceps, maybe anterior delt. , but pecs and abs are pathetic.
One "built in" problem is that as your body slides up the ramp, the point of
resistance (pulleys) change in realationship.

No, I don't care for them, I've just been forced to train clients who had them.

John

Finally, a voice of reason!

In addition, the line of action of the cable for the "proper"
execution of a variety of exercises is considerably far off.
For example, in doing a bench press sitting up (which I gather is
pretty much the only way to do it on a TG), you have a significant
component of the force *downward*, perpendicular to the arms. Now TG,
Bowflex, and all these other """experts""" rationalize this by saying,
Oh, oh, now you gotta use yer stabilizer muscles--dats why blah blah is
so much *better*!
Balls. What these errant component forces are doing is just
making you unproductively *strain* to do a simple goddammed bench press.
Furthermore, a pushup is very nearly 2/3 of one's body weight in
terms of bench pressing. That right there exceeds what a TG can
provide. So not only are many of the exercises poorly constructed, many
are simply superfluous.
But, it is a source of resistance, which is more than a lot of
junk out there provides. For people who don't know any better, it might
serve a purpose.
----------------------
Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd
HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching Systems, Yonkers, NY
to email: Remove the numeric value of pi in my address
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Nice post. Keep posting such needed information. Thank's!

Originally Posted by Screachy Preachy

John wrote:

From: Screachy Preachy

wrote:
Is the Total Gym "good"? Yeah, for military presses and
kneebends, and as an overall fitness stop-gap. Worth the money? Maybe,
depending on if a stop-gap is really all you want.

Knee bends even suck unless you either add a lot of weight (depends on which
model and max. weight capacity) or do single leg presses. If you have the low
end model with the "butterfly attachment" as the foot platform, simply push the
foot end of the unit close to a wall and put your feet on the wall for the
press. Allows for better foot placement and you're not balanced on some bar.
On your posterior side, I find it does an ok row and a decent posterior delt.
work. The military, as Kristofer said is adequate. On the anterior, it pretty
much sucks. Biceps, maybe anterior delt. , but pecs and abs are pathetic.
One "built in" problem is that as your body slides up the ramp, the point of
resistance (pulleys) change in realationship.

No, I don't care for them, I've just been forced to train clients who had them.

John

Finally, a voice of reason!

In addition, the line of action of the cable for the "proper"
execution of a variety of exercises is considerably far off.
For example, in doing a bench press sitting up (which I gather is
pretty much the only way to do it on a TG), you have a significant
component of the force *downward*, perpendicular to the arms. Now TG,
Bowflex, and all these other """experts""" rationalize this by saying,
Oh, oh, now you gotta use yer stabilizer muscles--dats why blah blah is
so much *better*!
Balls. What these errant component forces are doing is just
making you unproductively *strain* to do a simple goddammed bench press.
Furthermore, a pushup is very nearly 2/3 of one's body weight in
terms of bench pressing. That right there exceeds what a TG can
provide. So not only are many of the exercises poorly constructed, many
are simply superfluous.
But, it is a source of resistance, which is more than a lot of
junk out there provides. For people who don't know any better, it might
serve a purpose.
----------------------
Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd
HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching Systems, Yonkers, NY
to email: Remove the numeric value of pi in my address
-------------------------------------------------------------------

That is actually quite informative article.