Anyone Have a Total Gym???

We have one -- I find it really hard to fold up and store. We leave it out (I don't use it; my husband does very occasionally) but then the kids climb on it because they like the sliding part -- dangerous! It is also a bit tricky to switch up the handles and such for each exercise -- without the book I am lost.

Overall it's an OK machine but you probably could get the same benefits with a set of handweights and an exercise ball for the core stuff.

We have one. I do like it but I don't use it. My husband loves it and uses it. And our kids use it some too. It IS a great machine, but I probably wouldn't count on folding it up and storing it under the bed or anything. It is not as simple as you would probably need it to be to keep it from being a pain to store. I mean, it's possible. But it would be an annoyance.

It really takes up about 10 feet (length) by about 4 feet width when set up.

I have one, hell of a lot bigger than they lead you to believe, also not easy to fold up and put away. It is the kind of equipment that unless you can leave it out you are not going to use it.

Having said that it is a great piece of equipment.

I haven't used mine much because we got it the week I had ACL surgery, by the time I could use it we had put it in the basement because of wedding company. I just set it back up last week and can't find the ruddy book so I am not even sure I put the thingies in the right place.

Like I said if you can't leave it out don't buy it!

I have an older model Total Gym but I don't use it much. My husband does. He loves it! The only thing is the ab exercises aren't very good on it. Oh and it is true about the folding up from others. It is very very heavy, bulky and difficult to fold up. They make it look so easy on TV but if you want something small enough to do this, I would suggest looking around some more.

I have one and love it but don't use it very often. Like others I found it to be difficult to fold and put away. It is also quite heavy. If you have a place like the basement where you can set it up and leave it you will use more often.

They really do work in just 5-15 minutes a day, depending upon your fitness level.

We like it when we use it, which is almost never. Heavy, difficult to fold and put away, and takes too much time to set up. If you don't have the room to keep it out all the time, you probably won't use it much. At least that was our experience. When we did have it out, we did use it and it did work.

We have one and I really like it! I get on there a couple of times a week for about 20 minutes and it certainly does it's job.

I disagree with pp about the ab workout not being very good. It's a pilates style machine. If you engage your core and work on maintaining good posture in each exercise, EVERYTHING is an ab exercise! I've been using it consistently for the last month and my abs (and the rest of me) have noticeably toned :) I didn't need to lose weight, and my size isn't much different, but I look really good naked these days, if I do say so myself!

It isn't super easy to move around though. I do fold mine up between workouts usually (although it's been sitting all set up for three days now because SO said he was about to get on after me each time :-P) but you can't easily move it from place to place... I fold it and lean it against the wall next to the couch in the den. It's out of the way, but you can definitely see it there.

Why spend a small fortune when the best exercise is walking????

I have one. Use it at least 3 times a week. Husband uses it 3 times a week. We have space to leave it out all the time, but once you get used to folding it up, it's not a problem or pain to do so. The pilates program is wonderful -- learn the moves and then increase or decrease the incline to make the exercises more difficult. It's ALL core strengthening if you sit correctly and pay attention to your posture.
I love it. Took me a while to get in the groove using it, but it is my preferred exercise now. Hubby started on the 6 min workout and found that to be an excellent starting program.