Printable Total Gym Workout Guide
The Total Gym is a revolutionary piece of fitness equipment that utilizes your own body weight and a system of cables and pulleys to provide a comprehensive, full-body workout. However, without a structured plan, it is easy to fall into a routine of doing the same few exercises. A printable total gym workout guide is essential for unlocking the full potential of this versatile machine, ensuring you target every muscle group effectively and safely.
In this article, we provide a complete, structured workout guide specifically designed for the Total Gym or similar incline cable machines. We have broken down the routines into Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core segments, complete with high-quality, printable illustrations. Whether you are a beginner learning the ropes or an advanced user looking to intensify your routine, this guide will help you achieve your fitness goals.
DOWNLOAD ROUTINE HERE !
Understanding the Total Gym Mechanics
The beauty of the Total Gym lies in its a
djustable incline glideboard. By raising or lowering the incline, you change the percentage of your body weight you are lifting. A higher incline means more resistance, while a lower incline makes the exercises easier. This built-in progression system makes the machine suitable for all fitness levels.
When using your printable total gym workout guide, remember that smooth, controlled movements are key. The cable system provides continuous tension throughout both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases of the exercise. Focus on the mind-muscle connection and avoid using momentum to swing the glideboard up the rails.
1. Total Gym Upper Body Workout
This upper body routine targets your chest, back, shoulders, and arms. By adjusting your position on the glideboard, you can hit these muscles from various angles.
Instructions: Beginners should perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions at a low to medium incline. Advanced users can perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions at a higher incline.
•Total Gym Chest Press: Lie on your back on the glideboard, holding the handles at chest level. Press the handles forward until your arms are fully extended, then slowly return to the starting position.
•Total Gym Lat Pulldown: Sit facing the tower. Hold the handles with arms extended upward. Pull the handles down toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
•Total Gym Bicep Curl: Sit facing the tower, holding the handles with palms facing up. Keep your elbows stationary and curl the handles toward your shoulders.
•Total Gym Tricep Extension: Sit facing away from the tower. Hold the handles behind your head with elbows bent. Extend your arms forward until they are straight, focusing on the triceps.
•Total Gym Shoulder Fly: Sit facing away from the tower. Hold the handles at your sides. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
•Total Gym Row: Sit facing the tower. Hold the handles with arms extended. Pull the handles toward your torso, keeping your elbows close to your body.
2. Total Gym Lower Body Workout
While often thought of as an upper-body machine, the Total Gym is highly effective for lower body training, offering a low-impact alternative to traditional heavy lifting.
Instructions: Beginners should perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Advanced users can perform 4 sets of 15 repetitions. Adjust the incline to challenge your leg strength.
•Total Gym Squat: Stand on the squat stand at the bottom of the machine. Lower your body by bending your knees until they reach a 90-degree angle, then push back up.
•Total Gym Leg Press: Lie on your back on the glideboard with your feet on the squat stand. Press your legs straight to push the glideboard up the rails, then slowly lower back down.
•Total Gym Lunge: Stand facing away from the machine with one foot on the floor and the other resting on the glideboard behind you. Bend your front knee to lower into a lunge, pushing the glideboard back.
•Total Gym Hip Extension: Kneel on the glideboard facing the tower. Attach the cable to one ankle. Extend that leg straight back and up, squeezing your glutes.
•Total Gym Calf Raise: Stand on the squat stand with just the balls of your feet. Let your heels drop down, then press up onto your toes.
•Total Gym Hamstring Curl: Lie face down on the glideboard facing the tower. Attach the cables to your ankles. Curl your heels toward your glutes.
3. Total Gym Core Workout
The unstable nature of the glideboard makes the Total Gym an exceptional tool for core training. These exercises will build a strong, stable midsection.
Instructions: Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise. Focus on slow, deliberate movements to maximize core engagement.
•Total Gym Crunch: Lie on your back on the glideboard, holding the handles behind your head. Contract your abs to lift your shoulders off the board, pulling the glideboard slightly up the rails.
•Total Gym Oblique Crunch: Similar to the standard crunch, but as you lift, twist your torso to bring one shoulder toward the opposite knee. Alternate sides.
•Total Gym Pike: Start in a plank position with your hands on the floor at the base of the machine and your feet on the glideboard. Keeping your legs straight, pull the glideboard toward your hands by raising your hips into a pike position.
•Total Gym Plank: Place your forearms on the glideboard and your feet on the floor. Hold your body in a straight line, engaging your core to stabilize the moving board.
•Total Gym Torso Rotation: Sit sideways on the glideboard holding one handle with both hands. Keep your arms straight and rotate your torso away from the tower.
•Total Gym Back Extension: Lie face down on the glideboard facing the tower. Hold the handles and lift your chest off the board by contracting your lower back muscles.
DOWNLOAD ROUTINE HERE !
Conclusion
Having a printable total gym workout guide transforms your equipment from a simple sliding board into a comprehensive home gym. By following the structured Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core routines provided in this article, you can ensure a balanced and effective workout every time you train. Print these guides, keep them near your machine, and enjoy the smooth, joint-friendly resistance training that the Total Gym provides.
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