The Total Gym has been marketed to home audiences since Chuck Norris and Christy Brinkley co-hosted the first Total Gym infomercial in 1996. The Total Gym 1000 was one of the earliest models. Although you can do dozens of exercises in a Total Gym 1000, its versatility is limited because it only came with the most basic of accessories: a combination foot harness-leg pulley and a wing attachment.
Pullups
Doing pullups on the Total Gym 1000 simulates the feel of real pullups, but at a fraction of the difficulty because you only lift part of your body weight. Attach the wing accessory to the upper end of the rails. Lie faceup on the glideboard, grasp the wing attachment and pull yourself up to the bar. This works every major muscle in your back, plus your shoulders and arms.
Iron Cross
You can lie faceup on the glideboard and use the Total Gym to simulate the same sort of iron cross you see performed in men's gymnastics. But to protect your shoulders, you never extend your hands or arms higher than shoulder level during this exercise. Swinging both hands down toward your sides, which moves the glideboard up the rails, works your back, chest and shoulders.
Leg Curls
Isolating your hamstrings is difficult without gym equipment. But if you fix the wing attachment at the top of the incline rails and lie faceup on the glideboard, feet at the top of the board, you can hook your feet into the wing attachment and pull yourself up the rails to work your hamstrings.
Chest Press
The chest press works not just your chest and arms but your shoulders too. Sit on the glideboard, facing downslope, and press the pulley handles out in front of your chest.
Triceps Extension
You can perform a triceps extension -- literally, straightening your arm at the elbow -- a number of ways with the Total Gym 1000. Your options include lying facedown on the glideboard, kneeling and facing upslope, or lying faceup with your arms extended above you.
Pullover
The pullover works most major muscle groups in your torso, including your chest, back, shoulders and arms. You must also squeeze your abs to keep your back from arching as you lie faceup on the glideboard and swing both arms in an arc, from over your head down toward your bellybutton.
Leg Extension
If you attach the foot harness-leg pulley to your Total Gym 1000, you can lie faceup on the glideboard and do hip extensions. Allow your straight leg -- with the harness attached -- to flex slightly at the hip, then straighten your leg at the hip. This works your glutes.
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