It’s 8 months that I have been using my Total Gym 4-5 times a week. From August through December I had a set routine working out for around 15 minutes a day. In January I made the resolution to work a bit harder and incorporate more exercises into the routine. Now that I added more, it’s time to consider if I should stay with the full body workout that I’ve been doing or switch it up and do certain body parts on different days, do cardio other days, or what? I’m not really sure yet what I’m going to do.
March has been a month of updates, but it was a rough month. Since daylight savings time I’ve had a tough time getting up at 5 AM and it was more like 5:30 that I would get up, and that half hour difference put a crimp in the mojo of the workout schedule.
Some accomplishments this month:I’m at day 144 of my personal #200 workouts
Down 2 pounds to make a total of 12 pounds down
Down 8.5 inches, totaling 25.5 inches lost
This month I moved the Total Gym equipment into the much smaller bedroom of our house, and it is going to be a process to figure out how it is going to work. The room where I used to have the gym equipment has become an office (woman cave-craft room) so that it can also double as a guest bedroom, where we can use an inflatable mattress for company. So, the switch was made and unfortunately the new “gym” is the hottest and smallest room in the house. I still have the old bedroom mattress and box spring up against the wall because we need to make arrangements with the municipality for disposal (real life sometimes gets in the way). Once the room is cleared of them, I’m going to paint and set everything up and see if I can squeeze the 2 gyms in (kinda doubt it). Room color suggestions are welcome! (I’m leaning towards a yellow color to compliment my Total Gym FIT)
While other people put their Total Gym away everyday out of necessity or preference, I prefer to keep mine open so that I can just walk into the room and start my workout. In upcoming posts, I hope to be able to show that a small room can be turned into a practical and inviting workout area, no matter what the size. That’s an advantage to the Total Gym – it can be used anywhere in so many ways and environments!
In February I started to incorporate more ab workouts and towards the middle of the month started to consistently use the Total Gym ab attachment. I do 40 ab crunches per workout right now. Out of the 8.5 inches lost this month, 4 were from the abdomen area! Since this was such a success, the ab attachment will ALWAYS be part of the routine. This week I went up to level 4 for my upper body work and when I did the ab crunches I really noticed a difference and they were not quite as easy anymore, so you know it was time to move up a notch or to add in more repetitions.
March has been a month of updates, but it was a rough month. Since daylight savings time I’ve had a tough time getting up at 5 AM and it was more like 5:30 that I would get up, and that half hour difference put a crimp in the mojo of the workout schedule.
Some accomplishments this month:
This month I moved the Total Gym equipment into the much smaller bedroom of our house, and it is going to be a process to figure out how it is going to work. The room where I used to have the gym equipment has become an office (woman cave-craft room) so that it can also double as a guest bedroom, where we can use an inflatable mattress for company. So, the switch was made and unfortunately the new “gym” is the hottest and smallest room in the house. I still have the old bedroom mattress and box spring up against the wall because we need to make arrangements with the municipality for disposal (real life sometimes gets in the way). Once the room is cleared of them, I’m going to paint and set everything up and see if I can squeeze the 2 gyms in (kinda doubt it). Room color suggestions are welcome! (I’m leaning towards a yellow color to compliment my Total Gym FIT)
While other people put their Total Gym away everyday out of necessity or preference, I prefer to keep mine open so that I can just walk into the room and start my workout. In upcoming posts, I hope to be able to show that a small room can be turned into a practical and inviting workout area, no matter what the size. That’s an advantage to the Total Gym – it can be used anywhere in so many ways and environments!
In February I started to incorporate more ab workouts and towards the middle of the month started to consistently use the Total Gym ab attachment. I do 40 ab crunches per workout right now. Out of the 8.5 inches lost this month, 4 were from the abdomen area! Since this was such a success, the ab attachment will ALWAYS be part of the routine. This week I went up to level 4 for my upper body work and when I did the ab crunches I really noticed a difference and they were not quite as easy anymore, so you know it was time to move up a notch or to add in more repetitions.
I also added in some new exercises to add in more variation to the daily routine. For my upper body workout, I performed them sitting and kneeling on the Total Gym glide board. Just this week I added the addition of a 6-pound medicine ball that I use when I do my squats and the Total Gym Cyclo Trainer 2, and I really really like it. I do partial sit-ups as additional work for my core and also use my oblique’s and hold out the ball to alternating sides. It’s new, so I’ll look up more exercises to do with it on the Total Gym.
Below is the list of exercises that I am currently doing. The ones in bold font are ones that I added in over the past month.
Below is the list of exercises that I am currently doing. The ones in bold font are ones that I added in over the past month.
One change noticed this past month is the stamina and creativity that is coming back. Part of my office is a craft area and I started a painting. I haven’t painted in a few years, and am certainly no Van Gogh, but I love to create things. I also cleared up the debris from a tree that we cut down, and turned it into a workout by picking up only 2 logs or branches at a time. It took me an hour and was a great squat workout because some of the logs were a bit heavy. Spring is on the way to Pennsylvania and soon we’ll be out in the garden and moving soil and mulch around. We are avid gardeners and I’ll share some pictures when the weather is nicer. Growing your own fruits and vegetables is very satisfying, healthy, and organic, whether you grow them in a large garden or a few containers on a patio.
I love my Total Gym. It is a piece of exercise equipment that will not only enable you to work out at home, but change other aspects of your life. One thing I truly appreciate, and especially during the warmer months, is the ability to work out at home early in the morning so that I can have the rest of the day to be outside working in the yard and the garden, or in the evenings when I come home from work.
Goals set for last month: add in 2 more exercises to the routine CHECK! eat healthy (low carbs – healthy carbs) CHECK! Goals for next month: work on getting the workout room into order so there is enough room to use the leg pulley attachment use the Total Gym wing attachment for curls and crunches Come follow my progress monthly this year! See you next month! Terri
I love my Total Gym. It is a piece of exercise equipment that will not only enable you to work out at home, but change other aspects of your life. One thing I truly appreciate, and especially during the warmer months, is the ability to work out at home early in the morning so that I can have the rest of the day to be outside working in the yard and the garden, or in the evenings when I come home from work.
Goals set for last month: add in 2 more exercises to the routine CHECK! eat healthy (low carbs – healthy carbs) CHECK! Goals for next month: work on getting the workout room into order so there is enough room to use the leg pulley attachment use the Total Gym wing attachment for curls and crunches Come follow my progress monthly this year! See you next month! Terri
Come follow my progress monthly this year! See you next month!
Terri
Terri
Ken
28 Mar 2019Congratulations Terri on your fitness gains!
Haven’t been on my TG for a couple weeks due to ear trouble and now some kind of bug but
am inspired by your vlog. Also in PA and heading to a cold basement every day to
do my free weights and TG is getting old. Looking forward to Spring warming it up down there.
For the life of me, I’ll never understand how someone can actually put the TG away after a workout every day or so.
Realize some don’t have room to keep it up but I, personally, would not have the motivation to keep using it if I had
to get it out and put it away daily. More power to those that do!
Keep up the great vlogging
Terri Ness
28 Apr 2019Thanks, Ken. I too would not be able to put it away every day. You need to spruce up your workout area!!!! New project!!!
Terri
6 May 2019Thanks, Ken and hope you are feeling better! Is there a way to do something to your workout area that makes it more inviting for your workout? Take some pics and let’s figure something out!!!