KirbyAndersen.com

In my last post, I said I chose the Total Gym when I quit the fitness club to do my strength training at home. I’ve had quite a few questions over the last few months as to how I made my decision.

My final consideration was between the Total Gym and the Bowflex. There’s quite a bit online about the pro’s and con’s of each. Just do a Google search for Total Gym compared to Bowflex and you’ll find a lot of good information on both. In the end, I chose the Total Gym for several reasons…

1. Chuck Norris has been the spokesman for years. If it’s good enough for Chuck, it’s good enough for me - he’s looking pretty good for 60-something. When Chuck Norris does push ups, he doesn’t push up off the Earth, he pushes the Earth down!
2. No assembly - pull it right out of the box and unfold. I’ve heard it can take up to 2-3 hours to assemble a Bowflex.
3. It doesn’t take up much room. I leave mine up in the basement but it can easily be folded up and stored.
4. It’s equally easy to use and effective for both guys and gals. My wife and daughters love it. It even comes with attachments for Pilates routines. I actually don’t remember my wife ever looking as good as she does now! A nice bonus, guys.
5. It builds both strength and flexibility. I get a great stretch with each exercise.
6. A physical therapist/friend told me if he were to buy a piece of exercise equipment for home, it would be the Total Gym. He says he’s used one for years in the therapy facilities where he’s worked. He claims there are some exercises used for knee therapy which they can’t duplicate with any other machine.
7. I can do a workout consisting of many exercises and not make many adjustments - sometimes as many as five with the same settings.
8. Fewer adjustments mean better circuit training. I keep my heart rate up to get aerobic value in my workout as well. The few adjustments are simple and allow time for a quick water and towel break.

You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, but it probably costs thousands!” I did, too. My research revealed that although you can spend that much for upper-end models, there is one model that does everything the expensive ones do - and can be purchased new for under $400! That was what I spent for about 3 months of fitness club fees - which I wasn’t using.

The model is the Total Gym 1700 Club. Seriously - you can do every exercise with this that you need. It just doesn’t have as much eye candy. I don’t know about you, but that didn’t matter to me.

I also spent about $60 for the complete fitness DVD set of training programs from the Total Gym website. I would highly recommend it. It took all the guesswork out of putting together a great workout and let me focus on getting back in shape quickly and with confidence.

You can tell I’m passionate about my Total Gym. It’s worth the money to try. You can always buy something else, but Chuck Norris will probably give you a roundhouse to the face.

Okay, I know everybody’s got their preferences. So, what has been your experience with the Total Gym or other home exercise equipment?