The Total Gym emphasizes functional development. Instead of isolating individual muscles as some gym weight machines do, this glideboard-style home gym forces multiple muscle groups to work together as you push or pull on the pulley handles and various accessories. However, you can shift the emphasis of several exercises to work your chest and biceps, by positioning yourself properly on the glideboard and manipulating the pulley handles, or accessories, in the correct movement plane.
Pushups
Pushups work your chest, triceps and shoulders together, in a functional movement that resembles literally pushing yourself up from the ground, or pushing something heavy away from you. You can do pushups without the Total Gym, but the gym's inclined-rail construction positions it perfectly as a support for incline or decline pushups, and as the glideboard shifts up or down the rails beneath you, it introduces an element of instability. Straddle the bottom of the incline rails and place both hands on the edge of the glideboard for incline pushups. For decline pushups, attach the pressup or wing attachments at the foot of the rails, grasp the attachment with your head pointing toward the foot of the incline rails, and place your feet or knees on the glideboard.
Presses
You can duplicate the motion of a pushup, with less resistance because you're lifting only a fraction of your body weight, by doing chest presses on the Total Gym. This exercise also works your chest, triceps and shoulders, forcing your muscles to stabilize against the pulley handles' potential to move in any direction. Sit or kneel on the glideboard facing downslope; press the handles out in front of you, palms facing in or down toward the floor. You may find pressing at a slight upward angle to be more comfortable than pressing straight ahead. Bend your elbows, letting the handles come back toward you as you prep for the next repetition.
Pulldowns
Although your latissimus dorsi -- a large back muscle -- is the primary mover during the Total Gym version of lat pulldowns, doing them with your palms facing toward you activates your biceps as well. Lie faceup on the glideboard and grasp one pulley handle in each hand, arms extended straight overhead. Pull the handles down in front you, close to your body, with your palms facing toward you. Straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
Biceps Curls
If pulldowns don't offer a strenuous enough biceps workout, try doing biceps curls. Kneel on the glideboard facing upslope, or sit with your legs dangling off the front of the glideboard. Grasp the pulley handles with your palms up and extend both arms straight toward the pulleys. Bend your arms, curling the handles up toward your shoulders, then straighten your arms again. This is the closest you'll get to total muscle isolation on the Total Gym, as your biceps do the vast bulk of the work of pulling yourself up the rails on the glideboard.
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