Total gym vs Resistance bands [Article, Video]

While both will provide similar resistance, the resistance bands are harder to set up and take more practice to be effective. If you are young, agile and quick to learn use the resistance bands. If you are less fit and need guidance, use the total gym.

Overview of the Total gym

The total gym puts you on a bench which is attached to two pulleys and can slide back and forward. This sliding bench is attached to a little tower. The tower is the anchor and also helps to determine the resistance at which you train. The steeper the incline, the harder the workout.

Depending on the model attachments you get the total gym is also enabled for squats and more exercises. You work the arms by doing pulley work while the legs can be worked with squats at an incline. After use, the total gym can be folded up and stored under a bed or in a closet.

With pulley and sliding bench arrangement you can simulate many of the machines which you will find at a commercial gym. The total gym will not be a replacement for a cardio machine or free weights for athletes but can keep you fit if you are older or rehabilitating from injury.

Pros of the to total gym

The pros of the total gym are:

Low footprint
Low injury risk
Versatile

One pro of the total gym is that it has a relatively low footprint and can be stored away easily. If you live in a small apartment, the total gym will not take up an entire room of your already limited space all day. Just fold it up and put it next o the ironing board or under the bed.

For an exercise machine that forms muscle and tones, the injury risk is very low. You can sit or lie on the bench depending on how comfortable you feel. There are no weights that can fall on you. The machine itself is also not too intimidating. A big bonus is that you can even use the total gym if your hips, knees or rest of your legs are not well enough for walking.

The pulley mechanism makes this a versatile machine to be used in many directions and combinations. This way you can get a full-body workout out of this one machine.

Cons of the total gym

The cons of the total gym are:

Low impact
Prone to failure
Hard for prolonged cardio

Overall the total gym is pretty low impact as it only uses your body weight. This is more than enough to get in shape, but if you want to set world records and pack on muscle you will also need some free weights and proper runs outdoors or on a treadmill. Of you are in the senior citizen target group of the total gym that is probably not of interest but for commercial and home gym owners might want to consider this. A rogue echo bike is roughly the same price as a total gym.

The pulleys and the sliding bench can break and it is usually hard to fix them yourself. They are also quite noisy after a good time of use. Combined with that the construction is light and foldable you get the benefit of mobility at the loss of stability. The total gym is still top of the line but more prone to error than a stationary machine.

If your main goal is weight loss one of the best ways to get your goal is to do cardiovascular exercises for 20 minutes. If your joints are aching swimming might also be an option. On the total gym, you might be hard-pressed to do the same thing for 20 minutes.

Alternatives to the total gym

Alternatives to the total gym are:

The Rogue echo bike leaves out the impact of a treadmill while still being cardiovascular. If you can still cycle and mainly want to lose weight and stay fit this is your choice. It won't do as much for toning as the total gym.

Kettlebells will take up less space and work as cardio and strength training. If you are still very to moderately fit they are a great option as they are better faster cheaper than the total gym in my opinion.

The disadvantage is that they are quite hard to use. If you have some coordination problems or can’t take big swing movements you might want to opt for something which produces less g force.

If you like the great outdoors and have your hips and legs in check a good pair of runners will do great things for you. Fresh air, meeting some people and staying fit. Go with this option if you are still mobile and do not want to stay at home.

Overview of resistance bands

Resistance bands are a versatile tool that most personal trainers and home gym owners use. You can use them for stretching, strength training, to work on your posture and cardio amongst many other things.

Resistance comes in all different shapes, sizes, and resistances. Take a bit of time to think about what exercises you want to ultimately do before you decide on which resistance bands you are going to get.

Try to avoid cheap resistance bands. Especially if you use them in combination with other equipment or for risky maneuvers. You can seriously hurt yourself if a resistance band of poor quality snaps in your face.

Pros of resistance bands

The pros of resistance bands are:

Versatile
Cheap
Easy to store

Resistance bands can be used in hundreds of different ways to give you a full-body workout. In addition, you can also use them effectively to keep your body in certain positions for rehab or to stretch during a warm-up.

Compared to other gym equipment resistance bands are relatively cheap. A full set with different degrees of resistance for different purposes comes cheaper than a full set of dumbbells including a rack.

The last advantage is that you can just roll up all of your resistance bands by the end of the workout and put them in a box that you store in the corner of your gym or under the stairs.

Cons of resistance bands

The cons of resistance bands are:

Hard to overload
Tend to break fast
Takes study

Resistance bands can be a challenge to overload muscles for growth. They are great for toning and stretching but if you want to pack on some pounds nothing can beat the good old free weights.

Resistance bands also have a tendency to have a relatively short life span. At least for me. I somehow tend to wreck them pretty fast.

To use bands effectively for whole routines takes patience and study. The setup needs to be learned and can get frustrating at times. Just like these slings, you can wrap babies in. Very useful once you mastered to set it up correctly and fast. Absolute pain in the backside to get to that stage.

Alternatives to resistance bands

The alternatives to resistance bands are

Bow flex
Kettlebells
Pulleys

If you like the form of resistance from bands but want it all in a machine than the bow flex might be for you. The resistance is similar, but you cut out the set up time. In turn, the footprint is bigger in your home.

If you prefer free weights because they last longer and you want to strike a balance between space, versatility and proper weight go for a kettlebell. Kettlebell training is easier to master than good band training. In return, you give up a lot of the potential for posture adjustments and stretches that come with resistance bands.