109 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Recommend by Physical Therapists at a Rehabilitation Hospital, June 19, 2006
This review is from: Total Gym 1700 Club (Sports)
A 44-year-old woman that doesn't enjoy exercise writes this review. I spent many years as an overworked hospital administrator that did not take the time to keep myself in top physical condition. I purchased this product after realizing that that it was used in the rehabilitation gyms in the hospital where I worked. The Physical Therapists not only used this equipment for their patients, but also worked out on the equipment themselves at lunchtime and after work. You can get a great workout on this piece of equipment. Both my husband and myself use this piece of equipment.
Pros:
1. Well made piece of equipment, smooth movement during exercise
2. Can be used by both males and females
3. Weight limit of 350 pounds
4. Ability to add 75 pounds of additional weight to the bar for added resistance
5. Challenges muscles, young and old (you will know that you have exercised the next day)
6. Allows you to move quickly and easily through different exercises
7. Excellent Pilates reformer stand in
8. Easy to collapse to storage
9. Folds into a reasonably small size for storage (will slide under a bed or into a closet)
Cons:
1. It is a little heavy if you plan to move it very far. Mine is now permanently set up to encourage exercise.
2. Purchase an additional Pilates reformer exercise routine (check Amazon for options) if that is your primary reason for this purchase.
If you are seriously considering this piece of equipment I would recommend finding a friend with one and working out on it a few times before making the decision to buy this. My husband and I have discussed upgrading to the next model up (about twice the price) when this one bites the bullet. Overall we are very happy with this purchase and would recommend this product, or the more expensive models.
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58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good home gym equipment, March 8, 2006
I have been using a TotalGym for several years now. My particular model is an 1100. I find the TotalGym to be very easy to use and quick to go from one exercise routine to the next. I think the simplicity of how the TotalGym works compared to other home exercise machines is a big benefit. I have put a lot of time on my TotalGym and it shows very little signs of wear. There are a few exercises that I feel the TotalGym is lacking in however. It's not that you cannot do them but that to do them on the TotalGym is awkward. Doing a "bench press" is one example. I supplement my TotalGym routine by using free weights for this particular exercise. Abdominal crunches are another example. While my son prefers doing reclined sit-ups on the TotalGym, I like a bit more back support and have obtained an Ab-Lounger for this particular exercise (and yes, that works too!) When changing the incline level of the TotalGym, the legs must slide on the floor. I don't like this and am working on some sort of slide mechanism to keep from scraping the floor. I don't like to fold and unfold the TotalGym only because I like it ready to go when I am. I don't need an easy excuse to avoid a workout such as setting it up or going to a Gold's gym somewhere. At the end of my workout, the TotalGym has pretty much kicked my butt. However, if you are a steroid-laden professional baseball player, you may find something that offers more resistance to be desirable. Before I began using the TotalGym, I was suffering chronic neck and shoulder pain. Chiropractors and massage therapists were unable to help. The solution was simply to exercise. Not only do I feel better but also I do not think I will enter my senior years looking like Ted Kennedy on his yacht. If you are not working out, start! No matter what exercise you do, you will only get out of it what you put into it. That is, you will reap what you sow. The TotalGym makes it easy to exercise regardless of what shape you are in and it will grow with you as you develop.
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48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Too Bad..., March 14, 2006
This review is from: Total Gym 1700 Club (Sports)
The Total Gym 1700 Club is a pretty good piece of equipment. You definately feel the resistance, and wake up feeling a little sore after the first workout (at least I did). The DVD is pretty useful too. The machine is quite heavy, but assuming I bought the machine to get physically fit I guess the weight is not a bad thing.
There were 2 things I found as a drawback to this product. The first is that the machine is quite rigid and hard to change levels of resistance. The second is that the "wheels" that the machine are supposed to come with were cracked and did not work. They are made of a brittle plastic and probably wouldn't work had they been in perfect condition. I had to resort to carrying the machine instead of rolling it.
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