What I learned, so far, Using My Total Gym for Strength Training

I have been using my Total Gym, first very sporadically, and now with more consistency, to meet my, very general, health and fitness goals.

My main goals are to:

• To Feel Stronger, more Energetic
• Develope, or maintain, Bone Density
• Looking better, as in losing weight, shaping up, would not hurt one bit either

 As the Total Gym is a Strength Training device that uses your own weight, and the incline of its sliding board, by lifting weights.

Here is what I have learned, so far:

1. Consistency is possible!

For me the big breakthrough for achieving consistency in my exercises was:

• Leave it set up all day or night, whenever you aim to exercise
• Then do the exercises you plan when ever you have to waist a bit
• Do not give up if you only get the exercise once or twice on a given week, just do your best to do more the next week.

 2. Never do the same exercises two days in a row. Even if you feel ok when you are doing them, you might well end up like I did, feeling like you had been hit by a truck, by the third day.

Besides, there is no reason to!

I have not counted the numerous exercises this home gym comes with, but I can tell you there are plenty for various parts of your body.

So far, since my above mentioned faux pas, have tried to not only do: 

example Ab exercises, every other day, Back and Chest exercises on days I am not working my Abs.

However:

I have been doing alternating Leg exercises each day I workout

Also, 

tomorrow I will try to do a different Ab Exercise that I have not been doing on Ab Exercise day.

We’ll see how this goes…

3. For Women

If you start doing back, chest, compound as well as possibly arm and shoulder, ( I am not really sure about those two), exercises regularly with a Total Gym:

• Check your bra band and strap adjustment almost right away, and often!
• If you bra band starts creeping up your back, during your normal activities, not just exercise, it might be too big already. Try smaller band size bras if you notice this happening.
• If your straps can go up a bit, try to move them past the part were the hardware of the adjustment slide is out of contact with the bony part of you shoulders as soon as you can. The skin there does not enjoy protracted contact with hardware!

I think that is it. With these simple rules and the exercises I have mentioned in my Friday Inches off Achieve and various posts I have gone from a woman with:

10/5/11 The Starting point:               Waist 39 inches                          Gut 44 inches

To my current

7/13/12 Bust 42  Underbust 32.25 Waist 33  Belly Button 34.5   Gut 39.25  Hips 38

The reason there are these additional Underbust and belly button measurements is that at the beginning, I had nearly no waist to speak of, and as it became longer, I added those. I added the hip measurement out of curiosity.

Anyway, it has taken a while to get any sort of consistency at all, and for me I can be happy with a three day a week workout because it is better than noting and worth the effort.

I think the Total Gym is great because I can just do a few exercises while I am waiting  for a pot of water to boil, a page to load, our security program to do its updates, and soon each days exercises are done!

Then you can always break it down and stow it under the bed at the end of the day, or night!

When you consider you can try the Total Gym for just a buck, it is worth it to:

• Plan a chunk of time when things will have a steady schedule at home, like after summer vacations
• And Give it a try!

 Currently this link takes you to discount models you can try for a buck, and yes, the shipping is free.
 Total Gym® Official Store Endorsed by Chuck Norris & Christie Brinkley. Take our 30 Day In-Home Trial for only $1 and get FREE Shipping!
The shipping is fast too, at least it was when I brought mine last spring! Try it and enjoy feeling and looking better soon!
Anne Hunter