Save your nickels; save your dimes on the Bayou
Written: Sep 18 '06 (Updated Nov 30 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of attachments; help with workouts, 4 point system; well built.
Cons: More expensive than others.
The Bottom Line: This is a great machine. It's worth the extra money unless you are new to exercising.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Bayou Fitness Total Trainer Dlx |
After I compared Weider’s Total Body Works 5000 to the Total Gym. I was asked about the Total Trainer. There are many models. I was specifically asked if the reader should spend the money for the Total Trainer especially when he saw that Total Body Works costs so much less. I am reviewing the model asked for but have access to these machines so let me know if you are interested in others. This model is called the Bayou Fitness Total Trainer DLX (which stands for Deluxe).
The DLX Total Trainer:
I will be comparing what I will call the DLX to Body Works so you can see the difference. Right from the start we have a huge price difference. The DLX will run you around $350 versus $100. The DLX is made by Bayou.
I haven’t as yet heard complaints about this company. Many people have complaints about ICON’s service department. Weider is owned by ICON. Please though consider that I hear the negatives much more often than the positives since people don’t deal with customer service unless they have a problem. I would venture a guess that there are more people happy with ICON than unhappy. In any case if you are ICON shy the DLX isn’t made by them. By the way the Total Gym is made by Fitness Quest.
Both machines are really simple pieces of equipment. Total Body Works 5000 requires a little assembly. The DLX comes assembled.
~They both claim to work on your muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance (heart and lungs) and flexibility. DLX adds coordination to that list although the machines essentially work the same way.
~The warranties are different. Bayou will give you a one-year warranty on both the fame and the parts. Total Body Works give you a 90-day warranty. Neither of these is terrific however there is no technology to break down so you will be much less apt to need a warranty on either piece. Certainly I’d rather have 12 months than 3. You’ll get a lifetime warranty on the Deluxe for the rollers, rope and pulley.
~ Bayou tells us that we can do over 60 exercises on this machine. The fact is many exercises listed are essentially the same. For example a seated dumbbell curl (for your biceps – the area on the front of your upper arm.) is the same as a standing dumbbell curl; a two arm bent over row is the same as a one arm bent over row (for the back) however you may see these listed as separate exercises which is how the number of exercises gets so high.
Bayou has done something different. I had four cards. These cards are not necessary. They are an aid and helpful for those who are new to working out. However though I am not new to working out I found them helpful. Unless you make up your own workouts like I do, you most likely go to the gym or work out at home and make up your routine as you go along. This isn’t the best way to work out. Bayou takes the guessing out of this game. You’ll get four workout cards with a total of 14 workout programs.
Three of the cards have four workout programs on them and one card has two. For example – and this one can be seen at www.bayoufitness.com – one workout on the card is called circuit training. Circuit training is a fast paced workout going from one exercise to another working every body part in one workout session. This card will tell you to do bicep curls, leg presses, rows, etc. You’ll find a beginner workout, an intermediate workout and an advanced workout. You’ll be told on the cards how may repetitions to do and how many sets to do for each exercise. (A repetition is the exercise. A set is the total number done at one time. So I might do 12 bicep curls 3 times equaling threes sets of 12 reps each of bicep curls.) You’ll find a routine just for your back for example.
~The DLX weighs about 90 pounds versus 79 pounds. It measures 20 inches by 86 inches by 44 inches. Body Works is shorter by about 15 inches, 5 inches higher and about 6 inches wider. The DLX folds to 20 inches by 14 inches by 46 inches. It seems obvious that if you have any room constraints it will be in the length.
The maximum height for a person using Bayou’s DLX is 6 feet 2 inches.
~Please note a huge difference in maximum weight capacity. DLX can handle a person weighing up to 385 pounds; Body Works is 250 pounds. This says a lot to me and certainly if you weigh over 250 pounds you can stop reading my comparisons because you will have to go with the more expensive Bayou Total Trainer Deluxe. It tells me that the construction is sturdier; that perhaps the steel and tubing are stronger and thicker and that the foam pad on the glider is better made. I do know that the DLX uses 2 inches of foam and was super comfortable. I didn’t note that Body Works was uncomfortable and I couldn’t use them next to each other. The DLX was sturdy and stable though I found that true of Body Works as well.
~The DLX comes with a power weight bar which I am going to discuss below, a squat board, a single leg cuff cuff rope assembly, a sit up cuff strap.
My experiences and thoughts:
They both have what I call a slide – a board that moves. The resistance works the same way to a point. I move the slide up or down with it at various levels. There are a couple of major differences between these two machines. The DLX has 11 levels of resistance. Body Works has 6 rungs on the machine thus six levels. The higher the slide the more difficult the exercise and the more resistance you have. Thus I had the ability for a much more challenging workout on Bayou’s Deluxe.
Although Body Works gave me bungee cords for added resistance, (50 pounds) the Deluxe has a power bar which when attached can handle 50 pound plates on each side. Getting up to level 11 is challenging. It is like lifting more than two thirds of your weight. For those of you who can lift all your weight then you would add the 100 pounds. These plates do not come with the DLX.
The two machines both have foot plates, however Bayou’s is larger. The whole machine feels larger and more like a machine than a piece of equipment. I used the foot plate to do leg presses. This has to be attached to the machine. It isn’t difficult to do.
They both work on a cable system. I used the machine as I would the Total Gym. Lying down I grabbed the handles. The handles get attached to the cables. I did what are called flyes. This exercise works your pectoral muscles (chest). I was able to work my chest effectively.
One difference you may read about is the four point system so let me briefly explain. Most machines have 3 point systems. That means the cables are attached to the machine at three points. The DLX gave me the ability to do more because it works on a 4 point system. I could easily do front raises and then lie down and do flyes (for my chest) with the cables on each such of the machine thus 4.
My final thoughts:
I rated the Body Works 5 stars and I stand by that. For $100 this is a great machine for the beginner and really you can’t beat that price but remember there is only a 3-month warranty. The Bayou Fitness Deluxe Total Trainer really is in a ballpark of its own. It gave me so much more that I would certainly pay the extra money for it.
In my Body Works review I said, "I feel the same way about the Total Body Works 5000 as I did with the Total Gym 1500. I would be very bored if this was the only machine in my house so I am recommending it for the novice or for a young person who has little room and little money. If you are a body builder this will not meet your needs."
I feel differently about the Deluxe. This has enough attachments and resistance levels along with the plate capability to keep me from being bored and allow me to grow with it.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment. If you have any medical conditions or are just starting an exercise program please talk with your doctor before starting.
Thanks for reading. My fitness equipment reviews can be found on my profile page.
Recommended:
Yes
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