Don’t let strongman Total Gym spokesperson Chuck Norris confuse you — a Total Gym isn’t just for bodybuilding. This home gym can help you create effective cardio workouts that start burning calories immediately. Follow the lead of Total Gym’s female spokesperson, Christie Brinkley, and use less resistance to perform aerobic workouts that help you lose weight.
Step 1
Read the instructions that come with the Total Gym to learn how to use the machine. Walk around the machine and change resistance settings, the incline of the bench and otherwise learn how to quickly switch from one exercise to the next.
Step 2
Read the manual or DVD that came with the machine or visit the Total Gym website to learn all of the exercises you can perform on the equipment. Practice each exercise without resistance to reduce your risk of injury as you learn the correct techniques.
Step 3
Warm up before you begin using the machine, raising and lowering your arms, jogging in place and moving your body at a moderate intensity to raise your heart rate and stretch your muscles.
Step 4
Set the resistance of the cable to its lowest level. Set the bench on an incline and lie on your back with your feet toward the floor and your head near the cables. Pull yourself up and down using a variety of arm movements, including straight over your shoulders and out to your sides. Work at a high intensity for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on your strength and conditioning.
Step 5
Take a 30-second break and move to a new exercise. Use your legs, instead of your arms, to push yourself up and down on the inclined bench. Raise the resistance to a level that raises your heart rate and has you breathing hard and sweating. Exercise at a high intensity for 30 to 60 seconds.
Step 6
Take a break and continue this pattern of short, high-intensity exercise sets.
Step 7
Reverse your position on the bench, with your head toward the floor and feet toward the cable end. Perform a high-intensity set of crunches or situps.
Step 8
Set the bench on an even plan and kneel on the bench, facing the end away from the cables. Grasp the cables behind you and bring them forward, moving your body toward the cable end. Pull the cables over your head and around your sides, at shoulder height, then hip height. Pull and release the cables so you move the bench back and forth from end to end of the machine. Create a rowing motion you can sustain for five minutes or more for more calorie burning.
Step 9
Sit on the bench sideways with both feet on the floor. Pull the cables across your body, bringing the cables across your body at hip height for one set, then shoulder height for another. Turn your body to face the opposite direction, then repeat this exercise to work the other side of your body.
Step 10
Take a break of several minutes every 10 minutes, depending on your strength and condition. Alternate upper-body, lower-body and core exercises to prevent muscle fatigue in one area. Exercise for 30 minutes or longer at a pace that lets you keep working with only short breaks.
Step 11
Cool down with less-intense movements for several minutes to bring your heart rate down. Stretch your muscles.
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