Total Gym APEX G5 Indoor Home Fitness Incline Weight Trainer with 10 Resistance Levels - Workout Machine Equipment for Abs, Legs, Shoulder, Arms and Back

You won’t see this Total Gym on their website, but it’s made by the same company and seems to be very high quality. I’ve only had it five days now, but I will update this review if anything changes. Quality: Very high. Stated weight limit is 375 and I believe it. I’m 225, and this feels very sturdy to me while using. Tubular steel and attachments all feel very sturdy and high quality. Cables do too. Heavy duty pulleys as well. The pad on the glide board is not super-thick, but I don’t think it is on any of the Total Gyms. It’s not Trying to be a bed or couch. Experience: So far a big thumbs up. Glides very smoothly and the included exercise book and cards show you some creative and challenging ways to use the machine - a wide variety of exercises. The attachments fit perfectly, and I have total confidence they will support the weight as needed. It is pretty easy to switch the machine’s configuration to perform various exercises, and I like that it’s so quick, as it does not introduce an unintended cool-down time. I haven’t come across any configuration changes yet that take more than 15-20 seconds. The exercises are all super-smooth and non-jarring if you do them correctly. Great full range of motion. Setup: comes fully assembled. Several boxes to open that contain the attachments. Read the directions for how to “unfold” it if it’s not clear to you. Storage: no wheels, so if you plan to store it away a lot, you might not like that, but I just leave mine out unless I have company over. Opening and closing takes a minute to sort out, but it’s easy once you understand it. In the box: I went with this model over some others like the XLS mainly due to cost and the fact that it includes the leg rope, the wing attachments, the squat stand and the dip bars. Other stuff: Although it’s not included, this model does have the holes if you want to add the weight bar, so that was a nice plus to discover. That said, this is a tone machine more than a hulk-out machine. At the highest setting, you’re using 60% of your own body weight and I think if you add the weight bar it supports up to another 180 pounds (not positive on that though). So if you need more weight than that for your workout, this won’t really work for you. It’s also a long machine when open. Plan on having a good 10 feet available length-wise and, depending on the types of exercises you do, and how long your arms are, at least 5or 6 feet of width clearance. Overall, I am very happy and even impressed with this machine so far. Update 6 months in: Still love it. No complaints. Update one year: I added the optional weight bar. It is great for tweaking the “feel” of the resistance to get it just right. It’s still a great machine. I use it four times a week for about 30 minutes and over the year have dropped 30 pounds and greatly increased my strength. I’m surprising myself how easy it is to lift things I used to struggle with. The absolute best thing about this machine is how easy it is to change the difficulty. At one point, I had hurt my back working in the yard. I was able to set the resistance way back - all the way back to #2 - and still do some really light work while my back healed. No idea how I would have done that with most other equipment. And, if I had completely taken off the four weeks it took for my back to get right, I might have stopped exercising entirely. Instead, over those four weeks, I slowly moved from 2 back up to 8 as I could handle it. That’s a really great thing about this equipment that isn’t obvious at first.

I wanted the total gym for years, finally got it for Xmas. Best investment, I plan to use this for life. Everyday I love it more and more. I lost 70 lbs last year, and worked really hard, but I had 6 different machines and would take a few hours, the total gym makes it faster to accomplish what used to take longer and it's fun. I had turned 50 last year and am in better shape and look and feel better than when I was 40! My goal is to look like Rosalie Brown, who is spokesperson for total gym and she just turned 60! She looks fabulous and not a day over 35! I got this version incase anyone else in family wants to use it, I wanted to make sure it was sturdy with a higher weight capacity and levels. It doesn't take long to familiarize yourself with exercises. I started at level 3, now I'm at 5. It's really a simple basis machine per'sa, but does so much. It's easy on your joints for doing squats and everything else. I'm beyond thrilled with this and wish I had gotten sooner in life!!! Do it, stick to it, even if you start out doing small amounts, it's better than nothing and you will be able to see the results and increase as you gain strength. Love it, also I always thought I don't have the room for it, it's in the middle of my living room right now and it folds in half upright to shove in corner if needed when people come over. This machine is for everyone, I got my 12 yr old using it, he's actually taller and weighs almost twice as much as me. Even though I lost alot of weight, I'm working on toning, tightening and muscles and strength, I'm seeing results after a few weeks and feeling it, especially as I go up in levels!!

Decided to put some important stuff before my actual review: There are lots of Total Gyms out there and it can be dizzying trying to figure which one to buy. They're not very clear anywhere what the differences are in models. The reason I chose THIS particular model is because its the least expensive one that you can add extra weight to. You can also add the Pilates kit if you want, and that can't be done with every model. Other differences have to do with the accessories that come bundled, the amount of adjustments on the bar, and the real expensive one's I'm sure are built a little more solidly. This one is fine and doesn't feel like its going to break any time soon. I feel totally confident and safe on it, and I think its supposed to support up to 350 lbs (check the specs for that). Anyhow... I'm 59 years old, and have been exercising and working out my entire life. I'm in great shape. When the gyms closed down I switched my exercise routine to running, pushups, dumbbells, crunches and a doorway chinning bar. I wanted more and started dropping money on other exercise toys. Bought an OYO and felt there wasn't enough resistance. Returned that and bought a Bullworker package. There was plenty of resistance with that, but it hut my joints and I couldn't really get a full range of motion. My wife and I then decided to clear out a space in the side of our studio (6'x5' is about what's necessary for most) and we took a gamble on this machine. I haven't enjoyed working out like this since I was 15 years old! There is more than enough resistance to really work your muscles (for MOST exercises - weight can be added for legs), and I really feel the workouts. You get full range of motion, and the pulley system makes for super smooth movements. The exercises don't hurt my joints for some reason the way free weights and other machines can. There are also TRULY many exercises that can be done with this machine. Other home exercise equipment boast hundreds of exercises, but most can't really be done well because of resistance or range of motion -and they double up their exercise count by counting left and right as 2 separate exercises. Very disingenuous, in my opinion. Total gym seems honest in their 60 to 80 exercises. Plus you can change them all up and hit the muscles at different angles just by changing position a bit. There are lots of videos online for the total gym, and whoever the blond guy is that does many of those videos - he knows the deal. If he says you're gonna feel the exercise, you will!!! Anyhow, I couldn't be happier. I wish I bought one of these 25 years ago. Would have saved tons in gym memberships. I love this thing.

This Total Gym Apex 5 is the second Total Gym I've owned having bought a second-hand XLS model several years ago. The Apex is definitely an improvement; it is better designed yet well-constructed and easier to use than the XLS at half the cost. The Glideboard on the Apex is more stable albeit narrower than the XLS. I really like that the weight bar is down near the bottom of the board because the bar on the XLS is near the top and often got in the way while doing dips and other exercises. I highly recommend the Apex 5 but reduced the rating to 4 stars because of the following caveats: - AB crunch attachments do not come standard with this model - I ordered them separately because I always used them on my XLS, but they wouldn't fit the Apex 5. - The wing attachment now comes in two pieces which are versatile and easy to attach but I found the padding on the upper bars insufficient when doing crunches or other exercises with my feet in them. They hurt the top part of my feet too much. I bought wrist/ankle straps to wrap around my feet for extra padding. - The single ankle strap for use with the leg pull assembly is useless in my opinion. It's uncomfortable and has a 'D' ring under the foot that hurts to step on. I ordered a pair of far superior ankle straps online for $23. They have good ankle padding with heavy duty Velcro straps, 'D' rings for attachment in four directions and an adjustable foot strap sans 'D' ring. - The pull handles are adequate but I bought a pair of premium pull handles for $9 online as well. Even after purchasing the foregoing attachments, my Apex 5 assembly cost nearly half of a new XLS. All in all, I'm pleased with the Apex 5 and recommend it for everyone below the stated maximum weight.

I used to have a knockoff of the Total Gym called Weider's Ultimate Bodyworks, and it served me well for about five years, but then one of the cables got frayed and it no longer seemed safe to use. Since Weider apparently no longer makes the Ultimate Bodyworks, I had to switch to the much more expensive Total Gym. In case anyone else is in a similar situation, I figured it might be helpful to do a review that compares the Apex G5 to the Ultimate Bodyworks: Assembly: One really nice thing about the Apex G5 is that it comes fully assembled. Just take it out of the box, and you're pretty much good to go. You'll just need to attach whatever particular attachments you want to use, but that's simply a matter of using some metal pins. Compared to the Bodyworks, this is a nice start, since the Bodyworks did require some assembly. Noise: Another really nice thing about the Apex G5 is how much quieter it is than the Bodyworks machine. I usually have the tv on while I exercise, and now I can keep it at a normal volume and hear everything just fine. This has the added benefit of making me more tempted to use the Apex G5. It feels like less of a hassle when it's so quiet. There's just a very low rumble as the glide board moves. Stability: The Apex G5 also feels a lot more stable than the Bodyworks ever did. I'd gotten used to the Bodyworks, so its rickety nature never bothered me, but this is definitely nicer, especially when doing certain exercises where you're kneeling on the board. Resistance: This category goes to the Ultimate Bodyworks. That machine had bungee cords that you could attach from the glide board to the frame, increasing the resistance, but the Apex G5 does not have the cords. So even when I have the Apex G5 at its maximum incline, some exercises are still a bit too easy. The good news is that there is a weight bar you can add to the Apex G5, which allows you to use free weights to increase the resistance, but it's an additional purchase. Considering how expensive the Apex G5 is compared to what I'd paid for the Ultimate Bodyworks, this is a bit disappointing (and when I say "free weights," I do not mean "weights that don't cost anything," I mean removable weights. So you need to purchase the weight bar AND the weights just to add more resistance.) Attachments: The attachments on the Apex G5 are mostly comparable to those that came with the Ultimate Bodyworks. There's the "wing attachment" for doing chin ups, pull ups, shoulder presses, etc, and a pretty feeble squat board. But the Apex G5 also comes with dip bars, which are really nice to have. Putting on the attachments (and taking them off) is very simple, so it's easy to switch between exercises. The Apex G5 also comes with a leg pulley attachment, which I have to confess, I have not used enough to really comment on it. It's slightly more complex to attach than the other attachments (but not at all difficult.) One other point about attachments-- on the Bodyworks, the pulley cable was not detachable. This meant it was always clanking around even when you were doing exercises that didn't need it (chin ups, squats, etc.) The pulley cable on the Apex G5 is easily detachable when you don't need it. Comfort: As mentioned above, the Apex G5 is more stable than the Bodyworks, which adds to its comfort. It also has really nice padding. I never found the Bodyworks uncomfortable, but the padding on the Apex G5 is a bit thicker. I also find that I don't slide around as much on the Apex G5. On the Bodyworks, I tended to slip down the board when doing some exercises. So far, that never happened to me on the Apex. Folding: Both the Ultimate Bodyworks and the Apex G5 are simple to fold up and move out of the way when you're not using them. I think I slightly prefer the Bodyworks' folding mechanism (maybe I'm just more used to it), but the Apex G5 has the advantage of being smaller when it's folded. So, all in all, I'm quite happy with the Apex G5. I'm not sure if it's SO MUCH better than the Bodyworks to justify the huge price difference (I spent about $150 on the Bodyworks, and about $500 on the ApexG5), but I guess that will depend partly on how long it lasts. I'd gotten five years out of the Bodyworks (using it about 4 times per week.) I'm hoping the G5 lasts longer than that considering the much higher price.

I was looking for a weight machine to accompany my recumbent bike for a home gym. Most were just too big for the room. I really wanted something that folded away when not in use, as this room doubles as my home office. I remember seeing the Total Gym a few years back and began looking at them, reading the reviews, and watching some videos on You Tube. Total Gym does not use weights in its main function, its based on resistance. I ordered the Total Gym Apex G5 at a price below what the weight machine I was considering would have cost. My decision was an easy one to make. I looked at all the exercises I wanted to incorporate in a workout routine, and every one of them I could do on a weight machine, could also be done on the Total Gym AND achieve a nearly identical result. If I were to max out the ten resistance levels The Apex G5 gives me, there were other ways to increase the amount of resistance in the future. It can be done by adding a weight bar and weights to the sliding bench or using resistance bands. My intent was not to use the Total Gym to replace free weights or as a tool for "power lifting". Its about getting toned and develop some muscle definition with out getting involved in the whole "join a gym" thing. It folds up out of the way when not in use, easy to set up and allows me to work out to my schedule with out going to a gym and pay the fees that come with it. There are videos on you tube by "Sliding bench trainer" that's like having your own personal trainer. Amazon shipped it with 2 hours of ordering it and I had it the following day! It weighed about 80 pounds, I took it down stairs, opened up the box and had it set up in about ten minutes. It's a very sturdy, stable unit and excellent quality. Give the Total Gym some consideration. They have 3 different Apex models. I chose the Apex G5 so I would have enough resistance levels to move up to in the future. Well worth the price.... very satisfied!

I really like using this gym! It's not hard to get a total body workout. It's works so much better than my elliptical. Things to consider- It took two people to move it and unfolding was not easy for one female. As others suggested, it needs to stay open because folding and unfolding would be a deterrent to using it. It was a steep learning curve at first: putting on and removing attachments, what incline to use, what exercises work with what attachments, when the attachments would be in the way, what of the 78 exercise cards to use, and which exercises require an attachment not included. I'm 5'9", and the glideboard is just big enough, husband is 6'2" and his head hangs off a little but it still works for him. I think you have to be in at least moderate shape to use this gym. On the lower inclines, facing forward, your head is lower than knee height and your feet are higher than knee height. It's not easy to get up and down at ground level, and raise and lower yourself on a declining angle. However, it worked out the abdominals immediately. Overall, I'm very glad we bought this gym. We both enjoy using it. It's so convenient to jump on and off throughout the day. We bought the $500 model. My neighbor has a $1,000 model and it basically looks and works identically.

Update: Bought this 2 years ago and still use it 4 days a week. Tremendously improved my health; I wish I’d have bought this 20 years sooner. I’m in my mid 40s and in average shape (can run 3 miles without stop, lift 20 lbs weights 2-3 times a week). I bought the Apex G5. Assembly is easy. It is hard to jump in and work out the first time because they don’t really have a good “do this first” handout or app. However, once you follow a set of upper and a set of lower workout cards from their workouts, you get the hang of it. The machine is like lifting medium/light weights and simultaneously doing cardio. Fantastic workout. I lost 7 lbs in the first 3 weeks using it because it is so easy you literally work out chest, bis, tris, and back in 20 minutes 3 angles each, all with 3x sets, 15 reps. Crazy. Then you feel so pumped, you want to add 10 more minutes. I’m a huge fan. Had it 2 months and love it. The 5 is nice because it has 10 levels of resistance, so you can tweak. My only complaint is there is no good way to track your workout (no apps, no good workout sheets), so you will probably just get into a groove over time and do the same workout.

First big purchase on Amazon. It came and cannot fault it. It is really well made. Love it and protective of it as I want it to last for 20 years. The couriers do well to distribute as it is extremely heavy. Prefer to leave it permanently set up at home as it is awkward and heavy to fold up, but doable if space is needed and can do by myself. Just not my favourite thing to do.

This exercise machine is beyond my expectations. It arrived fully assembled and ready to use. It’s simple to use and suitable for any fitness level. Start low and slow and eventually you’ll improve in your fitness level. I’ve already noticed my waistline slimmed down 1 inch after just one week on Total Gym. The machine is so well designed it makes exercising fun. The Total Gym is worth every penny.

I have read many reviews before buying this machine and I can honestly say, that it's as good as people say it is. The quality and craftsmanship are top notch. The workouts are a joy and they are easy on the joints. I highly recommend this machine as a home gym.

My total gym order arrived this afternoon I could not believe how well this product was packaged how easy it is to set it up I just finished my first 20 minute workout I can't wait for my tomorrow they come with everything you need to get started! Again everyone should have a Apex G5 total gym.

Very happy with every aspect of service and the gym itself is as described , faultless. Thank you . Highly recommended