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Total Gym?

Nutterbuster

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Oct 12, 2017
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Where the skys are so blue!
So this past spring/summer I've really ramped up my fitness regimen. I'm either hiking, biking, or paddling M-F, and working my old calisthenics and kettlebell routine MWF. Also walking about 2.5 miles per day at work, and staying busy on the weekends scouting and paddling.

I've always stayed "kinda in shape" but I'm trying to ramp it up. You're only in your 20s once, and I'd rather struggle to stay fit once I start to hit that physical decline than try to get fit. ;)

As I work harder, I remember all my football and bodybuilder friends from high school and college. Pretty much all of them have injuries. Bad knees, bad backs, bad shoulders, etc. I'm REALLY not interested in this if I can help it. I've been lucky that most of my activities I prefer are low impact (kayaking and now cycling). Calisthenics I feel are low risk as well.

But the kettlebells and free weights kinda scare me. I always seem to stop short of really pushing it, because I don't wanna make one bad move and join the Advil club.

I keep looking at these used total gyms on craigslist. It seems that machines aren't as popular as free weights right now, and I understand the benefits of free weights when it comes to more intense and "real world" workouts. And I understand that proper form should prevent mechanical injuries. But everything I've read seems to point to a machine as a lower risk tool, and my mom and dad both had physicians recommend a machine when they were going through shoulder and back surgery rehab. I figure if I'm going to try and build a solid routine to use for the next 40+ years (hopefully) I want it to be as low impact as possible.

Has anybody on here ever used a total gym seriously? What kinda results, good or bad, did you achieve? Anything else that you'd recommend over that for a low impact, full body workout? I'm not looking to get super ripped or anything like that. I just want to stay in deer dragging, canoe loading, swamp tromping, tree climbing shape.
 
Get you a weight sled with a harness and do a few 10 - 20 yard sprints with it each day. Definitely a full body workout (i.e. core, legs, cardio).
 
I think you're mostly on the right track with just staying active in your daily life, all you really need other than that is proper fuel for your body. Whatever you do, focus on mobility/flexibility, cardio and whatever form of strength training that your body will safely allow. That may look different for you than someone else but I'd bet you are probably safe with that kettlebel routine. Heck I just turned 40 and I have a fullblown crossfit gym in my barn and I feel great.
 
Check out the TRX. strengthens your core as you work your other muscle groups. Many of the exercises apply directly to how we climb and hang in a saddle.


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I have been using a sandbag to supplement some workouts for a few months. Really like the variety you can get with it. Presses, cleans, squats, rows, deads, etc.
 
I don’t have the total gym but have the weider ultimate body works. It’s a total knockoff of the total gym. It’s ok as a maintenance tool but it’s not for you if you want to start bodybuilding. The total gym is crazy expensive but nice. You have to get the really nice model that you can add free weights to in order for it to be that much better than the weider.
 
dont be like me I tore my rotor cuff with free weights Its all a crap shoot when you get old like me
 
I can't speak to the total gym, but as someone who is on the wrong side of 35 for a couple years now, I would suggest some type of strength training. Disclaimer, I'm not a fitness professional or anything so I won't recommend any specific program or process.

However, the amount of muscle mass and general strength that I started losing in middle age really surprised me. I mean I was never jacked or anything, but my old dumbbells feel a lot heavier than they used to and it would have been smarter to make more of a point of conserving what strength I had.

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‘Course their is steroids.........Nutterbusteroid!!!!


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Nutterbuster said:
So this past spring/summer I've really ramped up my fitness regimen. I'm either hiking, biking, or paddling M-F, and working my old calisthenics and kettlebell routine MWF. Also walking about 2.5 miles per day at work, and staying busy on the weekends scouting and paddling.

I've always stayed "kinda in shape" but I'm trying to ramp it up. You're only in your 20s once, and I'd rather struggle to stay fit once I start to hit that physical decline than try to get fit. ;)

As I work harder, I remember all my football and bodybuilder friends from high school and college. Pretty much all of them have injuries. Bad knees, bad backs, bad shoulders, etc. I'm REALLY not interested in this if I can help it. I've been lucky that most of my activities I prefer are low impact (kayaking and now cycling). Calisthenics I feel are low risk as well.

But the kettlebells and free weights kinda scare me. I always seem to stop short of really pushing it, because I don't wanna make one bad move and join the Advil club.

I keep looking at these used total gyms on craigslist. It seems that machines aren't as popular as free weights right now, and I understand the benefits of free weights when it comes to more intense and "real world" workouts. And I understand that proper form should prevent mechanical injuries. But everything I've read seems to point to a machine as a lower risk tool, and my mom and dad both had physicians recommend a machine when they were going through shoulder and back surgery rehab. I figure if I'm going to try and build a solid routine to use for the next 40+ years (hopefully) I want it to be as low impact as possible.

Has anybody on here ever used a total gym seriously? What kinda results, good or bad, did you achieve? Anything else that you'd recommend over that for a low impact, full body workout? I'm not looking to get super ripped or anything like that. I just want to stay in deer dragging, canoe loading, swamp tromping, tree climbing shape.
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I know this doesn’t answer your question so apologies for getting off track. Personally, I would stay away from the machines. The time you put in on all these fancy gadgets and new age workout gear just doesn’t work, even if MFing Chuck Norris is promoting it! Sounds like you’re motivated and stay active most of the time which is great, that is 90% of the battle imo!
As far as exercise goes, doing what has worked since the beginning of time is the best way to get in shape (free weights, cardio, gravity... pushups/pull-ups). I know p90x has a stereotype tied to it but... in 2016 I started doing the workouts for an Idaho elk hunt to get in shape, and to be honest I really just half assed the workouts and even skipped some most of the days. Even while haphazardly doing the workouts, I became strong as an ox! The reason why the workouts have been so successful over the years is bc you can modify everything and still get crazy strong. Modify meaning use light weight!!! Heaviest weight I picked up for the first 3 months was 25lbs.
When I started doing the workouts I didn’t even have the dvds, I just printed off the moves and did them at a local gym. I did eventually get the videos to see what they were doing which helped a lot. What started out as a way to get in shape for an elk hunt has turned into my foundation and greatest strength for hunting whitetails. I now have all the workouts downloaded on an old IPod and I go to a local gym to do them. I do the workouts with more intensity now bc I’m in much better shape. The workouts are hard, but more importantly they’re fun and I’m stronger than I’ve ever been in my life.
So, if you even made it this far in my post, I hope you continue to stay motivated and find a way to get in shape that works for you. Being strong and in shape for bowhunting is one badass feeling!!

P.S. watch all you YouTube vids and bought the tree hopper drill! Pretty pumped. Couldn’t stand one more season with those piece of ameristeps!

Thanks for all the content.
 
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Yup, I've used the Total Gym a lot. Well, not the exact Chuck Norris endorsed "Total Gym" brand, but a very good clone of it called the "Total Trainer" DLX-III from Bayou Fitness (not sure they are still being made). Pretty much the same thing. Been using it for probably 10 years now, and like it. Low impact for sure, and extremely versatile. You can find and/or invent a workout for just about any muscle in your body. I even keep my bow draw muscles toned during the off-season by simulating a draw motion. It offers both resistance AND tension for stretching, which I think is the best thing about it. Not just lifting dead weight pressing in one direction, it also pulls your muscles in the other direction when you relax. Feels good. I'm an old guy (nearing 60), and think it's a lot better and more versatile than free weights or other machines, and doesn't cost much. Don't expect it to bulk you up or reshape your body, but it will keep you toned and flexible, which is the most important. The machine works well and operates smoothly. The only negative I can think of is the rollers on the glide board. They wear out and need replacement. Otherwise, it starts to feel like they are rolling across gravel. I use mine multiple times per week and replace the rollers every couple of years. The company sent them free the first time or two, but after that I had to start buying them (like $20 per set). Overall I am very pleased with the unit, enjoy using it, and believe it does what it claims to do. It's a good machine and worth the money IMHO.
 
You can get a gym membership for 10 bucks a month these days. (Planet Fitness and Work Out World) Maybe that's an option for the OP. You'll have access to a LOT more equipment that's purpose-built and functions infinitely better. Not to mention for the price you could go to that gym for a long time before you broke even on that total gym...

Oh - don't be afraid of free weights. Just keep your form on point and you'll be fine. It's when your form goes south that you run the risk of injury.

I'm middle aged and I hit the gym like a beast. I rep to failure, do drop sets, etc. You name it. But if my form starts to suffer I drop the weights and call it a set. I have hurt myself letting form slide before... Especially true on dead lifts and squats.
 
You can use free weights and not hurt yourself if you train smart and don't lift beyond your known limitations. There are exceptions but most people get hurt by maxing out all the time or letting their ego dictate how much they try to lift. Just keep it simple. Eat smart train smart and keep your own goals in mind. If all those fancy machines from infomercials actually did what they say they would people would have stopped lifting real weights a long time ago.
 
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