Working Out From Home?
Good call.
In our ever-busy world, working out from the comfort and cleanliness of your own home has never been more popular.
There are many reasons to transform a space in your house or apartment into your personal workout studio, and my personal favorite is with the Total Gym Supreme.
Things to Consider Before Buying A Home Gym
Not only will you be saving cash on expensive gym fees, you’ll be saving time and money on gas you’d normally burn on the drives to your gym.
You’ll never have to worry about waiting for an available machine; you’ll have a dedicated one all to yourself.
Cleanliness is also a major factor.
You will have the ability to use your own shower, your own cleaning and sanitizing products, and avoid all of the viruses and bacteria that are normally associated with public spaces.
Don’t worry about catching a case of the coughs (or something worse) and workout in safety; this will allow you to focus on what matters most: burning those calories.
But what if you’re looking for that commercial-like “gym experience” that some find is missing so often from their idea of a home gym?
What about the costs of outfitting a home or basement with everything needed to perform a total-body workout?
Enter the Total Gym Supreme
The Total Gym Supreme is an updated unit from the world-famous “Total Gym” series that focuses on being an entry-level piece of equipment perfect for the home.
It’s priced to be the ideal starting point for anyone interested in the brand, and although it doesn’t offer as many features as the Total Gym XLS or FIT, it’s still quite comparable in scope of performance.
Therefore, if you’ve caught the home-gym bug and need that itch scratched, the unit is the perfect place to begin your investigation.
Total Gym Supreme Benefits and Features
A home gym is a versatile piece of fitness equipment to have in your home.
Here are a few features and benefits of the Total Gym Supreme you’ll want to be aware of as you begin your search for a home gym that will fit your needs.
The Gliding Board
The Total Gym series of home gyms are best known for the smoothness of their gliding boards; they provide the impact-free workout many beginners and nonathletes seek.
Although not as comfortable to use as the higher models, the Supreme’s board is nonetheless refreshing to use and highly functional.
By angling the unit up or down, you can change the level of the resistance you’re working against.
This is because the unit is meant to utilize up to 60% of your bodyweight; you’re “pulling” against yourself.
Easy-Grip Handles and Cables
The cable and pulley system on the unit has been engineered to last a lifetime of use.
The wheels are reinforced to provide the perfect level of stability and glide for the cables and deck, and each cable has been woven together to ensure there won’t be any snapping.
Each pulling cable can be found at the head of the unit and are connected to ergonomic 360-degree handles.
This means that despite the fact the deck moves on a fixed-plane of motion, there isn’t any limitation for your arms, shoulders, or back.
Therefore, you’ll be able to fully extend and contract your muscles through eccentric and concentric phases of movement in order to keep them healthy and not put excess strain on your joints.
The Ab Crunch Attachment
Not all Total Gym models come with a dedicated piece of equipment for the sole purpose of getting you that sixpack.
The Total Gym Supreme includes this best-selling attachment at this entry-level price due to its sheer popularity and effectiveness.
The Ab crunch allows for ten different abdominal movements, all of which help you concentrate on your stomach definition from every angle of attack.
Because your abs are so powerful, they’re able to be trained every day without worry.
However, there is a somewhat negative side to this in that due to their strength, abs need to be trained hard for any results to show long-term.
Since you add weight to everything else you do in the gym, why not do the same with your abs?
The only way that you’ll be able to get that “brick house” belly is to add resistance, which is easy with the ab crunch attachment.
Best of all, the difficult obliques (the side abs) are targeted without any complex movements that require an inordinate amount of balance; people who are new to the gym but want to get their stomachs ready for summer have the perfect utility built into the model’s entry-level price point.
Diversity of Exercises
After selecting between 12 different levels of resistance by easily adjusting the angle of the deck, you’re ready to select between 60 unique exercises to begin.
Generally, a good Total Gym program runs between 20 minutes to 45 minutes in length.
As the unit is able to cover all major muscle groups, putting in the time is what will bring the results.
You can focus on either isolation or compound movements.
Isolation movements focus on a select few or even one muscle group to target its development with laser-like precision.
On the Total Gym, you’ll be able to use the 360-degree handles to switch between bicep curls and tricep extensions without difficulty.
You can perform single-leg extensions with the help of the wide platform that sits at the bottom of the unit to work on quads or to help rehab a leg injury.
Compound movements target the larger muscle groups of the body, frequently splitting the body in half to focus on either the upper or lower groups.
In addition, each compound movement will recruit the abs for power transfer and spinal stability, allowing the Total Gym user to effectively perform planking exercises via bracing their core.
Squatting on the Total Gym can be made simple by adjusting the angle; higher is harder.
Rowing to make your back stronger also increases your grip strength and arms.
On top of all these exercises you can program into your routine on your own, you’ll have several DVDs provided for your use in the case you don’t have the experience (or time) to focus on putting together an exercise regime but still want a full-body workout.
Ease of Use and What Others are Saying
All of the exercises with Total Gyms are smooth between each transition, minimizing time wasted and maximizing gains.
Thanks to the very low impact, the Total Gym is perfect for people who are recovering from injuries or accidents.
The DVDs fit into here as well, as the four you’ll be using are ideal for working out as a beginner.
It’s recommended that you follow the routines inside without too much deviation.
Users have reported that as this is not a traditional piece of gym equipment, it can seem unfamiliar or awkward at first.
However, by watching the DVDs and memorizing the flow of each movement, Total Gym users really were able to make the best use of their time.
After scouring the web, it would seem that the number-one type of user for the device is a person looking for a total-body workout experience without sacrificing safety, and the Total Gym is certainly safer to use that a traditional barbell.
Who Should Use the Total Gym Supreme?
This will all boil down to the individual’s goals and how they perceive their workout experience.
Those looking for low-impact, full-body activity are best served by the Supreme due to the smooth rolling nature of the fitness board.
This model will help you to improve your flexibility and recover from any injuries.
You can build some muscle on it as well, especially if you’re very undertrained or thin.
You’ll be able to melt fat and tone your overall body image.
Finally, your cardio will receive a much-needed boost from the elevated heart rate and intense breathing needed to keep things going.
For those who haven’t exercised in their lives, the Supreme is a great entry-level system as anyone can handle the quick adjustments and resistance levels.
Who Shouldn’t Use the Total Gym Supreme
If your goal is to get some seriously swole muscles, the Total Gym Supreme probably won’t be able to get you there.
It’s a system that relies on your own body weight, so the tension is only going to be about 60% of what a normal weight would be able to accomplish.
Hence, there are levels of “resistance” rather than “weight” which are all based on the elevation of the platform.
In order to grow muscle, you’ll need some progressively overloadable alternatives such as dumbbells or barbells or kettlebells.
Also, working up to 60% of your bodyweight is not easy, especially if you are more than just a few pounds overweight.
That being said, users who weigh 300 pounds or more will find that they’ll need to step up in models because of the limited weight capacity.
Even those who are close to the threshold tend to feel sturdier on more “robust” decks and rails that other Total Gym models can offer.
Total Gym Supreme Alternatives
If you’re set on the Total Gym brand, you’ll be happy to hear that there are other Total Gym models to compare the Total Gym Supreme to.
Here are the other available models and some of their highlights so you can see how the Total Gym Supreme stacks up against them.
Total Gym GTS
The Total Gym GTS is the top-of-the-line commercial model that is meant for physical therapy professionals and public health clubs.
Designed for heavy-duty use, it has 22 levels of resistance, a user weight capacity of 650 pounds, a hydraulic lift rail system that adjusts with the changes of resistance, and industrial-strength folding supports.
This is all backed by a one-year warranty on parts and padding and five years for the frame.
The Total Gym GTS is ideal for anyone who’s looking to outfit their own workout studio, or someone who’s obese and cannot be supported by weight ratings of less expensive models.
Borderline overbuilt, this bomb-proof Total Gym will hold up to anything.
Take note that it comes with a price tag to match, so anyone who’s interested in checking it out must be very serious about their Total Gym investment.
The Total Gym FIT
The Total Gym FIT unit has the advantage of coming with free streaming workouts from Total Gym TV Basic as well as 12 levels of resistance.
Boasting the ability to provide 85 unique exercises, this Total Gym won’t have you starved for options.
It can support 450 pounds of user weight, and it arrives fully assembled so there are no worries about fiddling around with the gym for hours.
The Total Gym Fit comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame, and an extended two-year warranty on the parts and priority processing.
The FIT accessories are engineered to improve all matters of your home workout experience, and the quality of each attachment really shows it.
Those who are interested in having an “almost” commercial experience without paying thousands of dollars are best to take a look at this gym.
The Total Gym XLS
The Total Gym XLS also comes with free streaming workouts from Total Gym Basic TV, and you’ll get over 80 exercises to perform on your easy-glide fitness deck.
With a 400 pound user capacity, it’s still able to handle most heights and weights of users at a higher threshold than this one.
It also comes with more fitness DVDs and a full lifetime warranty on the frame.
However, the Total Gym XLS only comes with 6 levels of resistance rather than the 12 levels the Supreme offers, and comes with one less fitness attachment.
The full unit itself also weighs 12 more pounds than the Supreme.
Therefore, the XLS has a few advantages for those who are heavier-set and want more guided workouts.
Final Thoughts
The Total Gym Supreme is the best priced bodyweight resistance machine in its class.
Although not packing as many high-end features or weight settings as more expensive Total Gym models, it can still provide you a full-body workout that rivals most of the settings as all Total Gyms operate on the same principles.
Despite the angle that you’ll need some free weights to boost your pump further, the Total Gym can provide everyone from total beginners to experienced gym sharks with a worthwhile workout in the comfort of their own home.
