total gym xls review

The XLS is 1 of Total Gym's about popular models and with the power to perform over 80 exercises, this gym offers folks a means of getting a heck of a full body workout while taking it piece of cake on the joints.

Information technology besides has the advantage of requiring very little assembly and the ability to abound with time with the add-on of attachments.

Long-story-short: the XLS has a lot to offer, only with the add-on of some of the newer Total Gyms, I'yard not sure it'southward as relevant as information technology used to be.

Only I have a feeling you're probably interested in the longer story, so keep reading.

In this review, I'll go over every thing this Total Gym has to offer; and I'll also compare information technology to some of the newer models to run into how it stacks up.

Afterwards reading, y'all'll know whether or not this is the right gym for your home gym.

Allow's have a little fun first though, with a few words on the man himself, Mr. Chuck Norris.

A Word On Chuck Norris

-In one case a cobra chip Chuck Norris' leg…after 5 days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

Ah, I love Chuck Norris jokes. I accept zero idea where that all started, but it's pretty crawly.

As is Chuck Norris.

Nosotros all know him as the badass from all the martial arts movies, or as Walker, that do-good Texas Marshal that ever showed upwards at the right fourth dimension to take out the trash.

Regardless of your favorite Norris character, one thing that can all agree on is that Chuck Norris is the man.

Well, The Total Gym company was wise enough to become him in on selling their Full Gym products. Merely when you run into celebrities selling products, you lot never know what is existent.

We know that they are being paid to say they similar said production. But do they actually utilize what they are selling? Do they actually stand up backside the production?

Who knows, but according to Chuck and Full Gym, he does use it and has been for the terminal 30 years.

Every bit a martial creative person, it would make sense for him to employ a slice of equipment like the Full Gym – what with the large range of motions available and whatnot.

We volition become more into this in a minute, but one of the dandy benefits of these products, is the fluidity of the movement.

Yous are using your full range of movement (ROM) equally you exercise.

Non only does this increase strength, but information technology maintains flexibility and promotes that smoothen, fluid like movement the martial artists need.

Christie Brinkley has also appeared in the infomercials for the Total Gym products and however looks every bit great as always.

If using the Total Gym will go me in Chuck Norris or Christie Brinkley shape, I'chiliad in.

Merely to brand sure though, nosotros should probably discuss the actual product first.

-Chuck Norris plays Russian roulette with a loaded revolver…and wins.

The Total Gym XLS

Total Gym XLS Home Gym

I was first introduced to the Total Gym through work.

When I came out of PT school, I started working at an outpatient clinic.

We saw patients with varying diagnoses, lot of knee pains, dorsum pains, joint replacements. We had a Full Gym in our clinic and it got used daily.

And I rapidly learned why.

The great thing most the Total Gym is that it's super low impact. Very trivial stress through the joints, which makes it ideal for folks going through therapy or who have arthritis.

The thought backside the machine is that all of the resistance is produced by the user's body weight. This resistance is increased or decreased based on the angle the dorsum is fix on.

By adjusting the height (or resistance), you lot are increasing or decreasing the amount of gravity you are fighting confronting. If I lower the dorsum (closer to the floor), I'one thousand decreasing gravity's consequence, and the exercise becomes easier.

If I adjust the back higher, I am increasing gravity's effect, and the exercise becomes harder.

Remember nigh doing a push upwards on your knees, vs standard on your feet, vs elevating your anxiety on a bench…same idea. More gravity = more than body weight = more difficulty.

In the clinic, we used it all the time for squats, unmarried leg squats. Some rows for our shoulder patients.

Simple system, but genius.

Perfect for rehab, but as well great for providing healthy individuals a world class workout in their homes.

The Full Gym XLS is the mid-range model in the Full Gym serial. When yous look at all the dissimilar models, they all kinda await the same.

Seriously.

When you look at the stats though, you do see some adequately big differences. The biggest differences are:

  • Max user weight capacity
  • Levels of resistance
  • Exercises bachelor (attachments included)


Basically, the more than expensive the model, the higher the max user weight is and the more exercises that can be performed.

That said, the Total Gym XLS offers over 80 exercises… I can't imagine the need to exercise more than 80 exercises, but the Total Gym GTS (the most expensive model) boasts over 200 possible exercises…

Pros

  • Provides full body workout with over fourscore exercises possible
  • No associates required
  • 400lb weight capacity
  • Folds for storage
  • Depression impact on joints
  • Easily, quickly transition from i exercise to some other
  • Adjustable for any fitness level
  • Comes with several attachments
  • Compatible with many attachments
  • Lifetime frame warranty

Cons

  • Just 6 resistance levels
  • Not smashing for bulking upwardly, better for getting lean and tone

Available Exercises

The XLS boasts that you can practice 80+ different exercises on this gym, which is a ton when compared to other, more classic stack gyms.

All of this variety comes from the use of the pulleys and different attachments, likewise every bit counting unmarried and double leg exercises as unlike moves.

Regardless, the fact that you lot can perform pretty much whatsoever do y'all can retrieve of on this gym remains the same.

What'south nice also though, is that you lot can switch between a lot of exercise rapidly without even having to get off the slide board.

Recall most Chuck Norris on those infomercials where he transitions from overhead pulls to tricep extensions to flys without having to terminate.

Yous don't have to practise this of class, but if y'all choose to, you lot tin can get a corking cardio workout while strengthening.

The corporeality of available exercises is one factor that differentiates the different Full Gym models and at eighty+, the XLS is almost the top of their list.

The more expensive FIT and GTS offer more, merely most of the more affordable models offering a few less (although the Apex G5 besides offers fourscore+).

Resistance Levels

The bachelor exercises and included attachments vary a little from Total Gym to Total Gym, only information technology's the amount of resistance levels they come with that really matter.

I say that because having more resistance levels gives you a lot more control over your workouts.

The number of levels on these gyms varies anywhere from 6 to 12, well, 22 technically, if we count the commercial course GTS.

Anyway, having 6 resistance levels is a disadvantage compared to 12, considering you take to make bigger jumps in intensity between levels.

Which might make it harder to progress initially.

The XLS only comes with six levels and I remember this is its biggest flaw, especially for a Total Gym that costs n of $1k.

Especially considering their newer Noon G5, which costs about half equally much as the XLS, comes with 10 resistance levels.

If you don't plan on irresolute resistance that much, this might not exist a huge deal, just I like the thought of having the levels in instance I want to use 'em.

Attachments

The Total Gym XLS comes with the post-obit included attachments:

Ribbed squat stand up- the ribbed stand is a fiddling larger and heavier-duty than the standard squat stand, making for a more comfortable workout.

Fly attachment- this attachment allows yous to perform a variety of pull up and other upper torso strengthening moves.

Leg pull accompaniment- this zipper includes 2 talocrural joint straps and a caster, assuasive you to do a wide range of lower body strengthening exercises.

Training deck- this allows you to connect exercise cards to the XLS for like shooting fish in a barrel reference during workouts.

Wall nautical chart- this affiche displays 35 of the most popular exercises, for those times you demand a little inspiration during workouts.

If you purchase through Total Gym Direct, you also become access to Full Gym TV, their streaming platform.

Yous become access to their basic program for free, which includes all the classic workouts that used to be included via DVD format. If you lot pay the streaming fee, you tin can access the premium material, which includes newly updated workouts.

Warranty

Total Gym backs the XLS with the following dwelling house warranty:

  • Lifetime frame
  • 6 calendar month parts

A lifetime guarantee on the frame is great, tin't beat that.

Merely half-dozen months on parts is a bit short, especially for a gym in this cost range.

I'd like to see at least a year on parts here, but well-nigh of the parts on this gym are pulleys and cables anyhow – which is stuff that shouldn't actually pause down as long as y'all play prissy.

The parts warranty would too include your attachments too though.

Other Stuff

Before I wrap this review up, I desire to mention that the XLS comes with a weight limit of 400 lb.

Not but is this impressive for a folding home gym, but information technology allows folks of all sizes to use this gym.

Speaking of folding, I also desire to mention that this gym doesn't crave any assembly – all you lot take to practice is unfold it and insert a few pins.

No tools necessary.

The folding/unfolding might take a picayune getting used to, but once yous get the hang of it you'll be able to put upwards or take down the XLS in minutes.

Final Thoughts

Ok, that about does it for the XLS.

Similar all Total Gyms, I like that the XLS offers a ton of conditioning variety and that information technology offers a gentle, low impact manner to get a full-torso workout in.

I also like that the XLS is a heavier-duty gym with a high weight chapters and is easy to set up/fold downwardly for storage.

But when compared to some of the other Total Gyms, it'due south a little disappointing that the XLS only comes with half dozen resistance levels.

I realize Total Gym is pretty calculated in the levels and features they include with their different models, ensuring that they've got gyms for every price range.

But still, this gym costs over $1k… I'd like to see at least 8 resistance levels.

I think that parts warranty could also be a piffling longer for this price range, just at to the lowest degree the frame is backed for life.

All things considered, if you're looking for a mid-range Full Gym the XLS isn't a bad buy, only I wouldn't go as far as to say it's the "total package".

What I would practice though, is encourage y'all to bank check out the Total Gym Noon G5.

The G5 costs most half as much as the XLS and comes with 10 resistance levels and includes the popular dip handles… only sayin'.


Let's finish with a couple more Chuck Norris jokes, why not?

-In that location is no theory of evolution, but a list of creatures Chuck Norris allows to live.

-When Chuck Norris was built-in, he drove his mom to the hospital.

-Chuck Norris threw a grenade and killed 50 people, then the grenade exploded.