Going to the gym or setting out for a jog are both great ways of staying fit, but there’s nothing like the convenience and comfort of being able to get a full workout without leaving the house.
The fitness industry is booming, and a huge number of home gym machines have appeared on the market ready to compete for your attention. But just like the old days of “As Seen On TV” workout equipment, it can be hard to see past the marketing and figure out what really works. They all have a dizzying array of features and so many different specs to look at.
Total Gym Reviews: The Best Way To Stay Fit At Home
Going to the gym or setting out for a jog are both great ways of staying fit, but there’s nothing like the convenience and comfort of being able to get a full workout without leaving the house.
The fitness industry is booming, and a huge number of home gym machines have appeared on the market ready to compete for your attention. But just like the old days of “As Seen On TV” workout equipment, it can be hard to see past the marketing and figure out what really works. They all have a dizzying array of features and so many different specs to look at.
To help you out, we’ve put together a comprehensive review of what we believe to be one of the best, most feature-packed home gyms: the Total Gym Home Series.
The Total Gym Home series comes in three major models—the entry-level Supreme, midrange XLS, and high-end FIT. Each successively higher model comes with more accessories, allows for more workouts, and supports a heavier maximum user weight.
We’re also taking a look at the Total Gym GTS, a far more expensive and impressive offering which is the kind of commercial-grade machinery that wouldn’t be out of place in a gym or therapeutic clinic.
So without further introduction here are our Total Gym reviews!
1. Total Gym Supreme
The Total Gym Supreme, despite its grandiose name, is actually the most basic in the Total Gym series. It’s Total Gym’s entry-level model, but it still manages to keep up the heritage of quality that the Total Gym series has become known for.
The Total Gym Supreme supports resistance training, cardio training, stretch and strength training, all in a single machine. Unlike many home gyms which use weights to provide resistance, the Total Gym Supreme uses gravity and your own body-weight.
This makes it much safer to use, as the tension will be vastly easier on your joints and tendons. It also makes it a great choice for those with joint issues, muscle injuries, or for the elderly.
Total Body Workout
The Total Gym bench is highlighted by the signature Glideboard, which features an adjustable angle that allows you to work against your bodyweight at different percentages. It features a variety of accessories that extend the variety of workouts you can do, including the AbCrunch accessory, Tri-Grip Shaper Bars, a Leg Pull Accessory, Dip Bars, and a standard Squat Stand, among others.
These accessories allow the Total Gym Supreme to support more than 60 exercises that cover all major muscle groups, all in just a single machine. You’ll be able to train your entire body in just 20 minutes by combining the accessories.
Instructional Gym DVDs
To help you make the most out of your home gym, the Supreme comes with four workout DVDs that show you how to get started.
First is 6-8 Minute DVD Workout, which details 12 brief workouts for when you need to get your fitness fix but you’re pressed for time.
Next is Beginner Program DVD with Todd Durkin, featuring renowned strength, speed, and conditioning coach and personal trainer Todd Durkin. In this DVD, Durkin shows off even more exercises, and helps you kick your fitness program into high gear and improve your strength, stamina, and speed.
The third DVD is Total Gym Basic Workout DVD with Rosalie Brown, featuring TV fitness personality Rosalie Brown. In this DVD, Brown discusses 3 great workouts you can do with the Total Gym Supreme, including a basic workout for strength and tone, a guide to using the AbCrunch accessory, and a Lower Body and Core workout.
The fourth DVD is Core Cable Flow, also featuring Rosalie Brown as she guides you through a powerful core workout that will help with mobility, posture, and improve your performance in nearly every other physical activity.
Convenience
Because it lacks moving metal weights that would otherwise bang against each other, the Total Gym Supreme is incredibly quiet during use. That way you won’t be disturbing other people at home while you’re working out.
Like other Total Gym Home models, the Supreme features a no-assembly-required setup. At 15.5” in width, 93” in length, and 43.25” in height, it’s the smallest of the Total Gym series, so it’ll fit easily in a living room, a bedroom, or a small basement.
If you need to make space, the Supreme folds for easy storage into a frame that’s just 15.5” x 50.5 ”x 8”. It has a maximum user weight of 275 lbs, and the machine itself weighs 56 lbs.
Quality Guaranteed
The Total Gym Supreme comes with a 1-year warranty on the frame and 6 months on its included parts
2. Total Gym XLS
The next rung on the Total Gym ladder is the Total Gym XLS. A step up above the Supreme, the Total Gym XLS is built upon a Glideboard bodyweight system very similar to its cheaper cousin.
Improvements On Nearly Every Front: Over 80 Exercises!
Designed for more advanced users, the Total Gym XLS features upgrades on almost everything the Supreme has.
For starters, it has a greater maximum user weight of 400 lbs, compared to the Supreme’s limit of 260 lbs. That makes it suitable for a wider variety of body types, and also assures you of its increased durability.
It also has an improved pulley and cable system, a Ribbed Squat Stand as well as the Wing Attachment, and a Glideboard with padded head support. If you buy it on promotion, the XLS will also come with the same AbCrunch attachment that the Supreme includes.
Together, the Total Gym XLS’s accessories allow you to perform more than 80 workouts with it, covering all major muscle groups all over your body. That’s a big step up from the 60+ exercises of the Supreme.
That said, it does sacrifice a little bit in terms of adjustability. While the Supreme allows for 12 angle adjustments to change what percentage of your bodyweight you’re working against, the XLS only allows for 6.
Total Gym XLS: Larger Than Life
Because of its increased supported weight and more versatile features, the Total Gym XLS is also somewhat larger than the Supreme. It measures 19” x 90” x 43” when unfolded, making it quite a bit wider, but also slightly shorter in both length and height. When folded, it compresses to 19” x 51” x 9”.
The XLS is also heavier, at 68 lbs compared to the Supreme’s 56 lbs. When it’s delivered, it will come fully assembled just like other Total Gym Home models.
More Supplementary Content
The XLS comes with a huge variety of supplementary content to help teach new users how to perform the many workouts that the machine is capable of, as well as maximize their fitness.
Like the Supreme, the XLS includes several instructional DVDs, including Beginner Program DVD with Todd Durkin and 6-8 Minute DVD Workout, which offer a quick start with the Total Gym machine. It doesn’t include either of the Rosalie Brown DVDs, as they don’t apply to the XLS.
Intermediate Program with Todd Durkin
New to the XLS is Intermediate Program with Todd Durkin, which takes your workouts past the beginner level. In the 48-minute DVD, Todd Durkin returns to show you how to increase your workout intensity and challenge your strength, improving your muscle development and helping burn fat.
5-Day Advanced Program with Todd Durkin
There’s also 5-Day Advanced Program with Todd Durkin, where Durkin teaches you a highly intensive workout program that you repeat continuously to get ripped. This 5-day program consists of lower body and core workouts on day 1 and 4, then upper body and core workouts for days 2 and 5, sandwiching a day 3 rest day so you can let your muscles heal.
This gym program contains some of the workouts that Durkin gives to professional athletes as part of their training regimen, making it a proven solution for pumping up your performance.
Total Gym Setup Guide: Start It Up!
Also included is Start it Up!, which guides you through setting up your Total Gym machine, and gives you helpful tips on how to make the most out of your XLS. It’s hosted by Rosalie Brown and fitness instructor Rob Glick, who’ll go on to teach you some basic workouts, and even put you through a Work-Along Program.
Total Gym XLS Wall Chart & Training Deck
Besides the DVDs, the Total Gym XLS comes with an Exercise Wall Chart, which you can hang on your wall to get a reference for 35 different Total Gym workouts in a quick glance.
You also get the Total Gym Training Deck, a convenient Personal Training System composed of a series of cards that illustrates over 80 different exercises, each of which were designed by Total Gym’s trainers. It also includes 30 workout programs that you can use for any Total Gym session.
You can use the Training Deck to create your own programs with your favorite workouts, or even just shuffle the cards to randomly select what to do for the day. The Training Deck fits right into a card holder that can be mounted on the XLS for convenience.
Nutritional Program and Meal Plan
Finally, there’s Dan Isaacson’s Nutritional Program and Meal Plan, developed by Hollywood fitness trainer Dan Isaacson. It’s a comprehensive program that teaches you how to eat healthier and also includes a series of meal plans for people of different weights. After all, these workouts need a good diet to complement their effectiveness.
A Greater Guarantee
The Total Gym XLS provides an impressive lifetime warranty on the frame, indicating the company’s commitment to quality and willingness to stand by it. The accessories are only covered for six months, but they’re built to last, and replacements are readily available.
It also comes with a 30-Day Trial that starts when your XLS is delivered. If you’re not satisfied with your new home gym, you can return it within 30 days for a full refund.
3. Total Gym FIT
The king of the Total Gym Home series, the Total Gym Fit comes with a kingly price to go with it. This fully-featured Total Gym system uses the same Glideboard and pulley cables as its lower-end cousins, but throws in pretty much everything but the kitchen sink in terms of accessories and content.
The Best Total Gym Home Model
The Total Gym FIT comes with the AbCrunch accessory, a Ribbed Squat Stand, 2-Piece Wing Attachment, and a Leg Pull Accessory with a detachable bracket and 2 ankle cuffs. With these accessories, you can do over 85 different workouts on the machine, targeting every major muscle group.
That gives it the widest range of potential workouts among all the Total Gym Home machines.
The FIT’s construction represents the highest standard of craftsmanship in the Total Gym series. Its Glideboard is redesigned for ergonomics, and includes an “extra comfort system” to improve your workout experience. It includes 12 levels of resistance to improve the degree of control you have over your workout difficulty.
It also has an upgraded steel frame for more durability. In addition, there’s also a custom fender system to improve the smoothness of the Glideboard’s sliding action, while the slide pivot assembly itself is now reinforced for a longer lifespan.
These improvements give it a higher maximum user weight than the XLS, clocking in at 450 lbs. The machine’s footprint is also slightly larger at 18.5” x 93” x 44.5” when unfolded, though slightly smaller when folded at 18.5” x 50.5” x 8.5”.
Interestingly, despite these enhancements, the machine is actually slightly lighter than the Total Gym XLS, tipping the scales at 66 lbs—a full two pounds lighter. That makes it easily among lightest home gym machines that feature this level of versatility.
Even More Content
The Total Gym FIT includes all of the content that is prepackaged with the XLS, including the 5 instructional DVDs, chart, nutrition plan, and Training Deck.
It also adds the Total Gym AbCrunch Workout DVD. This one features Rob Glick and teaches you how to perform the 9 workouts that can be done with the AbCrunch accessory.
Warranted Never To Fail
Just like the Total Gym XLS, the Total Gym FIT’s frame has a lifetime warranty, underscoring the company’s belief in the durability of the machine. The accessories are also warranted for 2 years, a significant increase from 6 months in the XLS.
It also includes the same 30-Day Trial that the XLS comes with, so you can refund your purchase if you’re not satisfied.
4. Total Gym GTS
While the Total Gym Home models are definitely amazing pieces of equipment, they’re not the pinnacle of home fitness solutions. If you’re willing to spend a fair bit of coin and set aside a lot more space in your home, the Total Gym GTS is a total solution for your workout needs.
Greater Investment
The Total Gym GTS requires a much larger investment than any of the other Total Gym models.
For starters, it costs more than twice as much as the Total Gym FIT. It’s also vastly larger and heavier than any of the lower Total Gym siblings. At 38" x 107" x 69" when unfolded, it’s a beast of a machine that takes up twice the width and significantly more length and height than the Total Gym FIT. In fact, when it’s folded, it’s still larger than any of the other models, at 38" x 20" x 56". It’s also almost three times the weight of the FIT, at 180 lbs.
On top of all this, the Total Gym GTS needs to be assembled on site after it’s been delivered, unlike other Total Gym models which don’t require any assembly. You’ll get a call from Total Gym’s team who’ll schedule an assembly date with you.
Far Greater Returns
What do you get with twice the price, three times the weight, and a larger footprint?
Right off the bat, the most immediate advantage is the sheer quantity of accessories included. You get a Telescoping Squat Stand, LAT Bars, and a Folding Foot Holder. You also get a Strength Package that includes a “Scrunch” accessory for ab workouts, a Pull Up Bar, Press Bar, and Retractable Dip Bars.
The Total Gym GTS also includes a Weight Bar that allows you to add plate weights to the machine, in contrast to the other Total Gym models which only allow you to use your bodyweight.
That doesn’t mean that the bodyweight Glideboard is neglected, though. The GTS’s Glideboard is redesigned to allow for 22 levels of resistance, from 1% to 62% of your bodyweight. It also has 7 angle settings that can vary your training or adapt to your spine.
Overall, these accessories combine to allow for a staggering 200+ workouts with the Total Gym GTS.
Total Gym: The Right Choice
The Total Gym series represents the best and most fully-featured offering at every price point it targets. Each of our Total Gym reviews has ended on tremendously positive notes, and we wouldn’t recommend anything else for your fitness needs.
Whether you’re looking for a budget home gym for a beginner, or a professional-grade beast that will take your athleticism to the next level, each Total Gym machine has a place in your home.
