The Total Gym Exercises: A Comprehensive Guide to Full-Body Fitness

The Total Gym is a versatile home exercise machine that allows users to perform a wide range of exercises targeting every major muscle group. With over 80 different exercises possible, the Total Gym offers a complete full-body workout solution. In this post, we’ll explore the various exercises you can perform on the Total Gym and how they benefit your overall fitness.

Upper Body Exercises

The Total Gym is an excellent tool for targeting your upper body muscles, including your chest, back, shoulders, and arms.

Chest Press

The chest press is a fundamental upper body exercise that targets your chest muscles (pectorals), as well as your shoulders and triceps. To perform a chest press on the Total Gym:

1. Sit on the glide board with your feet securely on the platform and your head toward the top of the machine.
2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms slightly bent and your elbows pointing outward.
3. Push the handles forward, extending your arms and squeezing your chest muscles at the top of the movement.
4. Slowly return to the starting position, keeping your core engaged throughout the exercise.

Pullups

Pullups are an excellent exercise for targeting your back muscles (latissimus dorsi), as well as your shoulders and biceps. The Total Gym’s pullup attachment allows you to perform assisted pullups, making this challenging exercise more accessible. To perform pullups on the Total Gym:

1. Attach the pullup bar to the top of the Total Gym and adjust the incline to a challenging level.
2. Grasp the pullup bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your feet on the glide board.
4. Pull yourself up toward the bar, squeezing your shoulder blades together and engaging your back muscles.
5. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press primarily targets your shoulder muscles (deltoids) and also engages your triceps. To perform a shoulder press on the Total Gym:

1. Sit on the glide board with your feet securely on the platform and your head toward the top of the machine.
2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, positioning your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Start with your arms bent and your hands near your shoulders.
4. Press the handles upward, extending your arms overhead while keeping your core engaged.
5. Slowly lower the handles back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.

Bicep Curls

Bicep curls isolate and strengthen your biceps muscles using the Total Gym’s cable system. To perform bicep curls on the Total Gym:

1. Stand on the platform with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back toward the top of the machine.
2. Grasp the handles with an underhand grip, keeping your arms extended and your elbows close to your body.
3. Curl the handles toward your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement.
4. Slowly lower the handles back to the starting position, maintaining tension on your biceps throughout the exercise.

Tricep Pushdowns

Tricep pushdowns target the back of your upper arms (triceps), helping to tone and define this area. To perform tricep pushdowns on the Total Gym:

1. Stand on the platform with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back toward the top of the machine.
2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, keeping your elbows close to your body and your arms bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Push the handles downward, extending your arms and squeezing your triceps at the bottom of the movement.
4. Slowly return to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the exercise.

By incorporating these upper body exercises into your Total Gym workouts, you can effectively target and strengthen your chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Remember to maintain proper form and to select an incline level that challenges you while allowing you to complete the desired number of repetitions.

Lower Body Exercises

The Total Gym also offers a range of exercises that target your lower body muscles, including your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Squats

Squats are a fundamental lower body exercise that targets your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. To perform squats on the Total Gym:

1. Stand on the glide board with your feet shoulder-width apart and your head toward the top of the machine.
2. Bend your knees and lower your hips, as if you’re sitting back into a chair.
3. Keep your chest up, your core engaged, and your weight on your heels throughout the movement.
4. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the glide board, or as low as you can comfortably go.
5. Push through your heels to extend your legs and return to the starting position.

Lunges

Lunges target each leg individually, working your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. To perform lunges on the Total Gym:

1. Stand on the glide board with your feet shoulder-width apart and your head toward the top of the machine.
2. Step one foot forward, keeping your weight evenly distributed between both legs.
3. Lower your hips until both knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Your front knee should be directly over your ankle, and your back knee should be hovering just above the glide board.
4. Push through your front heel to extend your legs and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the movement, alternating legs with each repetition.

Calf Raises

Calf raises isolate and strengthen your calf muscles using the Total Gym’s incline. To perform calf raises on the Total Gym:

1. Stand on the glide board with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, and your head toward the top of the machine.
2. Position the balls of your feet on the edge of the glide board, with your heels extending off the board.
3. Raise your heels as high as possible, squeezing your calf muscles at the top of the movement.
4. Slowly lower your heels back down, stretching your calf muscles at the bottom of the movement.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Leg Press

The leg press targets your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, allowing you to work your lower body with added resistance. To perform a leg press on the Total Gym:

1. Sit on the glide board with your head toward the bottom of the machine and your feet on the squat stand.
2. Adjust the incline to a challenging level and ensure that your feet are shoulder-width apart.
3. Bend your knees and lower the glide board toward your chest, keeping your core engaged and your lower back pressed against the glide board.
4. Push through your heels to extend your legs, returning to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

By incorporating these lower body exercises into your Total Gym workouts, you can effectively target and strengthen your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. Remember to maintain proper form and to select an incline level that challenges you while allowing you to complete the desired number of repetitions. As with any exercise program, it’s essential to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and volume of your workouts to avoid injury and ensure steady progress.

Core Exercises

Strengthening your core is essential for overall stability, balance, and posture. The Total Gym offers several exercises that target your abdominal muscles and obliques.

1. Crunches: Perform crunches on the Total Gym to target your rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” muscle).
2. Oblique Twists: Engage your obliques with this twisting motion, which helps to tone and define your waistline.
3. Planks: Use the Total Gym to perform incline planks, which challenge your entire core and improve stability.

Combining Exercises for a Full-Body Workout

The Total Gym’s versatility allows you to combine exercises that target different muscle groups, creating a comprehensive full-body workout in a short amount of time. By selecting exercises that work your upper body, lower body, and core, you can ensure that you’re targeting all major muscle groups in a single session. A well-rounded, full-body Total Gym workout might include exercises like:

• Squats (lower body)
• Chest Press (upper body chest, shoulders, triceps)
• Pullups (upper body back, shoulders, biceps)
• Lunges (lower body)
• Shoulder Press (upper body shoulders, triceps)
• Crunches (core)
• Bicep Curls (upper body biceps)
• Leg Press (lower body)

Structuring Your Workout

To create an efficient and effective full-body workout, consider the following structure:

1. Warm-up: Begin with a few minutes of light cardio or dynamic stretching to prepare your body for exercise.
2. Exercise circuit: Perform each exercise for a set number of repetitions (e.g., 20 reps) or a specific duration (e.g., 30 seconds). Move quickly from one exercise to the next, with minimal rest between exercises. This circuit-style training keeps your heart rate elevated and provides a cardiovascular challenge in addition to strength training.
3. Rest and repeat: After completing one round of the circuit, rest for 30-60 seconds. Then, repeat the circuit for the desired number of rounds (e.g., 2-4 rounds).
4. Cool-down: Finish your workout with a few minutes of light cardio or static stretching to help your body recover and improve flexibility.

Adjusting Intensity and Duration

The beauty of the Total Gym is that you can easily adjust the intensity and duration of your workouts to suit your fitness level and goals.

• Incline: Adjust the incline of the Total Gym to make exercises easier or more challenging. A lower incline will make exercises easier, while a higher incline will increase the difficulty.
• Repetitions: Increase or decrease the number of repetitions for each exercise to adjust the intensity of your workout. Beginners may start with fewer repetitions (e.g., 10-15 reps), while more advanced users can aim for higher repetitions (e.g., 20-25 reps).
• Rounds: Adjust the number of rounds you complete to change the duration of your workout. Beginners may start with 1-2 rounds, while more advanced users can aim for 3-4 rounds.

Sample 20-Minute Total Gym Workout

Here’s an example of a 20-minute, full-body Total Gym workout:

• Warm-up: 2-3 minutes of light cardio or dynamic stretching
• Exercise circuit (20 reps each):
  • Squats
  • Chest Press
  • Pullups
  • Lunges
  • Shoulder Press
  • Crunches
  • Bicep Curls
  • Leg Press
• Rest: 30-60 seconds
• Repeat the circuit for a total of 2-4 rounds
• Cool-down: 2-3 minutes of light cardio or static stretching

By combining various exercises and adjusting the intensity and duration of your workouts, you can create efficient and effective full-body workouts using the Total Gym. These workouts provide a time-saving, comprehensive approach to strength training and cardiovascular conditioning, helping you achieve your fitness goals in the comfort of your own home.

Conclusion

The Total Gym is a versatile home exercise machine that offers a wide range of exercises targeting every major muscle group. By incorporating upper body, lower body, and core exercises into your Total Gym workouts, you can achieve a complete, full-body fitness solution. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, the Total Gym provides an effective and efficient way to reach your fitness goals from the comfort of your own home.