Today, people are much more interested in fitness, and with the help of a total gym, it’s possible to train at home and obtain a sculpted body. The major advantage of owning a home gym is the option to exercise from the comfort of your own home.
There is no need to drive to a gym or pay outrageous membership fees. A total gym can save you time, and it will free up your energy for other purposes. A home gym is convenient because it consumes a tiny space and allows you to perform a wide range of effective exercises.
In fact, many total gyms are capable of over 80 different exercises, so you can train almost every muscle in your body. The main reason why most people give up on fitness is because they get bored with the workouts. The variety of exercises available from a total gym will keep your workouts exciting and keep you motivated to achieve your fitness goals.
A total gym is like having several pieces of fitness equipment in a single product, and unlike alternative options, it’s very convenient and fun. However, before you find the right product, you must know what to look for.
Here’s what we think are the best total gyms available
Total Gym 1100
The Total Gym 1100 features a steel frame and can be used to train several different muscle groups. With a gliding board, it allows you to train the major muscle groups, and it can be used to get a total body workout in under 20 minutes.
The Total Gym 1100 has a simple design, and with the help of your bodyweight, it’s capable of over 60 different exercises. It eliminates the need for several pieces of bulky fitness equipment, and a few simple components make this product perfect stretching, strength training and cardio exercises.
The Total Gym 1100 is designed for users as young as eight, and it can be just as useful for users up to the age of 80. For easy storage and convenience, it comes fully assembled.
It has a total weight of 54 pounds, which makes it easy to transport, and to boost the resistance, the incline of the glide board can be adjusted.
Total Gym 1900
The Total Gym 1900 is like other versions, but it offers several refreshing changes. With the help of a few simple components, this product can tone and strengthen all major muscle groups, and it can deliver a full workout for your entire body in 10 to 20 minutes.
The Total Gym 1900 is capable of over 60 different exercises, and it’s a popular choice for cardio, stretching and strength training. Since all of these exercises can be performed with a single machine, there is no need for several bulky pieces of fitness equipment.
This product allows for 12 calibrated levels of resistance, and depending on your fitness level, you can lift between three to 45 percent of your total bodyweight. The Total Gym 1900 can accommodate users of all fitness levels, and it has a maximum weight capacity of 350 pounds.
Total Gym 1600
The Total Gym 1600 eliminates the need for multiple pieces of fitness equipment because it allows you to train you upper body, lower body and core. It’s designed to simultaneously strengthen these parts of your body, and you can get a workout for your entire body in 10 to 20 minutes.
Like other total gyms, this product is capable of over 60 different exercises, and it can help you achieve results with strength training, cardio and stretching. The Total Gym 1600 is compatible for users of all fitness levels, and it can be adjusted for eight levels of resistance.
It has a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds, and some of the muscle groups that you can target with this machine are the triceps, shoulders and pectorals. You can use the Total Gym 1600 to strengthen the muscles in your upper back, shoulders, chest and arms.
Total Gym 1400 Deluxe Home Fitness Exercise Machine
The Total Gym 1400 makes it possible to get the benefits of a commercial gym in the comfort of your own home, and it only takes about 10 to 20 minutes to get a full workout for your entire body.
This machine can be effective for strengthening all the major muscle groups, and unlike some alternative products, it comes with a workout DVD. Boredom is one of the major reasons why most people give up on their fitness goals, and the Total Gym 1400 is designed to make fitness fun.
It comes with functional attachments, and to bring you closer to the perfect body, the package includes a handy nutrition guide. The Total Gym 1400 gives you access to 60 different exercises, and for easier storage and convenience, it features a foldable design.
Weider Ultimate Body Works
The Weider Ultimate Body Works machine is a total gym, and when combined with your body, the gliding board allows you to train several different muscle groups. The incline bench allows you to adjust the incline, which makes it possible to increase or decrease the resistance.
For greater resistance, there is a pulley on each side of the bench, and resistance bands allow you to increase the total resistance by up to 50 pounds. This total gym uses cables and pulleys, which increases range of motion and improves the versatility of the product.
The Weider Ultimate Body Works is engineered to save space, and when you’re not using it, you can fold it away and store it inside of a closet.
This product is capable of over 50 different exercises, and it can be used to shape your calves, thighs, hips, shoulders and back. With four adjustable power bands, you can increase the resistance beyond your total body weight.
Total Gym XLS Universal Home Gym for Total Body Workout
The Total Gym XLS is very popular because it comes with everything needed to get a complete workout. Since it’s designed for your home, it eliminates the need for a commercial gym, and it can help the entire family achieve results.
The Total Gym XLS is designed for users of all fitness levels, and for maximum exercise flexibility, it comes with several useful attachments. With the help of the ribbed squat stand, leg pull and wing attachment accessories, you can engage in over 80 different exercises.
The Total Gym XLS also comes with a nutrition guide, training deck, exercise chart and five DVDs. It has a maximum weight capacity of 400 pounds, and it can work all the major muscle groups.
Like other total gyms, this product is commonly used for circuit training, stretching, cardio and strength training. There is no assembly required, and you get the benefits of several different fitness machines in one product.
FORCE Total Gym includes several Workout DVDs & Tools
The FORCE Total Gym comes with several workout DVDs, and if you’d like to get started towards your fitness goals, it comes with everything you need. With the included attachments, it allows you to engage in over 60 different exercises, and for easier storage, it features a foldable design.
When using this machine, a single workout for your entire body can be completed in 10 to 20 minutes, and it comes with a variety of useful attachments. The FORCE Total Gym requires no assembly, and it can support a maximum weight of 350 pounds.
Marcy Home Gym
The Marcy home gym delivers the benefits of owning several pieces of fitness equipment, but it doesn’t take up nearly as much space. Once you own this home gym, it’s like having many machines in one product, and it’s even useful for training legs.
It can give you access to over 30 exercises for strength training, and by helping you burn calories, it serves as a valuable tool for weight loss.
For chest exercises, it comes with dual-functioning press arms, and to help you build leg muscle, it features a dual-functioning leg developer. With a single pin, you can select up to 150 pounds from the weight stack, and the Marcy home gym also comes with a removeable curl pad.
Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
The Bowflex PR1000 is a popular home gym and serves as an effective way to strengthen your muscles. It comes with several components for strength training, but it can also be used for cardio.
The built-in power rods provide up to 210 pounds of resistance, and you even get access to a rowing station. The Bowflex PR1000 can be used for 30 different strength exercises, and it’s a top choice for building strength in the lower body, shoulders, back, chest, arms and abs.
The lat pulldown attachment comes with convenient hand grips, and the attachment for leg extensions is covered in large roller cushions.
Total Gym 3000 Home Gym
The Total Gym 3000 is capable of enough exercises to be considered a complete home gym, and with a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds, it’s suitable for most users. This product is designed to help you strengthen all muscle groups, and it uses gravity to create resistance.
The package comes with a wing attachment, squat stand and cable system, and you can use the Total Gym 3000 to engage in over 60 different exercises, which target different areas of the body.
Total Gym Buyer’s Guide
When shopping for a total gym, it’s important to consider your goals. Depending on your situation in life, maybe you just want to lose weight. The desire to lose weight is the top reason why people choose to engage in fitness activities. Some people want a total gym because they want to build lean muscle mass.
Since a home gym provides access to a wide range of exercises, it can target most muscle groups and serves as an excellent tool for building muscle. Maybe you want to build muscle, but you don’t want to get too big and bulky.
A total gym is perfect for this purpose, and it’s also great for people who’d like to tone their muscles. There are several total gyms to choose from, and some products are better for specific goals than others, which is why you need to think about your goals.
Determine Your Experience Level
A beginner is someone who has been working out for less than a few months, and someone who has been training for between six months to two years is at the intermediate level.
If you’ve been training for two years, then you’re at an advanced level. Although a total gym can work for people at all levels, it offers the greatest benefits to intermediate and advanced users.
Weight Limit and Frame
Many consumers purchase a total gym and never consider the weight limit. This isn’t a major problem for lightweight individuals, but for heavier users, it can be a costly mistake.
You should always check to make sure the product can support your weight, and it’s important to consider the frame strength. Some total gyms can support up to 500 pounds, but you’ll also find several products that have a maximum weight limit of 200 pounds.
To enjoy the highest level of safety, it’s a good idea to buy a product that can support at least 100 pounds more than your total weight.
Storage and Folding
It’s quite common for total gyms to feature a foldable design, which can be very convenient. These products are commonly sold as neat packages, and if you don’t have a lot of extra space, you should consider getting a foldable model.
Resistance or Bodyweight
A total gym might force you to train with bodyweight exercises, and for most people, this is a great way to lose weight and build muscle. However, after a certain point, bodyweight exercises won’t stimulate your muscles enough to make them grow, and you’ll need more resistance.
The best total gyms allow you to train with your bodyweight and resistance, and you’ll get the best results from these products. Extra resistance can be added with strong cables, or it can be achieved by manipulating exercises in a way that causes you to lift more of your bodyweight.
What Can You Do with It?
As mentioned earlier, the main reason why most people get bored with fitness is because they don’t get enough variety in their workouts. A total gym isn’t exempt from this problem, and the best products should give you access to many different exercises.
For example, some total gyms are designed to give you access to 60 different exercises, and they’re great for cardio and strength training. With such a wide variety of exercise options, you can completely customize your workout and make it exciting.
What Body Parts Can It Target?
A total gym that offers 60 different exercises is almost useless if it can only target your arms. Many of the best products make it easy to target your lower body, upper body and core.
These are the three major muscle groups, and you’ll get the best results from a total gym that can target all the different muscles in your body.
Resistance Adjustments
Some products allow you to perform many different exercises, but they don’t come with a way to adjust the resistance. This can be a problem because the product won’t be able to grow with you.
The best total gym allows you to adjust the resistance, and to increase the weight, it changes the angle and forces you to lift a greater percentage of your bodyweight. The major advantage of this design is that the machine doesn’t need any weights. So those olympic weight sets you bought last January can be sold on ebay! hahaha!
By increasing resistance with your own bodyweight, a total gym can save you hundreds of dollars, and it will serve as a compact pieces of fitness equipment.
How Does a Total Gym Work?
Most total gyms come with a glide board, and your muscles are worked using the board. Depending on what the resistance is set for, you’ll be able to lift part of your total bodyweight.
The glide board uses gravity to turn your body into a weight, and by altering the incline of the board, you can add or decrease the total resistance. A total gym comes with several accessories, which allow you to lift your own body.
Weight and Size
Many consumers don’t pay attention to the size and weight because they don’t understand how it affects them. It should be obvious that the size of the product plays a major role in determining where you can use it, and since some total gyms are very large, they’re great choices for a large house.
Products that have a small, compact design are ideal for apartments. The total weight of the gym is also important because it determines the stability of the product.
A heavier total gym is much more difficult to lift and move, but it offers better stability than a lightweight alternative. If you’re a heavier person, you might want to consider getting a heavier product.