10 of the Best Exercises on the Total Gym

The Total Gym is a versatile exercise machine that makes it possible to more than 80 exercises, depending on the model and accessories you choose, in the comfort of your home gym.

While this variety lets you mix exercises together to make new, entertaining full-body workouts, the best exercises are usually multi-joint movements that work many muscles at once.

Not everyone can do full body-weight pull-ups. The Total Gym substitutes for an assisted pull-up machine, letting you adjust the incline to select how much of your body weight you're lifting.

Lie face-down on the glide board, as you can see in the first exercise in this video. Grasp the pull-up bars, and pull the glide board up to the bars.

The pullover works both your pushing and pulling muscles at once, in particular your lats, pecs, triceps and shoulders.

Lie face-up on the glide board, as demonstrated in the first exercise in this video. Extend both arms straight overhead holding onto the cable handles. On an exhale, press your arms down toward the sides of your thighs, pulling the glide board up.

The pullover crunch works the same muscles as a pullover, but adds extra emphasis on your abs and chest. Begin as if you were doing a pullover, but as you press arms down, crunch your shoulders up slightly off the glide board.

The chest press works your pecs, triceps and shoulders.

To do a chest press, as demonstrated in the first exercise in the video above, sit down on the glide board, facing out, with a cable handle in each hand and your legs extended along the glide board. Extend your arms straight in front of your chest, then slowly bend your arms until your elbows are even and level with your shoulders.

With an exercise like the chest press, your shoulders and triceps may fatigue before your pecs have gotten an adequate workout. Chest flies let you work your pecs without straining your shoulders and triceps.

To do flies with the Total Gym, sit on the glide board facing out, a cable handle in each hand, feet planted on the floor, as in the second exercise in the video above. Spread your arms out, straight but not locked. Bring your hands together in front of your chest, arms still extended, then open them back up with control.

Like chest flies, lateral flies work your chest and shoulders, but put additional emphasis on your obliques.

Sit or kneel sideways on the glide board, holding the near-side pulley handle in your upslope hand. Bring your upslope arm across the front of your body, pulling the glide board up, as demonstrated in the third exercise in the video above.

The single-leg press works your glutes and thighs. As demonstrated in the first exercise in this video, lie face-up on the glide board with your feet on the squat board. Extend your legs to move the glide board up. Lift your left leg off the board. Slowly bend your right knee to lower the glide board toward your feet. Pause for a moment, then push through your right foot to press back up.

Complete 20 reps on the right leg before repeating on the other side.

You can try loads of different squat variations on the Total Gym, including the second exercise in the video above, to work your glutes, quads and hamstrings.

Start lying face-up with both feet flat on the squat board. Bend your knees to lower the glide board toward your feet until your knees form 90-degree angles. Then, press through your feet to extend your legs straight. Aim for 20 reps.

Work your back, arms and shoulders with this combination movement.

Start kneeling on your glide board facing the cable handles with one in each hand. Pull the handles toward your chest with your elbows flared out to the side, as demonstrated in the second exercise in the video above. With control, return your hands to the starting position and repeat.

Then, without moving the glide board, transition to static rows, pulling one handle back at a time for an extra challenge for your back.

Build bigger, stronger biceps with this combo exercise, as demonstrated in the third exercise in the video above.

Start kneeling on your glide board facing the cable handles with one in each hand. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees with your hands in front of your face. Punch both arms up repeatedly.

Then, transition to static curls: Without moving the glide board, alternate curling one handle up to your shoulder at a time.