Going to the gym takes a lot more time than you think. You have to get ready, drive to the gym, workout, and then drive back home.
For me, it took almost as long to drive as it did to workout.
Exercising at home can save about 1/2 the time, but then you need equipment. This is where the Total Gym XLS comes in handy.
This one machine enables you to do 80 different routines for a whole-body workout.
Problem solved, right?
Well, this guide will try to help you discover if that’s the answer for you.
What You Should Consider Before Buying a Gravity Trainer
The Total Gym XLS is one of a number of exercise products that puts your body on an incline to provide weight for your workout.
In essence, you are your own barbell. The biggest thing to consider before buying such a machine is to determine your fitness goals.
Are you looking to gain strength? Then the wide variety of equipment and heavy weights you can find at a dedicated bodybuilding gym is a better idea.
The problem with gravity trainers is that you’re limited to a fraction of your own body weight. Also, the social aspects of being around other people can help drive you to work harder.
While you can build muscle with volume training, it’s difficult to replicate the results you get with heavy weights.
The reason is that to gain a similar level of muscle growth, you will have to push out many reps while tolerating a burning sensation in your muscles.
It’s simply less painful to build big muscles using heavy weights rather than high volume.
If you’re looking for moderate muscular gains and just want to maintain your fitness and muscle definition, gravity trainers are a great choice.
One advantage of products like the Total Gym is that there are no “dead” spots in the rep due to momentum.
You have resistance throughout the whole movement. That way, you’re getting more stress on the muscles in a shorter period of time.
The biggest advantage of a gravity trainer is that you don’t need a lot of equipment. That one machine can be used in a variety of ways to get a whole-body workout.
Another big benefit is safety. Since you use your own body for resistance, there are no heavy weights to drop and injure yourself.
The Total Gym XLS
When purchasing a Total Gym XLS, the complete package consists of:
- Incline backrest with attached cables
- 2 leg pull cuffs
- 2 Wing grip handles
- Exercise wall chart with 35 different routines
- Deck of training cards with holder on machine
- Meal plan and nutrition guide
- Free subscription to Total Gym TV Basic
The XLS can support users up to 400 lbs. With its wide 19″ backrest, even large people will feel comfortable laying on the machine.
The Total Gym XLS comes from a long line of Total Gym exercise machines dating back to 1974.
Since the 1990’s, the brand has been heavily advertised on TV spots featuring movie star Chuck Norris and supermodel Christie Brinkley.
Some of the other popular Total Gym models are the Total Gym Supreme and the Total Gym GTS.
Pros
- Build quality. The machine glides like something you find in an dedicated gym
- Plenty of information on workout programs and nutrition
- Free subscription to Total Gym TV
- Lifetime warranty on frame
- One machine provides whole-body workout
- Comes fully assembled
Cons
- Rather high priced
- Only six month warranty on parts
- Limited resistance options (only six incline levels)
Features and Benefits of the Total Gym XLS
What makes the Total Gym XLS a home gym machine you’ll want to own? Here are a few features and benefits you’ll want to be aware of.
Backrest
As mentioned above, the backrest is 19″ wide so you don’t feel like you’re going to fall off of the machine. That’s wider than most benches you use in a traditional gym.
That’s nice if you’re a large individual that pushes the 400 lbs. weight limit.
It’s also padded well enough that I felt quite comfortable laying on it. Since you’re using that one device for your entire workout, it’s important that your body fits or you’ll avoid using it.
Resistance Levels
To change resistance levels all you have to do is change the angle of the backrest against the steel frame. You do this by sliding the backrest up the metal frame and inserting the support pin.
The Total Gym XLS has six different incline angles that vary from 6 degrees to 26 degrees.
The steeper you set the incline, the higher the weight. The six different levels allow you to use between 6% and 54% of your body weight.
The beauty of this system is you get resistance without a big stack of weights. The problem here is that the step-up in resistance levels can be quite big. Most weight machines will come in 10 to 15 lbs. increments.
Many gym machines will have a 5 lbs. add-on plate or a pin selection system for resistance levels between plates.
However, the step-up in resistance is quite large with the XLS. A 200 lbs. user, for example, will have only four intervals that span between 12 lbs. (6% bodyweight) and 158 lbs. (54% bodyweight).
Again, this isn’t ideal for maximizing muscle development since you want gradually increasing resistance.
Additional Accessories
Given the rather steep price for the Total Gym, you’d think that it would include every available accessory.
Not so.
While the base package comes with enough equipment to perform a wide variety of exercises, you can buy additional accessories to expand the amount of routines you can do.
You can buy:
- Press bar
- Dip bar
- Weight bar
- Cyclo trainer
- Pilates package
The press up bar allows you to do overhead press exercises. The weight bar can hold extra plates to give more resistance (and also solve the weight increment problem mentioned above).
The dip bar enables you to perform dips, while the cyclo trainer adds pedals so you can use the Total Gym as an exercise bike. Of course, the Pilates accessories make the machine suitable for that popular fitness system.
Along with all of these additional options, the Total Gym includes a set of five exercise DVDs, a wall chart, exercise cards, and a subscription to Total Gym TV for access to streaming workouts.
Knowing how to use the machine isn’t a problem. There are a ton of instructions.
Warranty
While the frame carries a lifetime warranty, the Total Gym’s parts are only covered for six months. Honestly, that seems a bit cheap to me for a product that carries a premium price.
But, the machine is so well-constructed, I doubt many users have problems with parts wearing out.
Storage
The Total Gym is a pretty big item. The machine measures 19″ X 51″ X 43″ when in use. The XLS collapses to 19″ x 51″ x 9″ when folded. While 9″ can fit under some beds, there are a lot of bed frames that won’t have enough clearance.
Aside from the sheer size, the XLS weighs 81 lbs. That’s not the easiest machine to move around, especially when you consider the bulk.
Unfortunately, the Total Gym doesn’t come with wheels to help make moving it easier. Frankly, I find this to be a puzzling oversight.
Assembly
None. The Total Gym comes completely assembled. That’s great. You just have to move the 81 lbs. without wheels. Pro tip: a second set of hands is a good idea.
What Others Are Saying About the Total Gym XLS
While the direct-buy site linked below has numerous customer reviews, I don’t exactly trust the company sales page to list all negative comments. Instead, I looked on Amazon.
The Total Gym XLS has 499 reviews on Amazon with an average star rating of 4 1/2. Eighty percent of those 499 review were five-star ratings. A mere 6% of reviews gave the Total Gym a one-star rating. It’s pretty safe to say that the Total Gym is well-liked by its users.
Review #1
Sandy was impressed by the Total Gym’s build quality and said that it lived up to its promises.
Review #2
Jason spent 20 years as a soldier and found the Total Gym gave him an excellent whole-body workout without overstressing any of his joints.
Review #3
Morgan didn’t find the size of the machine a real problem. While bulky, he pointed out that if you store something away, you’re not likely to use it as often as you should.
Total Gym XLS Alternatives
The Total Gym is such a leader in the category of gravity trainers that most of its competition will come from other models from the same company.
I have listed three other Total Gym machines so you can compare.
Total Gym Supreme
If you want more resistance increments or you particularly want the ab crunch accessory included, you can consider the Total Gym Supreme.
This home gym comes with 12 different resistance settings and can support users up to 275 lbs. You can perform 60 different exercises with this gravity trainer and the price is approximately 60% of the XLS.
I find it a bit puzzling that this machine offers six more resistance settings than the higher-end XLS. Perhaps it has something to do with the lower weight capacity.
Pros
- Costs about 40% less than XLS
- Has 12 total resistance levels
- Can do almost as my exercises as the XLS (60 compared to 80)
Cons
- Only one year warranty on frame, 6 months for parts
- Supports users up to 275 lbs. instead of 400 lbs.
- Includes ab crunch accessory that XLS does not
Total Gym FIT
If you want six more resistance levels, then you might want to look at the the Total Gym Fit.
This home gym is a step up from the XLS. It supports users up to 450 lbs. and you can perform up to 85 different exercises on the FIT. You get the lifetime warranty on the frame along with an expanded two-year warranty on parts. Oddly enough, this model also includes the ab crunch accessory that they company skipped with the XLS.
Pros
- Can support users 50 lbs. heavier than the XLS
- Has five extra exercises
- Two-year warranty on parts instead of 6 months
- Has 12 resistance levels instead of only six
Cons
- Costs about 50% more than the XLS
Total Gym GTS
If you want the top-of-the-line Total Gym, you can check out the Total Gym GTS. The GTS is the ultimate Total Gym model. This machine can support users up to 650 lbs. and comes with 22 resistance levels.
Users can perform over 200 exercises with the GTS. The machine comes with a hydraulic lift to assist with resistance level changes. However, the GTS only carries a five-year warranty on the frame along with one-year for parts and upholstery.
Pros
- Comes with multiple accessories you have to purchase separately with XLS
- 22 resistance levels solves the increment problem
- 200 possible exercises
- Hydraulic lift to assist with resistance level changes
Cons
- Costs about 3.5x more than XLS
- Significantly bigger and heavier
Conclusion
The Total Gym XLS is a great home exercise solution for people who want a whole-body workout without buying a room full of equipment.
Since it uses your body as the weights, you don’t need to fill your home with a bunch of bulky barbells. If this idea appeals to you, you might consider buying the Total Gym XLS.
