The Total Gym is a multi-exercise home gym that features a movable bench that lets you create dozens of exercises. The bench is an integral part of the machine because it lets you create muscle-building, cardio, core and endurance workouts. You can create general upper- and lower-body workouts or target specific muscles and muscle groups. Depending on how you configure the bench, you can perform familiar exercises to target specific muscles you want to work.
Core Exercises
A Total Gym helps you work your core muscles with or without resistance. At its simplest, the Total Gym lets you incline the bench to do sit-ups and crunches. If you put your feet at the top of the inclined bench, you can do ab exercises moving forward. Reversing your position lets you perform reverse crunches. Using the resistance cables, you can activate core muscles lying on your back or side, or sitting sideways. Sit on the inclined bench facing the cable end of the machine. Starting from a crunch position, with your shoulders off the bench, holding the cables in your hands near your hips, pull yourself forward using only your core muscles. The bench will slid backward as you move forward. To work your obliques, sit or kneel on the bench sideways and pull the cables across your stomach with both hands. The bench will slid forward as you move backward.
Chest Exercises
To build your chest muscles, incline the bench so it's pointing downward, with the cable end of the machine higher. Sit on the bench and grasp the cables at arms' length. Pull your hands together, keeping your arms straight, until they meet in front of your chest to perform flys. To perform chest presses, start with your hands about shoulder height, with your arms slightly bent, then push your arms straight forward.
Leg Exercises
To work your legs, start with a classic squat. Lie on your back with your hands on your hips with the bench inclined on a 45 degree angle, with your head up and feet toward the bottom of the machine. Lower yourself toward the bottom by bending your knees, then push straight up. Depending on the amount of resistance you use and number of reps you do, you can build or tone muscle, or work on muscular endurance. Reverse your position on the bench, kneeling on one knee while putting the other foot against the bottom of the machine. Push off with the foot that's against the bottom of the Total Gym, moving yourself forward.
Cardio Exercises
By decreasing the resistance on the Total Gym and using the moving bench, you can create cardio workouts similar to rowing. Set the bench on even plane, with no incline. Kneel, lie or sit on the bench facing the cable end or away from it. Hold the cables in your hands and pull yourself back and forth, changing your arms position every few minutes to prevent fatigue. For example, if you are kneeling away from the cable end, pull the cables forward with chest presses, then change your arm motion to do flys. Create a circuit training cardio workout by changing your position on the bench and alternating upper- and lower-body exercises every two minutes. Use 40 to 70 percent of your maximum intensity for circuit training, recommends the American Council on Exercise.
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