Wellness

[BExplorer]

Hello!

I recently ordered the Total Gym Fit from QVC as I take a Total Gym Gravity (TGS) class at my fitness center and absolutely love it.  My understanding is that the Total Gym is the home version of the TGS.

Has anyone here used both?  If so, what are your thoughts about the Total Gym Fit?  I am disappointed in the squat stand on the Total Gym Fit which is my favorite feature of the TGS. I don't find I can do a proper squat on the Total Gym Fit as the squat stand is entirely too low and small. 

Thanks in in advance for any thoughts you care to share. 😊

[SuzieBBB]

I can't answer your question about Gravity, but I can offer a solution to the small squat stand issue. I have the Fit Signature but couldn't use the squat stand due to the small size. In fact, everyone who I showed it off to was surprised since since you can't do a proper squat on it. I found an off-market brand of very large squat stand and I love it. It fits all models of Total Gym. There is a little wiggle room, but it's still stable. I ordered from Amazon, just search Total Gym Squat Stand. I posted 8 pictures in my review over there.

[x Hedge]

I wish you'd post photos if you can.

My Total Gym is considerably older, but gravity is gravity.

I have mine up to a support post in the basement, and I have a wooden shelf propped up on the squat stand and secured to the post so I can vary my stance (both wider and higher) during squats. 

You can also remove the squat stand and brace your feet on a wall. That's more secure, for if you have a little 'bounce' in your squat or you alternate feet. 

edited to add: i also have one of those small round trampolines. I prop that against the wall, remove the squat stand, and (carefully) bounce on that sometimes.

[BExplorer]

Thanks @SuzieBBB and @x Hedge for your advice!  Great solutions since that is my biggest complaint about my Total Gym and the squat stand is what I most looked forward to when purchasing the machine. 

I just checked amazon @SuzieBBB and think I found your review and photos. They are extremely helpful. 😃

[SuzieBBB]

Ah, I didn't realize I could post pics here. I'll post two of my pics.

[hckynut]

@BExplorer

I have had my TG 2000 for about 25 years. For squats on it I have always preferred doing 1 leg squats. For me I have always preferred specificity in all of my types of training. Therefore I try to make sure I work almost exclusively the muscle group in which I am training.

This type of training takes longer, but I have found it to produce better and more effective results that doing Multi-muscle type training. My interests in training are get the best results, for myself, and I make the extra time necessary to gain those results. This has worked well for my running and ice skating, even when I was doing it competitively for several decades.

I can easily place my 1 foot on the squat stand that came with my TG 2000, oh so many years ago. My choice is to vary the angles of my foot, thus working the muscles differently which I have found give me overall better results.

Another exercise I have done for decades on my TG are the 1 leg squat thrusts. This helped me immensely with push off speed when I was a Referee in Adult Hockey League games. Getting to top speed, from almost a standing start,  quickly is a very important part of being able to keep up with the ever changing directions and speed of ice hockey games.

Taking good care of my knees by making sure all the surrounding muscles and connective tissues have always been both strong and very flexible have kept my, at age 78(79 in June), from having any serious knee issues.

Running in the 6 figures of mileage and playing and being a Ref in hockey games, my program has allowed me to still be able to "pick 'em up and put 'em down" pretty well at my now advanced age. That I attribute to my type of leg strength and stretching exercises over those many decades.

Looks like you've have gotten some good ideas from others how to make your TG more effective and useful for your type of squat training.

hckynut(john)

[BExplorer]

I appreciate your feedback @hckynut. In my classes we also do single leg squats in varying foot positions. I guess I just got spoiled with the much taller and larger squat stand on the commercial version of the machine.