Anybody own a Total Gym?

Edd · Apr 28, 2009

A friend gave me one like 7 years ago. I liked it but I was way into going to a regular gym at the time so I gave it away. My gym membership is on hold through ski season but starts again in May. Great gym but it's $46/month, and some members pay more there. It's the only game in town.

I'm researching them and there's decent prices online. It certainly has its limits, particularly with leg workouts but I just want to excercise at home and I need to be able to fold it away.

Any experienced opinions about this thing?

hammer · Apr 28, 2009

Edd said:
A friend gave me one like 7 years ago. I liked it but I was way into going to a regular gym at the time so I gave it away. My gym membership is on hold through ski season but starts again in May. Great gym but it's $46/month, and some members pay more there. It's the only game in town.

I'm researching them and there's decent prices online. It certainly has its limits, particularly with leg workouts but I just want to excercise at home and I need to be able to fold it away.

Any experienced opinions about this thing?

Mine sits in my attic and doesn't get used...I don't have much muscle mass, and I found that a lot of exercises really weren't all that difficult, even at the highest incline setting.

If you can get one pretty cheap it may be a good supplement to other workouts, but IMO I wouldn't consider it anything to use in place of another workout routine.

Grassi21 · Apr 28, 2009

My bro-inlaw has one. There is a mean layer of dust on that thing....

RootDKJ · Apr 28, 2009

For the price we pay for a gym membership for an entire year, I could buy a really nice home gym setup that I'd never use. Around the house, there's just too much other stuff that would distract me. Going to the gym gives me a dedicated goal, has nicer facilities (pool & hot tub) and really good looking women.

MRGisevil · Apr 28, 2009

I have one and use it all the time, but we got it for free. Dunno if I'd go out and pay for one, but as a freebie, it serves its purpose well enough.

deadheadskier · Apr 28, 2009

Great Bay? You have a steal there at $46. Twice I've inquired about getting a membership for J and I, neither time would they budge on $150 per couple.

While no pool or nothing fancy, I wish there was a Planet Fitness closer than Dover. In Portland they had specials all the time for $15 a month. Love to get a Gym membership, but have zero desire to spend 15-20 minutes in the car to get there.

RootDKJ · Apr 28, 2009

deadheadskier said:
Great Bay? You have a steal there at $46. Twice I've inquired about getting a membership for J and I, neither time would they budge on $150 per couple.

While no pool or nothing fancy, I wish there was a Planet Fitness closer than Dover. In Portland they had specials all the time for $15 a month. Love to get a Gym membership, but have zero desire to spend 15-20 minutes in the car to get there.

I switched from a low cost gym that was out of the way from me, that shared a metered parking lot with a library that I hardly went to. My new gym is way more expensive, closer and easier to get to with better parking and I'm averaging 3 days a week there now.

Edd · Apr 28, 2009

deadheadskier said:
Great Bay? You have a steal there at $46. Twice I've inquired about getting a membership for J and I, neither time would they budge on $150 per couple.

While no pool or nothing fancy, I wish there was a Planet Fitness closer than Dover. In Portland they had specials all the time for $15 a month. Love to get a Gym membership, but have zero desire to spend 15-20 minutes in the car to get there.

Yeah, I've been a member there at least 4 years now so I've noticed prices of new memberships creep up. It can be a real yuppie crowd but I do enjoy the MILFs in tennis skirts. Alot of equipment options and free classes that I used to take advantage of but I think I'm burnt out on the place.

Edd · Apr 28, 2009

RootDKJ said:
I switched from a low cost gym that was out of the way from me, that shared a metered parking lot with a library that I hardly went to. My new gym is way more expensive, closer and easier to get to with better parking and I'm averaging 3 days a week there now.

The convenience factor is huge when your gym is close which is why I've stuck with my place for so long. I'm just getting lazier and lazier so a home workout is sounding great to me right now.

deadheadskier · Apr 28, 2009

RootDKJ said:
I switched from a low cost gym that was out of the way from me, that shared a metered parking lot with a library that I hardly went to. My new gym is way more expensive, closer and easier to get to with better parking and I'm averaging 3 days a week there now.

I would do the same, but not at $75 per person per month. It would be ultra convenient to go where Edd does, less than a mile from my place. Outside of that you're looking at 15-20 minutes from here to another place like Planet Fitness, which is reasonable.

For now, I'm stuck with the at home rowing machine. I think I would probably work out far more often if I had a Gym membership, but the options around me right now stink.

GrilledSteezeSandwich · Apr 28, 2009

I'm fortunate that my apartment complex has a gym with weights and machines..I live right near LA Fitness which is like $39 a month for singles and is gi-normous..I used to go there..the Allentown JCC is only like $30 a month for singles and you don't have to be Jewish..

I have 15 pound handweights and pushup bars and stuff but I agree with root that having it at home creates alot of distractions..

mlctvt · Apr 28, 2009

I don’t have any experience with the Total Gym.
I have a basement gym that's well equipped but for the last 8 months I've been using mostly free weights. My wife got me into these DVD workouts. I use mostly dumbbells and do high rep workouts to the DVDs. It's an incredibly intensive workout. Doing 120 squats of various depths and speeds did great for preparing for skiing. The DVDs step through multiple exercises for about 1 hour total time. At the end of the hour you’re completely exhausted but that’s what feels great right?
I've had better results with this than using the machines at a gym or my bowflex. Just thought I’d mention a low cost alternative.

gmcunni · Apr 28, 2009

mlctvt said:
I have a basement gym that's well equipped but for the last 8 months I've been using mostly free weights. My wife got me into these DVD workouts.

what's it called?

mlctvt · Apr 29, 2009

gmcunni said:
what's it called?

There are a few by Jari Love http://www.jarilove.com/ and Cathe Friedrich http://www.cathe.com/
The ones I've been doing lately are these by Jari Love "Get Ripped! Slim and Lean " and "Get Ripped! & Chiseled" . All you'll need are small dumbells in the range of 8lb, 10lb, 12lb, 15lb and a step or small bench.
I think Netflix carries these so If you have a Netflix subsription you could check them out without buying them.

I found if I don't follow along to DVDs I won't do the entire workout or workout as hard.

Edd · May 1, 2009

Bang! Pulled the trigger on Tuesday and the damn thing arrived this morning. I love Ebay. Just spent 2 hours messing with it and I'm impressed. See how it goes....

Mildcat · May 12, 2009

Edd said:
Bang! Pulled the trigger on Tuesday and the damn thing arrived this morning. I love Ebay. Just spent 2 hours messing with it and I'm impressed. See how it goes....

So how do you like it so far?

Edd · May 12, 2009

Mildcat said:
So how do you like it so far?

So far I'd recommend it. Messing with attachments at first feels cumbersome but I was patient and now the workouts are flowing easier. It's not a machine for heavy strength training but there is an option to add real weights to this model if I feel unchallenged.

It's great how it folds up too. I keep it against a wall. It isn't light so folding it smoothly takes practice. I pinched my fingers twice, and trust me, that is painful. Even a monkey is smarter than that. I'm in the groove now though.

eastcoastpowderhound · May 13, 2009

deadheadskier said:
I would do the same, but not at $75 per person per month. It would be ultra convenient to go where Edd does, less than a mile from my place. Outside of that you're looking at 15-20 minutes from here to another place like Planet Fitness, which is reasonable.

For now, I'm stuck with the at home rowing machine. I think I would probably work out far more often if I had a Gym membership, but the options around me right now stink.

Great Bay is too pricey for me too...the wife looked at joining there and we ended up with a family membership at the Y in Portsmouth/Rye for less than a single person membership at great bay. Sucks though because its 20min in the opposite direction of work for me...I've yet to work out there, but have taken advantage of the free friday night babysitting program they run a couple times a month. Wife works out there and our daughter goes to gymnastics and swim lessons. For the most part, the activities around our neck of the seacoast are pricey...must be lots of folks making plenty more coin than us!

eastcoastpowderhound · May 13, 2009

Edd said:
So far I'd recommend it. Messing with attachments at first feels cumbersome but I was patient and now the workouts are flowing easier. It's not a machine for heavy strength training but there is an option to add real weights to this model if I feel unchallenged.

It's great how it folds up too. I keep it against a wall. It isn't light so folding it smoothly takes practice. I pinched my fingers twice, and trust me, that is painful. Even a monkey is smarter than that. I'm in the groove now though.

A guy I played rugby with in portland had one and swore by it...and he was pretty ripped so it was doing its job.

Edd · May 13, 2009

eastcoastpowderhound said:
Great Bay is too pricey for me too...the wife looked at joining there and we ended up with a family membership at the Y in Portsmouth/Rye for less than a single person membership at great bay.......... For the most part, the activities around our neck of the seacoast are pricey...must be lots of folks making plenty more coin than us!

Yeah, I called them to quit. Long story short, they require a 30 day notice (state law, they claim) so I'm paying a full extra month for no reason. I contacted them again to talk to a manager and the whole 9 yards and no dice. I was not impressed. 4 years and I've spoken highly of that place and they ended it like that. My GF attacked me with the rational argument that "You signed a contract". This is true. It's a small town, though and I would think they would want to leave things on a good note. They acted like a big corporation instead of a local business.

Anybody own a Total Gym?

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