Total Gym, a running usage log

This is, intended to be, a progress report of sorts regarding:

1. How I am fitting in Total Gym Usage
2. The results in terms of how I feel
3. The results in terms of measurements

I plan to update this once a week.
I figure the measurements once a month.
I generally do not weigh myself. Our house scale gets played with by my daughter, and I do not usually bother recalibrating it.

So today, after owing the Total Gym for a week, and an unusual week at that:
I still managed to use it:

• 4/9
• 4/10m the Saturday and Sunday after I got it, on Friday the 8th
• Wednesday 4/13, fits in nicely while watching / listening to the evening news

This weekend, so far, not at all.
That is Why this is called Fitting In Fitness, its is just plain not easy, sometimes. OK, oftern.

One of our household was having a Stay at home vacation this week. I could not bring my self to check out the various videos that come with Total Gym while he wanted to veg-out in front of the TV.

So I just concentrated on:

• Core exercises
• Combination exercises
• Back
• Chest 
• and Arms ones as I saw them on the massive deck of training cards that came with my Total Gym.
• Got acquainted with what heights I can do which exercises at effectively.

The results this week:

• I felt I was standing up taller
• I did not have my, now typical, evening 1st back, then all over ache!
• I have had an easier time carrying our Teddy dog back from his walks!
• Took slightly better care of myself, something I need to improve, a lot.

As next week are the holidays, I do not expect to actually do better exercise wise..

However, you never know. I do feel better after I use it than I have by the evening in recent months!

The week after next, I will finally have a normal week!

So for April, 8th, 2011, to start my measurements are:

• Chest 44 inches
• Waist 35 - 36 inches
• Gut 42 inches
• Hips 40 - 41 inches

I am thinking I will check out the Abs workout video, and work on that very unhealthy waist and gut, on a normal week!

Right now I am happy to just feel better and stronger!

I used the discount banner to the right, often, and read plenty of reviews for a few months before I brought mine. The bottom line is, I feel better this week than last.

I was expecting to ache after my first couple of weeks working out, and so far, I just feel better!

Our Experiences with Total Gym so far

It’s Fun! This is my 11 year old daughter’s input.
She also astonishes her friends with how it came, assembled, in that box. That box is not very big.

Unlike other exercise equipment I have tried over the years, Total Gym Really does Fold Up Small enough to fit under a bed!

I ordered it last Sunday, received it this past Friday mid afternoon and we were using it by late afternoon!

I used the banner to your right, and got 60% off and a free Ab Crunch attachment!

They do have an outlet section, and you can try it for $1, but after reading numerous reviews, and liking rowing machines, I would just go for it.

Glad it did. It really is easy to set up and break down.


We spent parts of yesterday trying out various exercises at various heights.

The movements are smooth, and quiet! The exercises are challenging and quite a workout, even taken at a slow, try it rate.

There are a vast amount of exercises. Mine came with:

• Several accessory attachments, we had fun trying
• A poster of them, which is largely what we used yesterday
• Several DVDs’ one of which, the Start It Up one, shows you how to remove it from its box, set it up and start right away
• A massive deck of exercise, and informative, cards and their holder, that mounts on the machine its self

So far the only problem, besides waiting for my turn, is getting my daughter to keep our Teddy Dog off me when I am using it!

I am going to note my, or perhaps our, progress here to give you an idea of fitting Total Gym into our busy lives!

30% Off special discount and an up to 50% Off sale at Reebok

Now is a great time to try Reebok footwear and fitness apparel and accessories! Use the discount code in their banner below to get 30% Off your order and perhaps what you are looking for is on clearance at up to 50% off in the clearance sale which you will find under Sale in near the bottom of their left column menu.




I am finding one style of easy tone and several styles of other sneakers, short sleeve and long sleeve women’s Ts, tank tops, and plenty of cooler weather tops, hoodies, sports bras and some pants in the women’s section of the clearance sale!

Sadly, other obligations prevent me from trying the easy tone sneakers I would very much like to, even at 30% Off.

Their flip flops are still holding up very well!

Even though they are pale on color, and I have been wearing them outside a bit, in the beginning of mud season at that, they still look good!

I recommend them highly if you are in the market for a sturdy, comfy, flip flop!
If you need a pair to walk quietly about the house while others sleep, these are not them, unless your whole place is carpeted, or live with very sound sleepers!

I must be enjoying the latter, as no one has woken up yet while I feed the cats in the early am, but with the very sturdy soles of these Easy Tone flip flops, I feel I am moving loudly…

I understand the 30% off code’s last day is 3/27 so,

Enjoy the savings while the sales and discount is on!

Reebok Easy Tone Flip Flops II, Excellent and On Sale!

I finally have Easy Tone Flip Flops, as my fitflops died last month, I have to have flip-flops to wear around the house all year, as well as inside and out in the summer.

I ordered them on last Thursday, standard shipping, and they arrived on that Saturday AM! I got them for, and they are still on sale for $39.99! They are still available in many sizes and colors too!

EasyTone Flip II Welcome the season with the EasyTone Flip II. This flip flop combines our patented balance ball-inspired technology with a beach-ready sandal design. Built specifically for walking and everyday activities, EasyTone can help tightens and tones key butt and leg muscles.

Mine are the paper white / oyster color, but they won’t be for long….I show the purple / white color because you can see the details a bit better with that color.

I did order mine after signing up for Reebok’s newsletter, to get the offered 15% off discount code as much as news of Reebok footwear and apparel.

I did not get the 15% off discount code in time to order them, unless I could have made myself put that off until…

Yesterday!

So if you thinking of ordering anything from Reebok, sign up for their news letter about a week earlier.

If you click on their banner to your right, the sign up for their newsletter and get the 15% off discount code appears, today, at the bottom half of their page.

As for the Easy Tone Flip Flops

• Very comfy
• Very sturdy
• I will have no fear of them breaking as I walk, then carry our Teddy dog, to your upper right, around town for about two hours each day come 70 degrees!

Perhaps it is because I also wear MBT footwear, I do not find the Easy Tone flip flops wobbly. Well their bottoms are in no way curved, but there is a bit of a center ridge.

My daughter finds them a bit wobbly though, so you might too, or not.

For me that means, I will find them where I put them and not on her feet when I track her down!

Now I have to wait until their Easy Tone sneakers are on sale in my size…

Failing that, I would not be disappointed to go back to their classic leather sneakers that made me a fan of Reebok in the first place!

Fitting Fitness in our Living Space, and budget

For the same reason I am considering Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6, rather than books:

My ab lounger, which I do not use often, takes up lots of space, and really must leave the living room.

It in no way folds up enough to fit under a bed, but my daughter piles stuff on it, making even more unlikely to use.

I looked into the Total gym:

Pros:
It will fit under the bed
Unlike the ab lounger, It works the upper body, a growing concern for me

At full price, the Total Gym does not fit into my budget.
Looking closely at their site, I discovered their
Outlet Home Gyms

• Under Our Products to the left side of their home page

• Where, I’ve checked this several times within as many weeks, I find

• Scratched and dented, yet totally functional Total Gyms for, I have seen about $300 to $400, but usually closer to $600 to $800.

Combined with their 10% off coupon below, providing I get one of the cheaper ones, the Total Gym might fit into my budget, as well as under the bed!

Clicking on this banner today I find they are having a 50% Off, Plus Free Shipping and Free Ab Crunch, (an additional attachment it seems for working our abs), too!
You can Try Total Gym® for only $1 As Seen on TV with Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley. Over 1 Million Satisfied Customers. FREE Shipping.
I am leaving their discount banner in the right column here, where I check the Outlet store at Total Gym often.

True, I do not know if the 10% off applies to these, but even if it does not, the outlet section makes it possible for me, and possibly you, to consider this as a form of exercise.

If it slides under the bed, no one can pile stuff on it. This would make it far more likely for me to use than by ab lounger!

40% Off Amazon’s Best Selling Fitness Equipment

Found Size Chart for Reebok Easy Tone T shirts

I guess Amazon, who I normally buy books from, noticed I was searching Zumba and Reebok there and sent me a link to their Exercise Equipment sale!

40% Off Amazon's Best Selling Exercise Equipment!

You will find Zumba, rowers, (always wanted a fly wheel rower, but whenever I look they seem to cost a fortune), elliptical trainers, exercise bikes, weights, and so on…and under Fitness Clothing I found

With a size chart next to it!
Plus, three reviews!

They currently have this shirt in sizes small to extra large in this pink that Reebok calls magenta color, black and a medium blue. You can see this T shirt’s v-neckline with camisole inset detailing best in its blue color.

True, they have if for, currently 1 cent less than Reebok, whose link is to your right, and often runs discount, usually on Fridays for the weekends.

Currently Reebok and Amazon have three each reviews of these shirts.
Here is the upshot of these:

• Really tight, but fits full busted, (wears a DD cup size)
• Makes one want to workout to handle bulges made more visible in this shirt
• Another says way too tight
• Makes her posture conscious, which would do anybody good!
• Hard to workout in
• Wear around the house and on errands
• You will feel sore muscles, so this shirt will make your muscles work more!

Additionally, one woman, Amazon review, says her Reebok shoes completely toned her body!

I thought the idea was not to wear the Easy Tone for working out, but as a way of working out while you go about your other business. I guess it is a matter of perspective.

Reebok still does not have a size chart, not right by the shirt anyway. The Amazon size chart might not be specifically for Reebok either, but at least it is a gauge of some sort.

As I sit here, next to my ab lounger, which I am sure would do me good, yet have not gotten around to using for months..

I know it might be best, for me, to fit trying these shirts, maybe later pants and shoes, into my Fitness régime.

One must get dressed.
So if fitting in some extra measure of fitness is easily made more possible by simply getting dressed,
I am going for it!

Update: Reneging on my previous statement about putting the link to ‘Reebok Easy Tone apparel at eBay stores’ in this pages right column, (post of 12/14/10). I will keep trying it. If it starts to show results, then I will put it there.

A look at some Reebok Easy Tone, and Zumba, at eBay stores

I just started shopping eBay stores this year and have saved quite a bit, and learned a bit too. Therefore, I had to look.

For one reason, some eBay stores actually measure apparel, so you get size charts, so to speak, on items they were not available on! This is the first reason I had to look. The second is the price. I am interested in the Easy Tone tops, but at $55, well I had to check eBay stores.

I only search New With Tags, and I do not like to bid, so I go for Buy It Now items.
So far I found one, I think it was a black medium, (No measurements there on that one). And its gone now.

Today, I find just one Small, magenta, New With Tags, but it is a bid, and I am not a small, which it does tell us equals sizes 4-6. This one’s Resistone bands appear to be black, unlike the ones currently at Reebok. Perhaps it is a previous model?
Currently the bid is $42.95, and it ends on Dec 16th.

If you click on this New with Tags Reebok Easy Tone Athletic Top at eBay stores today, you will find this one. I am going to keep an eye on these, so I will post that link in this page’s right column.

When ever you shop eBay stores, be sure to compare prices with what the brand themselves are selling them for.
Here is an example:
I am also interested in Easy Tone Flip Flops, currently on sale at Reebok for $40.
Checking out New Reebok Easy Tone Flip Flops at eBay stores today I find them for, at Buy it Now prices, as little as $25 and as much as $50. That is at a glance of the page that will take you too.

If you enjoy bidding, more power to you, as bid prices tend to start much cheaper on things I looked at in the past. Where they ended, I can not say.

The other thing I was interested in lately in terms of Fitting In Fitness, besides keeping my hands from freesing while walking our Teddy dog, to your right, was
Zumba dance fitness, but at how many installments of what!?! Three $20 payments! No. I don’t think so. Not so fast anyway, as I am uncertain about the quality of the music too.
So naturally I looked
Zumba Fitness at eBay Stores, New and find nice flat rates starting at $20 DVDs and $10 CDs, at But it Now prices, cheaper for bids of course.

I am still interested in dance fitness, at home, and flip flops, because I know the pair of Crocs flip flops I wear all the time will not last forever.

So I will be putting these links to check often in the right column here.

Just remember if you shop eBay stores:
Always Compare with the makers price Before you buy!

Update 1/19/11: Reneging on my above statement about putting the link to ‘Reebok Easy Tone apparel at eBay stores’ in this pages right column. 

I will keep trying it. If it starts to show results, then I will put it there.