Total Gym Workouts

Total Gym workouts provide a versatile method of total body conditioning. While the Total Gym equipment is usually sold in the home-exercise market, it has recently made its way into the group-fitness market at fitness centers.

Total Gym was created in 1974. Tom Campanaro, the Total Gym developer was way ahead of his time. Most of the exercise machines manufactured in the 1970s were characterized by restrictive ranges of motion. Most of the movements on these machines were linear. The Total Gym did not have the bells and whistles that helped the user isolate a specific muscle group. Today, we understand that this is a good thing. By providing exercise options for a ranges of motion, Total Gym became the first company to manufacture functional training exercise equipment. As such, Total Gym workouts became popular with athletes and dancers. In the late 1980s, Total Gym workouts gained popularity with physical therapists, who were quick to see the benefits of equipment that worked with and against the forces of gravity.

In 2003, Total Gym, now under the auspices of a company called efi Sports Medicine turned its attention to the health club industry and developed a variety of fitness training modules. These included:

• Gravity Group Training
• Gravity Pilates
• Gravity Personal Training
• Gravity Post-Rehab
• Gravity 4 Programming

Some orthopedic surgeons now recommend what they call pre-habilitation, which involves gaining strength and flexibility prior to surgery. It is believed that this type of pre-surgical procedure may speed up recovery. These movements should be continued after surgery. Unfortunately, most health insurance plans to do not cover pre-habilitation. To make matters worse, only a limited number of physical therapy session are covered after surgery. Total Gym workouts provide a cost-effective means of pre and post rehabilitation.

The reformer is a popular type of Pilates exercise equipment. Unfortunately, Pilates reformer sessions are expensive. The cost of reformer workouts has inspired many home-fitness equipment manufacturers to create home models of this type of apparatus. Sadly, many of these are poor quality.

In looking at the Total Gym, it's easy to see its similarity to the Pilates reformer. Both machines use a cable system, and both can be used in many planes of movement. In fact, the Total Gym has a distinct advantage over the Pilates reformer. The ability to place the machine on an incline can either apply assistance or add resistance to many of the Pilates exercise. For example, when performing the Pilates 100, placing your head at the higher end of the machine can alleviate some of the neck strain associated with this exercise. In contrast, when an exercise such as the Pilates roll up becomes too easy, it can be performed by starting with your head at the low end of the Total Gym, which will require your abdominal muscles to work against the forces of gravity.

The Total Gym cables can be attached to the arms and the legs. There are over 100 Total Gym exercises, which can be found on the website. Purchasers of the machine can also opt to join Total Gym Workouts, an online program that provides nutritional information, workout advice and additional Total Gym workout videos.

Like most strength training exercise sessions, Total Gym workouts should be performed three times weekly. Perform three sets ranging from 8 to 15 repetitions. If you would prefer to workout on a daily basis, be sure to divide your workout into different muscle works. Do not work the same muscle two days in a row.

• Pictures of People Exercising
• Women Fitness Models
• Male Fitness Model

• Breast Lifting Exercise
• Contour Abs
• Naked Exercise
• Naked Pilates
• Hula Hoop Exercises