With well over 100 recommended exercises for the Total Gym, it is easy to keep your workouts from getting boring due to lack of variety. It is also unlikely that rotating through the many exercise options will neglect any major muscle group. However, one of the main perks of a Total Gym is that you can do total body exercises on the machine, which means you can combine exercises to work your upper and lower body together. Try these unique combinations that you won't be able to do on the weight machines at your local gym.
Arm Pullover with Buns-Up Leg Press
The arm pullover is actually a total body exercise by itself because it works the muscles of your arms, shoulders, quads and glutes together. Adding the buns-up leg press, however, will take take the leg workout up a notch to include the hamstrings and doubly work your butt. To do this combination exercise, lie face up on the Total Gym with your feet hip-width apart on the leg platform. Hold your arms straight overhead and grasp the handles with your palms up. Then, bend your knees and let yourself slide downward on the moveable glideboard. Lift your buttocks into the air so that only your head and shoulders rest on the board. You won't have your arms on the board at your sides to provide stability as you would if you were doing the exercise without the arm pullover, so your abs will get worked too as they stabilize your torso. Next, press your legs straight and pull your arms forward until they are perpendicular to your body and the board.
Leg Curl with Bicep Curl and Incline Sit-Up
The leg curl with bicep curl exercise works your biceps and legs. Adding an incline sit-up makes this a core exercise as well. Begin sitting on the glideboard with your feet hooked under the wing accessory bar on the top of the upright and your legs straight. Extend your arms straight in front of you and grasp the handles. Hold your palms up to focus on your biceps or turn your palms over to face the floor to do a forearm curl instead. Now, bend your knees and pull the glideboard toward the upright while simultaneously bending your elbows to bring your hands toward your shoulders. Then, without straightening your legs as you normally would, lower and straighten your arms to your sides. Lean back to lie face up on the board and then sit up to work your abs. This movement is identical to a sit-up on an incline bench, except that your arms are at your sides instead of behind your head or crossed on your chest. Once you are seated upright again, straighten your legs to return to the starting position.
Sit-Up with Cables to Parallel Grip Lat Row
The sit-up with cables targets the abs and the parallel grip lat row hits the back muscles, particularly the lat muscles of the middle back. Perform this combination by sitting on the glideboard facing the upright with your knees bent and your feet flat on the top of the board. Hold your arms straight in front of you and on the sides of your knees with your palms facing inward. Keep your spine straight at all times. Then, lean back until your lower back touches the glideboard. Your head and shoulders hover a few inches from the board. Squeeze your abs and sit back up to engage your abs. Once upright again, bend your elbows and pull your arms back as if trying to elbow someone seated behind you. The elbows stay next to your sides. Extend your arms forward again to complete the exercise.
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