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Total Gym Exercises: Tom’s Weekly Tip – Tom’s rehab journey continues with upper body exercises. The lower body can still be incorporated into upper body exercises on Total Gym.
See how …
Hey all, Tom here! We’re going on Week 3 of my rehab video series. I hope you like what you’re seeing.
Last week I showed you some milder exercises that I’ve been doing to rehab my ankle after surgery. This week I’ve recruited Nicole to demonstrate a more advanced lower body workout for those of you without a bum leg like me! She’ll show you some variations on lower body exercises like squats, calf raises and plyometrics.
A quick disclaimer: be sure to consult your doctor or rehabilitation specialist before performing Total Gym exercises if you are injured or recovering from an injury.
There’s a word we’ve been throwing here that describes your return on investment in a Total Gym and that’s “Shred-ability.” So what does “Shred-ability” mean to you? Leave us a note and start the conversation.
Tom here with the second video in my new rehab exercise series. In the coming weeks, you’ll watch as I walk through strength and conditioning exercises for those of you like me who are rehabbing from injury. If you’re just tuning in, I’m newly out of a cast after having surgery on my left fibula (what a pain, literally). These videos are also great for those new to Total Gym and veteran users who want to refresh their at-home workouts.
In today’s video, I show you some warm-up exercises to do before starting your lower body workout:
Click here to watch the intro for this rehab series and get a sneak peak of next week’s video “Progression of Lower Body Sequence.” Leave a note for us if you have any suggestions for future exercise videos. We’d love to hear from ya!
Remember, it’s best to start with a visit to your doctor or a physical therapist before you start exercising after injury.
So here I am thinking I’ve maneuvered through life pretty much free of major injuries and bam! Something happens and life takes a turn.
About 8 weeks ago, I went to see my doctor for some pain I was having in my leg. It started as a dull pain but progressed to the point that it caused me to start limping. Sure enough, an X-ray showed that I had a broken fibula in my left ankle. Now after surgery – which left me with a 3″ plate and 6 screws in my ankle – and recently out of a cast, I’m ready to start rehabbing my leg. And what else would I use but Total Gym to help strengthen my leg for walking unassisted again.
I want to invite you to follow me on my rehab journey over the next 12 weeks as I take you through a series of full body Total Gym exercises. Whether you are rehabbing or conditioning, anyone can follow these exercises and get a great workout. Be sure to subscribe to our email and RSS feeds to stay updated when new videos are posted every Monday.
So here I am thinking I’ve maneuvered through life pretty much free of major injuries and bam! Something happens and life takes a turn.
About 8 weeks ago, I went to see my doctor for some pain I was having in my leg. It started as a dull pain but progressed to the point that it caused me to start limping. Sure enough, an X-ray showed that I had a broken fibula in my left ankle. Now after surgery – which left me with a 3″ plate and 6 screws in my ankle – and recently out of a cast, I’m ready to start rehabbing my leg. And what else would I use but Total Gym to help strengthen my leg for walking unassisted again.
I want to invite you to follow me on my rehab journey over the next 12 weeks as I take you through a series of full body Total Gym exercises. Whether you are rehabbing or conditioning, anyone can follow these exercises and get a great workout. Be sure to subscribe to our email and RSS feeds to stay updated when new videos are posted every Monday.
We recently received an inspirational story from Bud Harris that we’d like to share with everyone. Nothing makes us happier than hearing about how customers use Total Gym to help them beat the odds.
Dear Total Gym,
I must highly recommend EFI’s Total Gym as a wonderful product! My trainer and I created a specific program using weights and resistance cables and the EFI Total Gym machine to help me work back from partial paralysis due GBS disease. Additionally, the machine is self-motivating because it is fun, and produces results quickly and smoothly.
I reached my goals of walking and traveling, due to our efforts pointed to
our efforts to build a stronger core, which enables me to overcome other semi-permanent physical problems. It is GREAT! Thanks to your machine I traveled to France this summer for 5 weeks, instead of being stuck at home on a walker.
Sincerely,
Bud H. Harris Ph. D.
This post was written by Vicki Hatch-Moen (ACE Certified), a certified GRAVITY instructor and the Group Fitness Director for ProRobics Conditioning Clubs in Seattle, Washington (www.prorobics.com), where she also teaches a variety of group fitness classes and personal train clients. You can email her at lastingfit@comcast.net.
Do your knees make crunching sounds or have pain when going up and down stairs or 
during standing squats and lunges? Many times that pain or crunch is associated with the knee not tracking properly with the foot and hip during movement. After checking with your doctor to rule out a knee injury that requires physical therapy or medical treatment, try the following progression on your Total Gym three times a week on alternate days.
Set your Total Gym at a low to medium height (level 4-6), squat stand attached & fully extended.
Bilateral Squats (2 legs)
Lie supine (face up) on the glide board with hips at the bottom of the glide board and feet on the squat stand shoulder width apart. Place your toes at the top of the squat stand. Start with the legs straight, but not locked. Glide down the rails (squat) keeping your knees in line with the shoe lace zone of your shoes. Stop the squat when you get to 90 degrees of knee flexion (bend). Lift your head to make sure your knees are not dropping inward toward your big toes or pushing past the ends of your toes. Perform 2 sets of 20 reps.
Unilateral Squats (1 leg)
Next walk your feet toward each other until they are a couple inches apart to prepare for a unilateral squat on the right leg. Bring your left knee above your left hip and hold it there, so now just your right foot is on the squat stand. Slowly bend your right knee to 90 degrees of knee flexion keeping the knee in line with your shoe lace zone. Keep pressure into the heel as you squat up and down. Do a visual check to ensure good knee & foot alignment. Perform 8-10 reps on each leg. Repeat with a second set and third set as you feel stronger.
While performing the bilateral and unilateral squats keep your spine and hips relaxed on the glide board and abdominals drawn in. Breathe out as you squat down. If squatting to 90 degrees of knee flexion (bend) causes knee pain or crunchy sounds, then don’t squat as low or try placing your toes slightly above the top edge of the squat stand. Work within a range of motion that is pain free.
If knees continue to be pain or crunch free, every 2 or 3 weeks raise your Total Gym up to the next level.
This progression has helped many of my clients have less knee pain and crunch with their other activities. Let me know if they help you or if you have any questions.
