On a Quest for Fitness, Variety is the Spice of Life
Written: Feb 20 '05 (Updated Mar 07 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use; no assembly; works all body parts fairly effectively.
Cons: Lots of manipulation of attachments and moving around; not effective for building much strength.
The Bottom Line: I don't think this is a safe enough nor effective enough machine to give more than 3 stars. I have listed for whom I would recommend it.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Fitness Quest Total Gym 1500 |
I hesitated reviewing the Total Gym 1500 because at this point it is an older model and there are better ones that have come out. However several consumers have e-mailed me requesting a review. The fact is that it is hard to pass up what seems to be a piece of equipment that does everything for less than $300.
The Total Gym:
The Total Gym is made by FitnessQuest. There are many models. Feel free to e-mail me if you want me to review a particular model other than the 1500.
The machine is a simple device. It is one of the few that does not have to be assembled.
It claims to combines strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, and flexibility. I suppose the fact that Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris endorse it does not hurt. Please do not forget they are getting paid well to do just that. You may have heard them say that The Total Gym can give you one of the fastest and most effective resistance workouts you will ever experience. To make it even more enticing you can try it for 30-60 days (depending on where you buy it- there may be a charge).
There is a one year warranty.
We are told that the Total Gym 1500 trains over 80% of your upper and lower body with over 60 exercises. You will get a video and instruction chart. Although the machine is simple, it takes some practice to get a feel for how to use it.
The facts:
It is made of a powder coated steel frame with chrome handles.
It weighs 72 pounds and folds to 48 inches by 18 inches by 8 inches. I have been told that it will fit under a bed though I have not seen that done. Obviously some beds do not even have 8 inches of clearance so that statement depends on what you have in your home.
It is on rubber rollers so it is considered portable.
It is suggested that anyone over 6 feet 1 inch tall not use this machine.
The weight limit is 275 pounds.
The Total Gym is 90 inches long by 18 inches wide by 48 inches high.
My experiences and thoughts of the Total Gym 1500:
I am a personal trainer and safety is my first concern. Total Gym claims to be safe for all fitness levels. Because there are no weights to lift one might think it is safer than other machines where your fingers can get caught or a plate (circular weight) might fall on your foot. I disagree and will walk you through my experiences on the Total Gym.
It has a slide, literally, a 43.5 by 13 inch board that moves. The slide is comfortable so I have no problem lying on it. The way you work the resistance is by moving the slide up or down with it at various levels. There is one pin that pulls out. Once it is out you can move the slide up and down the machine. Metal openings fit into 6 rungs on the machine. The higher the slide the more difficult the exercise and the more resistance you have.
The company says that a spotter is not needed. I disagree especially for the novice. You can lose your balance and fall off. Nothing holds you on the slide.
The first time I used it I had it set at the lowest incline so I could get a feel for the machine. It comes with what is called a wing bar. In the gym that looks like a curved bar. That acts as many things including a place to put my feet. On other models you will get a much larger area. This area is used for squats (Squats must be shown to you so even if you watch the video and think you can do squats. please have someone show you and be very careful.)
The Total Gym works on a cable system. Lying down I decided to grab the chrome handles which this machine comes with. The handles get attached to the cables. Of course I was really too low so I had to get off and raise the board so I could do what are called flyes. This exercise works your pectoral muscles (chest). I was able to work my chest but I can use a resistance band and get the same effect.
Then I wanted to use these same handles to do rows. Rows work the back. In order to do that I had to turn around. So I had to get down off the board with no rails or any type of side to hold onto. So now turned around I could do rows. I did feel them particularly with the board raised. I moved the board to various levels and did feel a difference.
The next time I used it I used the wings to do squats and pull ups. The wings have to be moved. This is not difficult and for the money what is a few seconds but after awhile you may get tired of moving these pieces around.
There is no doubt that the Total Gym does a lot for the money. The key really is that the cables you are holding whether on the top of the machine or the bottom are moved at the same time as you slide the board up and down.
One positive that I like is the flexibility the machine gives me. For example on a chest press machine my arms are in one position. I can replicate this movement with the cables and move my arms whether out to the side a bit as in a punch you might to in a kickboxing class or bring my arms back to hit my deltoids (shoulders). However I have been working out for over 25 years and am a personal trainer. My fear is that even with instruction you can hurt yourself if your form is not right. There is too much flexibility. I think that a more controlled machine if more effective and safer for the average person.
My final thoughts:
Although I can see this in a rehab facility which is one place that the Total Gym purports to be used, I cannot see this in a home where someone new to working out lives. Then again I do not see body builders using this. You will be bored out of your minds in about 20 minutes and so tired of moving the pieces around and turning your body from front to back that you will stop using it. Christie Brinkley thinks the slide and pull motion is fun. I thought it monotonous and tedious.
However if you are really really bent on the Total Gym because it does give you a workout for a lot less money than other machines, I would look at the Platinum for $241 which has an actual squat stand or the SupraPro for $349. If you are looking at the 1700 it is essentially the same as the 1500.
Again, Total Gym makes a lot of machines some costing thousands of dollars. I will attempt to review another different model in the future. In general I just do not like the design of the 1500 and that will be the bottom line.
I am recommending it for those who cannot afford anything else; for those who will be very careful; for those perhaps who are young and less apt to get hurt on the machine; for those who just want to tone; and for those who can stand tedium.
I am not recommending it for the weight lifter who wants to build muscle and mass; for those who are experienced and for those who like variety.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment or e-mail me privately. If you have any medical conditions, are a woman over 50 or a man over 40 just starting an exercise program please talk with your doctor first.
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Recommended:
Yes
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