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I play on a college football team and several of the players have used the Total Gym type machines and some of the knockoffs. We checked on most of the available machines prior to purchasing and found out that for the most part the machines were too flimsy and small to work for the average football player. The size of the board that you lie on while exercising must be long enough to support your head and torso and at the same time allow you to rest your heels on the board for exercises that you do on your back. Unfortunately most of the cheaper machines don't have this dimension on their brochures and web sites, so unless you can find one in the store and try it, it is a guessing game as to whether or not the machine will be big enough for the potential buyer. Today we see freshman that are well over 6 feet 2 inches and most of these cheaper machines are just too small for them to use.
As someone else pointed out in a post, without that measurement, you are guessing if the machine is big enough. I believe the more expensive Total Gyms specifically list the length of the board which is 48 inches long. The Total Trainer has boards that are 46" in length in their bigger models.
We have 2 players on our team that have the Total Trainer that will fit up to a 6 foot 6 inch person. They tried a Total Gym at a Galyens and couldn't even fit themselves on the board. I believe that the board on the Vigor Fit was the same size as the cheaper Total Gym that they sell at stores like Sports Authority and Galyens and ****s ( I don't think Galyens is around anymore). So it is easy to check on before you buy one.
I would also look for a machine that allows you to use extra weight. The bungee cords, as I see it, are really not usefull for most exercises, since the tension is only maximum when the cord is stretched out totally, which for most exercises, doesn't happen. The weights that you can add, give you the same resistance, regardless of the position of the board. I believe that the main use for the bungee cords was for Pilates exercises anyway. By the way , our school is an engineering school.
Hi, its me again. The only thing I wished Total trainer had is more additional resistance weight like the 188lb from vigorfit. My seller told me I can still cancel my order from her since she has to wait for someone to get it out of storage(the guy is out of country). To reply to Endzone, since Im 5'6'', maybe I should just get the vigorfit (6'2'') instead of the total trainer (6'7'')? Only reason I would do that would be the more resistence and im smaller? Could you guys/gals leave comment of what I should do? Quality i dont mind, as long i can abuse it for a long time. So is more resistence better w/ some lack of quality or not better than awesome quality w/ less resistence? Whats the comparison between 440lb from vigorfit to 83 levels of resistence from TT? How much is 84 levels?
Also there is a used vigorfit selling on ebay for $192, but still 20hrs left.
Forgot another question, hmm, the 188lb resistence can only be used on the highest incline lvl? Is that true
to reply to mhersh06, does it really give your athletes an actual strenth workout? Could you describe more about the outcome of some of your athletes?
Another question, hmm, is just using your own body weight enough for training? My opinion, I dont think so.
Last edited by asianbboy775; Oct. 01/06 at 01:37 AM.
I was told by the TT sales person that their resistance bands were only for pilates and should not be used for anyhting else.
Our athletes use the bands exclusively with the VigorFit. I thought that we were going to have to add free weights but with the bands we do not. The bands on the VigorFit are definately not just designed with Pilates in mind.
Put it this way, at the top level, most of our seniors can't handle the resistance produced by the VigorFit without ever having to add free weights.
Of course resistance varies throughout the stretch but that does not change the fact that you can produce up to 440 lbs of resistance on this thing. I do not know many that would need to get to the max of this unit.
I was told by the TT sales person that their resistance bands were only for pilates and should not be used for anyhting else.
As I mentioned in my previous post, the usual use of the cords is for Pilates. Usually the only time someone needs extra weight is when they do leg presses which are like squats. I think you will find that once you get the machine, almost every exercise using your own body weight is sufficent. That is why machines like the $4,000 Total Gym doesn't use resistance bungees. You don't need them usually. They are mostly put on the machines for Pilates and if I am not mistaken Vigor Fit only added them recently so that their machine could be used for Pilates.
The problem with these bungee chords as was mentioned, is they only give full resistance when they are totally stretched out. Let's say you were doing a leg press. You start with the board at the bottom by the foot rest, and your legs are bent. As you straighten your legs, and the board glides away from the foot rest, the chords initially have very little tension. When you get the board all the way up on it's travel, you approach maximum tension , but by that time your legs are completely straightened and you really shouldn't lock your knees straight at that point anyway . If you are not tall enough to get the board all the way to the top of it's travel, you never approach the full resistance of the chords as Vigor Fit claims. That is why the ideal way to increase the machine's capability is to use a free weight connected to the board.
It is a shame that the makers of these machines can't offer a freight free return policy so that if someone orders the machine, they can return it without a hefty freight charge. I have seen all three machines under discussion here and I would rate the Total Trainer as best followed by the better Total Gyms and the Vigor Fit third. The Total Gyms you find in Sports stores would not be as good as the Vigor Fit, but that is no surprise as they sell for about 1/2 the price.
Here is a thread on Ebay of someone that actually got the Vigor Fit and doesn't think it is that good.
On the bayou website, it said that the TT Pro power cords are only used excusively for pilates; I guess it is the same as midcrisis said.
Since I'm goin to get the TT Pilates Pro which has 6'7'' maxium height and I'm 5'6'', am I better off than getting the TT Pilates, maxium height 6'2'' instead?
Pretty I'm tryin to say, am I going to get a reduced amount of resistence since Im smaller on the TT Pro?
Last edited by asianbboy775; Oct. 01/06 at 11:40 AM.
On the bayou website, it said that the TT Pro power cords are only used excusively for pilates; I guess it is the same as midcrisis said.
Since I'm goin to get the TT Pilates Pro which has 6'7'' maxium height and I'm 5'6'', am I better off than getting the TT Pilates, maxium height 6'2'' instead?
Pretty I'm tryin to say, am I going to get a reduced amount of resistence since Im smaller on the TT Pro?
Well let's say that you stretch the cords out 4 feet. You are going to stretch them out the same 4 feet no matter which machine you use as they probably use the same cord material. If you were taller and used the pro machine, you would get a longer stretch and more resistance. I think the difference between the two machines as far as resistance, when you are using the machine, would be negligible.
So basically ur saying is no matter what I get vigorfit, TT Pilates, TT Pilates Pro or Total Gym, its going to be the same since I'm smaller. So then it doesnt matter if I use the Pilate or Pilates Pro, its not gonna make a difference is wat ur saying. Well that sucks for me.
Maybe I need to find a smaller gymset then or something, lol. I guess I also can add free weights to help.
Last edited by asianbboy775; Oct. 01/06 at 12:05 PM.
Comments regarding the Vig Cords aren't true. I am only 5'3" tall. I am short but strong. When I am working out at a certain level and I add only one or two additional cords I can't complete the exercise. I couldn't even imagine adding all 5 cords.
Since Im shorter, not as short as mjglenn02, lol, maybe I might as well get vigorfit instead of TT pilates pro since height difference is too high for me.
Here the dimensions I figured out, the size of the equipment
Total Trainer Pro: 2.8ft x 7.10 ft x 4 ft
Vigorfit: 2.7ft x 7ft x 3.8ft
Since I'm shorter, I think might go with the Vigorfit. Since the equipment is little smaler maybe I could get more resistence out of vigorfit.
Who knows? Im sorta confused myself now
Last edited by asianbboy775; Oct. 01/06 at 01:11 PM.
Comments regarding the Vig Cords aren't true. I am only 5'3" tall. I am short but strong. When I am working out at a certain level and I add only one or two additional cords I can't complete the exercise. I couldn't even imagine adding all 5 cords.
Which exercise are you using the cords for, just curious. I am surprised that your own weight isn't sufficient for your exercise. A guy named John Carleo who who won the weight lifting championship for his age group, 10 years in a row, uses a Total Gym type machine with some free weights added for a couple of the leg exercises, and that's all he uses. If anyone would need bungee cords, he would..... I can almost guarantee you that you will not run out of resistance on this type of machine, unless you have a build like Arnold Schwarzenegger
I have seen guys that were headed to the NFL that got their butts kicked in a workout on one of these machines, and believe me, they weren't asking for any bungee cords.......
Which exercise are you using the cords for, just curious. I am surprised that your own weight isn't sufficient for your exercise. A guy named John Carleo who who won the weight lifting championship for his age group, 10 years in a row, uses a Total Gym type machine with some free weights added for a couple of the leg exercises, and that's all he uses. If anyone would need bungee cords, he would..... I can almost guarantee you that you will not run out of resistance on this type of machine, unless you have a build like Arnold Schwarzenegger
I have seen guys that were headed to the NFL that got their butts kicked in a workout on one of these machines, and believe me, they weren't asking for any bungee cords.......
These gyms usually max out at 60 - 72% of a users body weight at the top level.
If someone weighs 180 lbs and adds even 100 lbs of free weights that is 168 lbs of resistance max (280lbs x the max resistance %). So without the added ability to add 188 lbs of resistance from the bands my boys would definately outgrow any of these gyms fast.
In addition, the ability to add from 1 to 5 bands at each incline level gives me a lot of resistance options at each exercise level - which I like. A much smoother progression.
With 72% of resistance at the top level plus the ability to add free weights plus 188 lbs of resistance from the power bands the gym works great for my entire family.
John Carleo is a paid spokesperson for the Total Gym and it allows him to sell tapes.
My boys, lift more than 168 lbs. In addition, even non body builders build the strength in their legs quite fast.
Just saying that the power bands at least on our VigorFit are much more than just an add on for Pilates. Just our experience.
You are way overselling the resistance that most of these machines provide.
These gyms usually max out at 60 - 72% of a users body weight at the top level.
If someone weighs 180 lbs and adds even 100 lbs of free weights that is 168 lbs of resistance max (280lbs x the max resistance %). So without the added ability to add 188 lbs of resistance from the bands my boys would definately outgrow any of these gyms fast.
In addition, the ability to add from 1 to 5 bands at each incline level gives me a lot of resistance options at each exercise level - which I like. A much smoother progression.
With 72% of resistance at the top level plus the ability to add free weights plus 188 lbs of resistance from the power bands the gym works great for my entire family.
John Carleo is a paid spokesperson for the Total Gym and it allows him to sell tapes.
My boys, lift more than 168 lbs. In addition, even non body builders build the strength in their legs quite fast.
Just saying that the power bands at least on our VigorFit are much more than just an add on for Pilates. Just our experience.
You are way overselling the resistance that most of these machines provide.
Don't know who your boy's are, but many of the people that I associate with are working their way towards the NFL and I think are a bit stronger and bigger than your boys.. None of them that use these type machines feel that they are not getting a good workout and they don't use the bungee cords when they work out. If they do the leg press type exercises and can't get enough of a workout, they just do one leg at a time.
Comments regarding the Vig Cords aren't true. I am only 5'3" tall. I am short but strong. When I am working out at a certain level and I add only one or two additional cords I can't complete the exercise. I couldn't even imagine adding all 5 cords.
Which part of the comments about the cords are "not true"? . Please be specific, because I am an engineering major and I usally don't make mistakes when I am discussing something as simple as an exercise machine.
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