Has anyone ever used this home gym? I was watching the infomercial thinking that this product sounds very similar to the type of strength training recommended by Maylene. It looks to me like all of the exercises are using you own body weight. I can’t tell if you can get enough resistance on it to get a good workout.
Maylene what do you think? Anyone?
Yup! That’s it. 
-Robert
Yup! That’s it.
Yup, that’s it what? 
The big draw about using one’s own weight is that you have to both lift the weight and balance the weight at the same time. The idea being that in real life, you very rarely use a muscle in isolation as we do on a weight lifting machine or in some weight lifting movements.
On top of that throw the idea of specificity of training and you are left with the idea that we should probably be careful in the extent and type of muscular isolation we do. There’s good isolation and there’s bad isolation.
Now, we come to the idea of using one’s own weight on some sort of reisstance device driven with wheels and sleds and cams and levers. I remember vividly sittign on a contraption in a mall once doing a bench press. I say contraption because you sat on the bench and as you pushed the bar you actually lifted the entire bench with you on it. Or some such thing. Now the movement was in complete isolation, it dodn’t matter it had been tied to a weight stack or to a becnh with me on it, the movement was the same.
The ultra gym has some of these same problems, for most of the movements yes you lift your own body weight but you lift it as you are solidly planted on a sled. So you have lost the whole idea of balance.
Now, the total gym being a cable operated machine does seem to have some benefits, but in this case “lifitng your own body weight” is a canard because you don’t actuall have to balance your own body weight.
Don’t have one, but I remembered that Barb Lindquist was on one of their infomercials… An infomercial that featured triathletes not Chuck and Christie.
here’s her routine…
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=9608&page=2
Note: Total Gym is one of her sponsors
I have a total gym and I find that it works very well. For the money, it is a useful piece of equipment to have in your home. I am currently constructing my home gym area in my house so mine is hidden under tarps and drywall right now but it will start seeing some use again in January.
As Kevin mentioned, it’s lifting your body weight but not necessarily in the way I recommend. It uses your body weight and various angles as resistance.
Also, you have to sit on this machine which takes out the foot contact or what I refer to as a closed-chain exercise (see article in training). So the muscle or muscle group is isolated, does not work with the ground forces creating the movement and training your stability. As triathletes I feel the stability portion of an exercise program is the most important, that is why we made the dvd. The other exercises/phases can stem from there so I can just write programs online and send pics. Functional exercises tend to be difficult to explain in words or even in a still pic.
In my dvd the exercises shown can also be done using stretch bands if one does not have free weights or a cable machine, which creates a very economical way of strength training. For under $100 you could get a stability ball, 2 stretch bands (I recommend a thinner one for the swimming exercises than the pulls) and the dvd! Quite a bit less than any home machine.
Thanks for writing!
I have to admit that I have one and I love it. I am not usually a sucker for infomercials but the total gym actually works quite well. I think that it is just about the same thing as the vasa trainer for about a quarter of the money. You can’t really do any lower body exercises…like they show in the commercials but it can do pretty much any upper and core exercise. I do low resistance, high reps, and also get a good stretch as well with it. I hope this helps.
Thanks to everyone for the comments!
Hello,
Would using balance pads while doing the exercises help use more stabilizing muscles?
Brian
TxDude,
A lot of occupational and physical therapists swear by these things, actually, a more deluxe version. To look at both, I’d swear the same company manufactures both.
FWIW.
I got one cheap, it’s more useful than most of the crap seen on TV.
Would using balance pads while doing the exercises help use more stabilizing muscles?
The design of the machine is that you sit on it. Therefore, you cannot use any stabilizing, or very few, muscles in your motion. Would be fine for a rower in this respect.
I am not knocking it - just saying as an investment for a triathlete it may not be the best one.
A lot of occupational and physical therapists swear by these things, actually, a more deluxe version.
Therapists are working with one part of the body, not as a whole. With an injury they are required to get that area working again with your body but this is rehab, not performance enhancement. And yes, I like it for that purpose as well.
My favorite machine - cross over cable such as the one by Freemotion. You can use it in a gazillion positions for sport specific strength. disclaimer I do not have any affiliation with freemotion
Thanks Tibbsey
I will make sure I get this week’s kickback in the mail tomorrow
.
As a general rule of thumb to apply to home (or comercial) weight training exercises, try this. - Where possible do the exercise standing on 1 leg.
eg standing dumbell shoulder press (not that I am sugesting this is a particularly beneficial exercise for triathletes, just an example).
You will soon see that lbs lifted drops through the floor but stabiliser activation, balance and intensity goes through the roof.
Think laterally and apply the principle of exercise specificity and you will be able to come up with some very tri specific resistance training.
Hello,
Okay Maylene I have $750 to spend… How would you set up my corner of the garage to go with your video? In this reply, if you could buy a Total Gym used for say $150 would you include it in the setup? Besides core, I really need to work on leg strength on the bike.
I am going to follow your advise and will report back after 45-60 days.
Brian
You guys are killing me, heres my suggestion, take your money and invest in a gym membership then find a good personal trainer and explain to him or her what your goals are and LEARN how to properly lift weights and make your muscles stronger. I come from the old school of working out and I personally love the dumbells and cable machines. But the key is to learn how to lift and workout the muscle group correctly. I can sit there and curl a 50 pound dumbell and look cool and strong and not work my bicep nearly as much as I can with a 25lb dumbell. Its all about correct form and isolating and working the specific muscle. You can see it all the time when people are working on their abs, I see people pumping out crunches and sit ups like there rocky balboa but if you do them correctly you probably wont be able to do more than 5 crunches your first time, ha.
Now im not knocking your decision to buy a machine all Im saying is that you will get more out of it while in a gym, plus the scenery is better with all the hotties running around.
Clydesdales Rule!!!
Good question
First phase - stabilization (the dvd covers all the exercises) Can be used for the beginning (AA phase to some) or throughout the year or as “maintenance”. I would suggest in good/better/best order:
For squat, walking lunge, clock lunge: (body weight) - dumbells/ bar w/plates/ weighted vest (if low load)
For push & pull: (pushups & pullups) or other using bands (med to heavy)/ dumbells / cable
Swim stroke & reverse: bands (lt to med)/ cable
Back curl - eventually you can use light dumbells
Crunches - stability ball
Crab walk - band (med to heavy)/ adj band “lateral resistor” w/velcro “cuffs”
Plank - ball
Runningman - bands ((lt to med)/ cable w/cuff attachment
In the Max strength phase you will lift a bit heavier so a bar and dumbells are nice. I get a bit nervous when people do this phase by themselves at home so I usually suggest a gym membership. Also, bars, plates and a rack can be costly.
So, for $750 I would buy (I always buy from Perform Better so I will post the link):
3 Bands = $43- light, med & heavy - levels 3, 6, 9 (PB has a buy 3 get level 3 free so if u order from them get levels 5,7,9 and the 3 is free)http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_4106_A_CategoryID_E_281
Stability ball = $27 for 55 cm (depends on height) http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_3538_A_CategoryID_E_397
You could do all the exercises with the above = $70
or add:
Adj lateral resistor (band) = $30 http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_4174_A_CategoryID_E_327
Adj dumbells = $279 - up to 30 lbs (shop around)http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_3882_A_CategoryID_E_351
or old fashioned hex = $140 for 7 pairs of 5 lbs - 30 lbs
Weight vest = $85 for 20 lb vest http://www.performbetter.com/SearchResult.aspx_Q_CategoryID_E_375
I am not really into all the balance boards since I believe you can get as much stability training just working on one leg then progress to maybe on only the ball of the foot, add weight, etc.
Cable stacks & larger free weights I suggest buying used quality or just go to the gym. I just can’t recommend buying the Total Gym - sorry. And I love the reps - see them every winter. Just can’t buy into doing some stuff on your bum and some stuff off. I like to save time. Be as specific to the movements as possible. The dvd goes over each exercise - why it’s recommended, variations and progressions. I can’t think of one that the Total Gym would be best for.
So, I want to hear back from you every 2 weeks
Good luck and thanks for asking.
Hello,
Brother if I could get to the gym consistently I would. Most gyms stay afloat on the backs of the people who do not go.
I have a change in circumstances where I have lost the first couple of hours in my morning. I have to be home, so I am trying to make those hours productive again.
Brian