Weider Total Body Works 5000 Gym

I''ve been looking for quite a while for an "all-in-one" home gym, to replace several pieces of gym equipment that I''ve been using regularly for several years: a Weider 8510 pulley-type machine, a Roman crunch bench; a Body by Jake; and free weights.

I looked at the "Total Gym" machine (the one pushed by Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris). I went to their website and requested their free video; a few days later, I got a phone call from them, telling me that if I bought it that very day, I could save $100. "I want the video", I said. I never got the video. That sent up "red flags" in my head for the Total Gym people. I resent being hustled.

Then I found this item, the Total Body Works 5000. I could not find a single negative review for it, anywhere.

I bought it. I love it. Even though I''ve been working out for years, I am impressed. It will help free up a lot of space in my basement!

I LOVE THIS, but I give Weider 0 stars for not including a DVD or even a workout chart with even 25% of the exercises you can do on this thing. I had to go to the Total Gym website and copy images into a word document (http://www.totalgym.com/learn/exercises.html). It is not easy to find without using this link. You can find some here too (http://www.efisportsmedicine.com/home/education/exercise-library). I will make my own manual from the pics. I might even order some of their DVDS and accessories. Perhaps this is what Weider expects people to do and is why the machine costs a fraction of the Total Gym. I paid under 90.00 for mine with 15% off Dickssportinggoods on line.

Also, the directions are terrible. Ironically, once you figure it all out, you realize it is common sense, but before then, it is a bit confusing. Some other people had the same problem I had, those knobs! Do not bother putting on the handle and foot rest first. Do screw on the stabilizing foot. From there, pull/hold the long knob out and raise the unit slowly like you would an ironing board. Be careful not to get your fingers caught. The short knob allows you to extend the unit horizontally. It is tricky to do if you are doing it alone. You have to pull the knob and pull the bottom part of the unit (where the foot rest goes) out. I hope this saves some other people time and confusion!

The Good: I really works! It is sturdy, fun to use, and can accommodate so many types of exercises. You will find yourself making up a few. While I have a gym membership, I love being able to go into the next room and jump on this thing for a few minutes, which is all I can do at this stage. I do not feel as if I am "lifting" anything incorrectly. Let me tell you, every time I am on this thing, I find myself saying. "OH Sh..." because I am just amazed at how well/hard it is working me.

The unit is large and quite heavy, something that some people complain about. Basically, the weight and size allows me to trust the sturdiness more. As for storage, just take off the handle bars and foot rest, lower the thing and push it under the bed, futon, couch, whatever if you want it out of sight.

I highly rec. this product. Anyone who is out of shape for, has injuries, and/or is older will definitely appreciate the high result / low impact workouts. This is not to say it is not for everyone else too. Once again, you will have to go to the Total Gym or EFI websites to learn about the many benefits of this type of workout.

Like many have said, you are not going to be a body champion solely using this, but you will certainly loose weight and build/tone muscle mass in your WHOLE body. For legs though, you will have to get creative and/or always use the extra cords provided. Hare are a couple. Sit on the unit with feet flat on the floor, and push up with your butt until you are in a squat position. Do reps and/or hold. To work calves, raise heels off the floor.

This thing does not have bells and whistles, but it is still fun, user friendly, convenient, inexpensive, sturdy, and a great alternative to a much more expensive brand. It would be nice if Weider upgraded this every few years. I can see myself always having one of these types of home gyms. Happy New Year and good working out!

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I''m on my second one, now. The newer versions have thicker board padding, better quality vinyl, and some improvements in the wielding. The corners of the board''s vinyl will eventually start splitting still, but some black tape can solve this. It doesn''t really alter its function if you just let it happen without taping. Every few years the gym needs to be replaced as parts wear, but at these prices you could actually buy a new one each year and still be saving money compared to the competition. Certain parts will not wear, and you can take them off the old one and keep as spares considering how expensive buying each one is from Weider. Some caution is necessary on the single-pole stand. Make sure the peg is always securely in before getting on the machine. Also never let pets or children get anywhere close to that end when you''re using it. Finally, inspect the cable routinely for significant damage and replace it BEFORE the cable actually breaks. Never use it until failure. I do not work for this company, but am speaking from experience.

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I''m 60 years old and a long distance runner for 38 years. I''ve been working out on weight machines for about 28 years. I don''t want to buid up my muscles as that will add weight and increase the impact on my legs while running. I like the athletic or swimmers build.

When I first received this machine, I was immediately impressed with the sturdiness. I ran down to Walmart and compared it with the Total Gym 1100. The Weider 5000 is built much sturdier.

I can not say enough about the work out. Having the ability to quickly change and work so many different muscles is a big plus. I would highly reccomend this to anyone, beginer or experienced.

Now the negative side. These are minor points but I think they are worth mentioning. The advertisement for the machine mentions 100 exercises and they are illustrated. The box the machine is delivered in states the same. Unfortunately only 29 exercise are illustrated. If they are going to state 100 excercises and use it as an advertisement then they should provide it. Also, I would like to know what percent of my body weight I am using at each incline level. I think these would help.

All in all this is an excellent product for the price and I would reccomend it for anyone. Having the ability to get a total body work out in the privacy of your home is priceless. I just wish they could provide a little more ink and paper to help the ones'' not too familiar with exercising.

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I was looking for a home gym for a long time, and in the end, it was between the Total Gym (endorsed by Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley) or the Gravity Force Trainer (Body by Jake). Ultimately, both were out of my price range so I was delighted to find that the Total Body Works 5000 is only $100 ($150 with shipping from Walmart) AND had great reviews from Amazon. I will give an honest and detailed report of what happened after I got the product.

The whole machine was easy enough to assemble. There is a trick knob which must be released so the seat that you sit on can extend to the other end (where the knob must then click in) so the seat can slide. You also have to screw in the stand which the apparatus sits on and elevates, the foot rest, and the pullup bars, which was also easy. However, be careful when you move it around; the screws do not screw in totally and I ended up scratching up my hardwood floors. Also, the commercials make it seem like it stores easy, but it doesn''t. It is very long, and if you live in an apartment, this makes movement difficult from room to room. Also, it won''t fit under your bed unless you remove the pullup bars and foot rest each time.

When I used this machine, I immediately realized that the physics of this machine was very well calculated. I weigh about 185 lbs and I didn''t think that it would support me, but it did easily. The first excercises I did was the seated row and the bicep curls, followed by the pull-ups. I must say, this thing BLASTS your back muscles. I really got a great workout. Then, I switched to the seated bench press, the overhead pull-over, and the delts. The machine does not work well for these excercises. There is no back support for the bench press, and the excercise for the delts are sort of uncomfortable (you kneel on the seat and pull upwards). Also, there is no shoulder press unless you lie on your stomach and push up with your hands on the foot rest. The leg press is easy, but if you do enough, you get sort of a cardio excercise.

Overall, for the price, nothing beats it. If you are young, the back support issues probably won''t bother you, but the MAIN drawbacks are the excercises involving pushing. It seems the machine was almost designed for pulling excercises. Maybe the Total Gym has some modifications for this, but I was not willing to pay out of my range for it. There are also four elastic cords that pull out of the seat and attach to the foot rest to increase the resistance. This totally avoids the use for free weight add-ons, as the cords really put on the resistance.

A month later, I found myself more toned and 6 solid pounds lighter, but in the gym, I was definitly NOT stronger by much. Again, 5 stars for the price and about 3 and a half stars for the performance.

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