Fitness is full of fads. Similar to the tide, when one goes out, another one is sure to follow it back in. As a personal trainer and group fitness coach with over four years of experience, I’ve seen the gamut of gear, programs, and supplements follow through the fitness community and rapidly exit. Often, these fads are gimmicks, concoctions of business people with little to no fitness experience looking to make a quick buck off of those who lack education or information in the fitness realm.
This is not to discount all inventions which permeated the fitness community recently. There have been many recent additions that have been of great benefit to athletes, competitors, and everyday gym-goers alike. Massage Guns, Tense Units, multi-facet fitness platforms, and synchronous cardio devices have been excellent additions to fitness as a whole.
However, it’s important to recognize that an item does not have to be useless or invaluable. Most inventions, while well-intentioned have their drawbacks and simultaneously benefits. An excellent example of this is the Total Gym machine.
The Total Gym machine is a glide board system that utilizes an individual’s body weight to generate resistance. With its adjustable levels of resistance, 60+ movement modalities, nylon flexible strap handles, and padded cushioning, it’s marketed as a one-stop shop for fitness without the hustle and bustle of a gym or barbell.
According to multiple sources, the Total Gym design was created to meld the mixture of cardio and resistance training into one machine that allows a complete body workout on a single piece of equipment. The singular nature of the machine allows individuals to never have to leave their own homes to get a good workout in. Before dissecting the effectiveness of the machine and its program, it’s important to set a few facts straight.
Fitness
This machine will not allow you to achieve total fitness. While this is a bold and overarching statement, it is not to say this machine is without its benefits and positive attributes. Fitness is defined by Oxford Languages as “the condition of being physically fit and healthy” or, “An organism’s ability to survive in a particular environment.”
This machine does not allow you to run, jump or perform other athletic movements that would replicate or simulate real-world movements in a fight or flight scenario. You cannot swim, bike, or pick up heavy odd objects the way you would in everyday life. The incorporation of dumbbells, barbells, or sandbags allows for the loading of muscles on a non-uniform plane which activates stabilizer muscles, which are essential to overall fitness. Therefore, according to the definition, it does not directly enhance one’s fitness.
Note: There is something to be said for HIIT workouts, however, we will tackle that subject later in the article.
- Lack of real-world movements
- Lack of odd object work (barbells, Sandbags, Dumbells…)
- Lack of overall athletic movement
Strength
This machine will help you achieve greater levels of strength. This does, however, come with several caveats. The machine’s resistance settings and nylon straps help individuals garner strength and allow the user to isolate individual muscles and movement planes that would previously be difficult to activate. Not all conventional gyms have this sort of equipment, making it a semi-unique factor to the Total Gym.
As a former athlete, I utilized Total Gym in recovering from my numerous surgeries. The ability to sit or lie down and load one’s muscles without putting pressure on injured or weakened body parts is an incredible asset. Also, the adjustable resistance bands allow for individuals of all strength levels to find some sort of resistance training to benefit them. In particular, the activation of hamstrings and lats (latissimus dorsi) on a seated plain is something difficult to find for an individual outside of a conventional gym.
- Single modality work to isolate weaknesses
- Lack of pressure on injured or weakened joints
- Scaleable loading to accommodate all fitness levels
- Capable of targeting muscles that are harder to exercise
Cardio
This machine will not develop an individual’s cardio as efficiently as any conventional modality. That is a statement, not an assumption. However, it may be incorporated into a routine that will benefit one’s cardiovascular endurance.
Resistance training creates a different stimulus for the body than cardio. Cardio is excellent for developing an individual’s aerobic and anaerobic capacity, as well as burning fat and developing a healthy heart. Resistance training, will burn more calories throughout the day’s entirety, build muscle at a faster rate and develop strength.
There’s a crossroads at which these two modalities intersect known as HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). HIIT incorporates brief bouts of high-intensity exercise in conjunction with lower-intensity recovery intervals. Movements done on the Total Gym System may be done in sequence so that they will fall under the HIIT umbrella of workouts and be incredibly effective to the end-user.
- This will not replace conventional cardio, however, it can be an incredibly effective tool to incorporate to better one’s overall fitness routine.
- It can be incorporated into a cardio routine with great benefit
- Excellent for Circuit training in a single location
Accessories
To be able to utilize the Total Gym system to its full potential, several separate purchases must be made. The accessories recommended for purchase:
- PBB Upper Body Press UP Bar: This allows for pressing variations to develop shoulder strength.
- Cyclo Trainer: This allows for the incorporation of a watered-down biking movement that can still spike one’s heart rate.
- Squat Stand: Some models may have this installed, however, it is still a solid purchase to develop one leg and hip strength
Related: Click here to view the price guide of our sorted accessories.
Workouts
While the past several sections have involved criticism over the Total Gym system, I believe it to be an incredible tool in any individual’s fitness journey. Particularly for individuals who wish to isolate and develop specific muscle groups or are working around injuries.
The slide board is an excellent example of taking pressure off of joints in the vertical sense and allowing for movement on a horizontal plane. Another excellent feature of the Total Gym system is that each of the resistance cables is separate from the other. Meaning, that it provides the individual the ability to work for a specific muscle group without compensating for or cheating the weaker side. Because of the muscle isolation properties of the Total Gym system, it’s easy to target specific muscle groups and achieve an excellent workout on them.
An example of this kind of workout would be one I have utilized in recovery from knee surgery. I incorporated HIIT principles into unilateral movements and was able to specifically target weakened muscle groups while maintaining a high heart rate and achieving a good workout.
The Workout:
AMRAP (As Many Repetitions as Possible)
4 times through the circuit
- :30 Single leg press (left)
- :30 Single leg press (right)
- :30 Cable Hamstring curls
- :30 Cyclo trainer
- 1:00 Rest
This style of workout allowed me to isolate both my injured and uninjured limbs and achieve muscle activation in both the front and rear of my leg. During this workout, I was also able to elevate my heart rate while never leaving a singular station.
Another example of a workout that could be performed
Workout:
Strength
- 5 sets
- 5 PBB bar presses
- 10 Cable Face pulls
- 10 Cable Flies
In this workout, developing a singular muscle group’s strength and size is the goal. Elevated heart rate is not the priority, so allowing for longer breaks and focusing on the quality of movement without time constraints is essential.
Program
When it comes to programming, there is no one-size-fits-all. Similar to pants or shoes, individualized programming tailored for a client is something most providers take pride in. However, given the fact that individuals who utilize this machine will most probably be in the sanctum of their own home, Total Gym offers multiple programs to those who own their product.
These range from “Core Strength and Stability”, “Kid’s Workouts”, “Long and Lean”, and both Men and Women’s upper and lower body programs. Depending on an individual’s needs or goals, any number of these programs can benefit the end-user. The important thing is for whoever is utilizing the Total Gym system to have tangible goals from the onset. With that being said, two specific programs look more promising than the rest.
- Long and Lean Workout: Designed to develop an overall lean muscle and lose fat.
- Core Strength and Stability: Designed to activate and develop the stabilizer muscle in the core.
Note: All programs are infinitely scalable, meaning that individuals at the inception of their fitness journey to those with a decade under their belt will find benefit from these programs.
Summary
In closing, the Total Gym machine has a myriad of benefits. However, it is not the one-stop shop for all things fitness-related it is advertised to be. It can develop strength, however, it cannot replicate real-world movements which are a key tenant of fitness. It can provide the opportunity to elevate one’s heart rate, however, it cannot replace cardio.
With those caveats said, the isolation properties and muscle activation have enormous benefits for persons looking for total body development. The individual cables and 60+ movement patterns are excellent features, while its single-piece design means people don’t have to leave the comfort of their homes to get a workout in. All in all, the Total Gym machine may not be able to replace a fully-fledged gym but it is still a worthwhile purchase.
