Total Gym

Testimonial: High School Graduation Video Kick Starts Jason William Egroff’s Weight Loss Journey

We recently heard from Total Gym user Jason William Egroff on our Facebook page. We were so inspired by his personal mission to drop over 75 pounds through diet and exercise on Total Gym that we asked him to write for Total Gym Inside. Here’s his story…

In summer 2003, I was very frustrated about my body. I had just graduated from high school and the graduation video footage finally arrived in the mail. I popped the tape in the player to relive one of the happiest days in my life. What I saw shocked me. Seeing the blatant truth on tape of how overweight I was finally hit me. That day I decided to change it.

That summer I began an intense diet plan. Basically, I survived on hearty salads for months. By the end of the summer, I had shed around 40 lbs. It was a good start. I continued on a strict diet and workout routine for the following years. In 2006, I had pretty much reached my goal of 160 – 170 lbs. I was satisfied but not totally satisfied. It would take the Total Gym to make that happen.

In summer 2008, I was sick and tired of the loose, flabby skin left over from my weight loss around my mid-section. I had seen the infomercials for Total Gym more times than I could count. I love and respect Chuck Norris and understand his true caring for people. His story of being an overweight kid touched me beyond words. In 2009, I saw the Total Gym being sold on QVC at an amazing value. This was the opportunity I was waiting for. I picked one up that day.

And what an amazing investment it was! The day it arrived in the mail, I began using it. Assembly is a breeze. You literally take it out of the box and start using it. A month or two into using it I began to see serious results—more cuts in my upper abs and toning in my trouble area (lower abs). Previous to getting the Total Gym, I was seriously considering getting a tummy tuck. After about a year of using the Total Gym, I can see that it won’t be necessary.  I believe, with sticking to my routine and eating healthy (which is easy for me now), I’ll have the six-pack that I’ve always dreamed about in the old days.

But none of it would have been possible without the Total Gym. Five to ten minutes of intense training a day on this machine will do miracles for your body. DON’T GET RISKY MEDICAL PROCEDURES DONE! Just get a Total Gym.

Thank you,

- Jason William Egroff

Do you have a Total Gym success story to share? Please email your story to TotalGymBlog@totalgym.com.

Men’s Health – Drew Brees: A Champion Never Rests (Secret Total Gym Mention)

If you want an inspiring health read, check out the latest “Celebrity Fitness” article from Men’s Health on Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and his trainer Todd Durkin. Man, Brees has some drive!

In reading the article, we were pleased to see what seemed to be an uncanny reference to Total Gym. An excerpt from the article reads:

“An hour earlier, this man [Brees] was lying on an inclined sliding bench, belly down, with his head facing the floor, doing single-arm gravity presses. His excruciating rep count was not a voice, but a gut-deep moan: sehhhhhvin…aaaaaate…niiiiiiine. On 10, he rolled off the bench, stood, and gave himself a subtle fist pump. A small victory.”

“Inclined sliding bench” … “single arm gravity presses” … hmmmm. We’re of good mind to know the writer is talking about Total Gym PowerTower. We know this because Total Gym is the only machine that will allow you to do a single arm “gravity” (or inverted) press on an inclined sliding bench (or glideboard, in our terms). We also know Todd Durkin owns a PowerTower at his gym Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, and he utilizes it for training his NFL, MLB and Olympic athletes.

Some publications are remiss to mention name brand products like Total Gym in articles… so we went ahead and it did it for them! Click here to read the full article.

Fitness Wisdom Wednesday: 5 Tips to Alleviate Workout Burnout

I love working out. In fact, I have to work out to stay sane. If I don’t get a good daily dose of some sort of activity, I will start to feel a little squirrelly in the head!

Regardless of your passion for working out, we all tend to hit a rut and experience burnout. These are the days when you want to work out but you really don’t feel like it, and I’m not talking about your crucial rest and recover days. I’m referring to those days were you fully planning to workout but when the time comes you just can’t seem to get started.

Here are 5 Ways to Beat Workout Burnout that have helped me:

1. Set a simple, yet challenging goal. For example, I rarely look forward to a Back day. So I tell myself I’ll do 100 plyo pull-ups on the Total Gym GTS, no matter how many sets it takes me, and then I’m done. I mark them down as I knock them out and feel a nice sense of accomplishment when I reach my goal. And I’m done with Back, yay!
2. Work out with a friend. Tell them upfront, “Hey, I’m a little burnt out. Let me just follow your routine today.” Follow their lead, catch up on some much-needed conversation and repeat as necessary.
3. Use the versatility of the Total Gym to make a fun change. For example, on one Chest/Shoulders/Triceps day I wasn’t feeling the workout vibe. So I decided to do the whole workout doing unilateral exercises (one arm) only. It was fun, time flew by and it challenged me to come up with new variations on the Total Gym that I could use with my clients. A double whammy!
4. Train at a different gym. Many gyms will let you work out a few days on a trial basis. If not, it’s worth it to spring for a day pass to be in a new atmosphere with different energy, different equipment and new faces. If nothing else, the $15 bucks you dropped will motivate you to get in good session!
5. Bribe yourself! Have a little self-talk, “OK, I know I don’t really feel like training today, but I also know I’ll feel so much better if I get it done. So, I’ll schedule a massage/pedicure/happy hour or buy new workout shoes, etc. and treat myself after I get er’ done!

I hope one of these tips works for you when needed. When I don’t feel like working out as planned, it helps to remind myself that many of my clients feel this way the majority of the time. When I think of how I always encourage them to fight through that feeling and get their body moving, I take a dose of my own advice and get the “workout buzz” flowing again!

Have any questions about JayDee’s tips. Send him a note at CuttingEdgeWellness@san.rr.com.

JayDee Cutting is a GRAVITY Master Trainer, certified personal trainer, Pilates instructor and founder of www.NiceDogYoga.com. His new “Core Golf Fitness” DVD is due out later this fall.

Total Gym Weekly Workout, Running – Upper Body Function

Total Gym Weekly Workout, Running – Upper Body Function

A couple weeks ago we talked about running and lower body training. This week we are revisiting that topic, focusing on upper body training.  This is great information on body function and the exercises are not only for runners but also for those of you that prefer walking, hiking or jogging.  Enjoy!

GRAVITYThisSeason_Running – Upper Body

To see the entire series on running, biking and swimming please visit www.gravityclubhouse.com. It’s free to register and access this video and more programming and online extras.

Fall Sale! 30% Off Total Gym GRAVITY Workout DVDs

Fall is a great time to reassess your fitness goals and get on the right track before the holidays roll around. Here’s a wallet-friendly way to keep it off through the year …

Purchase any Total Gym GRAVITY workout DVD for 30% off the regular price! Click here to browse our video selection. Enter 30DVDBLOG at checkout to receive your discount through October 31.

Follow our expert GRAVITY Master Trainers through cardio, strength training and Pilates workouts on Total Gym! Here are a few messages from GRAVITY fans:

“…GRAVITY…is the best overall workout I’ve ever experienced in such a short time that combines both cardio and strength training”… Testimonial Wall at Bladium, Alameda, California

“Since beginning training on the [Total Gym] GTS®, I have lost weight and improved my muscle strength and tone. Because of the focus on the core, I have increased flexibility and have much better posture”. Mary Lucy Thompson, Club Member, AC Lewis YMCA, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

GRAVITY DVDs  make great holiday gifts for the Total Gym user in your life. Buy now before the deal ends!

Fitness Wisdom Wednesday: Eric Isaacson's Total Gym Tennis Workout

Here’s a special guest post from Eric Isaacson, collegiate tennis player and son of Dan Isaacson, personal trainer to Hollywood A-listers and president of Sports Management International, Inc.

I started working out on the Total Gym at age 13 and I am 23 years old now and still use it. Total Gym has truly changed my life! I started playing tennis at age 13 and my dad put me on a training program that consisted of high repetitions with light weight for building lean muscle mass and endurance. I have been on that training program ever since and it has allowed me to make the varsity tennis team at Notre Dame High School my freshman year and go on to get recruited by Azusa Pacific University to play collegiate tennis.

What I love about the Total Gym is that it is convenient and easy to use. My family has had a Total Gym for ten years now and it is so much easier for me to work out at home as opposed to going to the gym. Total Gym is a piece of equipment that has allowed me to work out injury free because it does not pull or strain my muscles like regular free weights or even ordinary gym equipment. I have been able to work out smarter on Total Gym. What I mean by this is that I am able to work out for just 30 minutes every other day while still training hard for tennis. With Total Gym, you don’t need to work out for hours like you would at the gym. With simple, easy-to-do exercises, you can start to see the results very quickly. I have been able to work out effectively and efficiently on Total Gym and that is what I love so much about it. I am exhausted after playing tennis on my work out days but with just 30 minutes on the Total Gym, I have completed a workout that would have taken me an hour at the gym.

Watch this video to see the 5 Total Gym exercises that have helped me build lean muscle mass and improve my tennis game.

Have any comments or questions about Eric’s Total Gym tennis workout? Leave a note in the comments section below.

Fitness Wisdom Wednesday: Eric Isaacson’s Total Gym Tennis Workout

Here’s a special guest post from Eric Isaacson, collegiate tennis player and son of Dan Isaacson, personal trainer to Hollywood A-listers and president of Sports Management International, Inc.

I started working out on the Total Gym at age 13 and I am 23 years old now and still use it. Total Gym has truly changed my life! I started playing tennis at age 13 and my dad put me on a training program that consisted of high repetitions with light weight for building lean muscle mass and endurance. I have been on that training program ever since and it has allowed me to make the varsity tennis team at Notre Dame High School my freshman year and go on to get recruited by Azusa Pacific University to play collegiate tennis.

What I love about the Total Gym is that it is convenient and easy to use. My family has had a Total Gym for ten years now and it is so much easier for me to work out at home as opposed to going to the gym. Total Gym is a piece of equipment that has allowed me to work out injury free because it does not pull or strain my muscles like regular free weights or even ordinary gym equipment. I have been able to work out smarter on Total Gym. What I mean by this is that I am able to work out for just 30 minutes every other day while still training hard for tennis. With Total Gym, you don’t need to work out for hours like you would at the gym. With simple, easy-to-do exercises, you can start to see the results very quickly. I have been able to work out effectively and efficiently on Total Gym and that is what I love so much about it. I am exhausted after playing tennis on my work out days but with just 30 minutes on the Total Gym, I have completed a workout that would have taken me an hour at the gym.

Watch this video to see the 5 Total Gym exercises that have helped me build lean muscle mass and improve my tennis game.

Have any comments or questions about Eric’s Total Gym tennis workout? Leave a note in the comments section below.