Exercise is a big part of staying healthy in the high stress world that we live in. Having said that, who really has time to go to the gym when working all hours of the day? Some people do, but most of us simply do not. If you fall into this second category, you’re going to love the Total Gym XLS.

How Does The Total Gym XLS Work?

The Total Gym XLS is a gravity-based exercise machine. By this, I mean that it uses your weight to create resistance during exercises. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have undoubtedly seen advertisements for various models of this home gym.

They started in 1997 with Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley and have been going strong ever since. That should tell you something about the credibility of this machine. In an age when the latest exercise gadget will come and go in a matter of 3 to 6 months, the Total Gym has shown staying power. Why? Because it works. What a concept!

So just what is the Total Gym XLS? It consists of a metal frame that can be raised or lowered at one end to create easier or more difficult exercises. A bench sits on two rails and slides up and down the incline to create movement during exercises.

There are a set of cables that you can pull up or down for arm, chest, abdominal, shoulder and back exercises. There is also a squat platform that sits at a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the board that you can put your feet on when doing exercises like squats. The XLS is relatively simple in design, but incredibly effective.

Standard Features

The Total Gym XLS comes with a number of standard features. In addition to the basic machine, you also get:

• A Pilates Kit that attaches to it,
• Strap handles to create more freedom during arm exercises,
• A leg pull accessory that will work those hamstrings,
• A wing attachment for pull ups, and
• A squat stand.

In addition to this hardware, this home gym comes with a bevy of workouts that you can try. They include the following:

• An introductory Total Gym XLS workout to get you started and familiar with machine.
• A 6 to 8 minute workout that contains 12 exercises you can do quickly before or after work.
• A slow burn workout designed to focus on specific muscles with the maximum impact.
• A Pilates workout.
• A body makeover workout that consists of high-powered energy burning workouts.
• A suggested meal plan and nutritional overview.

If you get bored with the workouts, you can pop on to YouTube where fans of the machine have created more than 3,000 different exercise routines. In short, you arms will fall off before you run out of new things to try!

 

Squats

A special mention has to be made regarding the exercise known as squats. Squats are incredibly important exercise if you want to be healthy. They work your legs to no end, and your legs are the most important muscles in your body when it comes to maintaining strength. Everything, and I mean everything, starts with your legs. Given this, it is vital that you do squats at least three times a week to maintain the strength of your legs.

I hate squats.

I am not alone in this feeling. If you ask people in the gym or who workout regularly what their single least favorite exercise is, a large majority of them are going to say squats. It is just not a fun exercise. Well, that is until you try the Total Gym XLS. Not only can you do squats on the machine with a minimum of fuss, but you’ll actually enjoy them.

The design of the Total Gym is such that I have a friend that actually watches TV while doing his squats. He adjusts the board to the highest resistance, which puts it at roughly a 60 degree angle. He then places it in front of the television, lies down with his back on the board, and slides up and down doing squats during commercials. I thought it was hilarious till I tried it. Then I started doing it at home!

Accessories

Any home gym that has been around for more than a decade is going to have a lot of accessories. The Total Gym is no different. I’m not going to go into them because there’s so many, but the important thing to understand is that you can always add on to your XLS so that you don’t get stuck doing particular workouts.

In fact, one of my favorite accessories is the Total Gym Cyclo Trainer. This device looks like a stand-alone set of pedals from a bike, but with a resistance belt hooked to them. You simply attach it to the bottom of the Total Gym ramp, lie back and start pedaling. It’s like having a recumbent exercise bike, but for about $2000 less.

Positives

In discussing the positives of the Total Gym XLS, it is a bit difficult to know where to begin. If you’re sick of buying exercise equipment that looks good in advertisements, but simply doesn’t deliver when you actually receive it, you’ll love this home gym. It simply works.

You can do everything from squats to pull ups to work on your lats to Pilates to stretching and, well, pretty much anything you can think of. Unlike other exercise machines that you buy, this one will not become a close hanger. It is so enjoyable that you’ll actually use it, and that is really the key to a home exercise gym. I’ve owned one for over eight years and it is the best money I ever spent on exercise equipment.

 

Negatives

If the Total Gym had any serious negatives, they were worked out long ago when the product first came out in the late 1990s. I can’t really say there’s anything that I dislike about the XLS. About the only thing that I can even remotely complain about is the fact the cables sit on the floor when you unhook them from the bottom of the machine to do certain leg exercises like calf raises. Having said that, I’m not sure that there’s a possible solution for the problem.

One other issue that you need to be aware of has to do with the size of the gym. When it is extended completely to do certain exercises that require you to lie down, it becomes very long. How long? It will expand out to roughly eight feet, which means you need to be careful about where you put it. Again, this is a very minor thing, but it is a negative.

Overview

I’ve purchased a lot of exercise gadgets and equipment over the years that looked good on television. I was sure that each one was going to be the one that would turn me into a physical dynamo. Well, none of them did. They either ended up in the trash, being given to charity, or being sold on craigslist. The only one that has lasted the entire time and that I still use is the Total Gym. That should tell you more than any recommendation I or Chuck Norris could give you. If you try a Total Gym XLS for one week, I guarantee you’ll love it.