Total Gym 1700 Club

This product does what it says and if you use it regularly use it you will see results.

Will it build muscle? Maybe. I can recall doing the 1st set of exercises (beginners workout) on a low setting (2) and thinking that this is too easy. The soreness I experienced over the next couple changed my mind. Take it slow. I can certainly say that the Total Gym will tone muscles and I am stronger than I was before, but you won't become a body builder with a total gym.

I like this product but there are a few things that I wish I knew prior to purchase (none of these are deal breakers for me though):

1. The box and all of the literature says "fully assembled". Well this is mostly true. The main unit is fully assembled but all of the extras (dip bar, pilates bar, etc) will make it seem like it is unassembled. It took me forever to find where they hid the very brief manuals that come with the unit (in between the folded machine for me). For a "fully assembled" gym, there end up being a lot of parts.

2. The unit is big. Much bigger than I expected. Fully unfolded and setup, it is much longer than my treadmill. It is also pretty heavy. The literature that comes with this Total Gym say it is 94 inches long unfolded (7.8 feet) and weighs 69 lbs. It does have 2 wheels on one end, but the size and weight of the machine makes it awkward to move around. It will stand up (for closet storage) which is a plus, but it is not stable when standing. Keep this in mind.

3. The 1700 Club is not supported by Total Gym (totalgym.com). According to an email I received from EFI Sports Medicine:

"Thank you for contacting EFI Sports Medicine original owner and maker of the name Total gym. The total gym model that you own is manufactured by Fitness Quest this company is a licensed manufacturer by us to make their own model of total gym"

Not that there is anything wrong with that. The Total Gym 1700 Club costs a fraction of what an EFI's model costs. Fitness Quest has minimal web supplied support other than an email address. The EFI web page (totalgym.com) has much more information about workouts, but don't expect to find any information on accessories or instructions for this model.

4. The workout DVD supplied with the unit is old (2002) and does not illustrate anything other than the basic movements and workout. It is still good, but don't expect any information concerning this model or the accessories that come with this model (like the dip bar). There is a Pilates workout video on the same DVD. I've watched it but I've never done the workout so I cannot comment on its worth.

5. I found it very difficult to unhook the cable from the bench. This is necessary for any exercise that does not use the pulleys. My trouble stemmed from a bad carabiner that would not open all of the way and allow easy unhooking from the bench. I had to unscrew a portion of the frame from the padded board to get the leverage needed to get it off. A quick trip to Lowes where I bought a slightly bigger carabiner solved my problem, but it was very frustrating.

6. It takes some getting used to to position yourself on the board correctly. Remember, while you are trying to position yourself, the bench is gliding all over the place. It takes practice but it is something that you get used too. A slightly longer board would help, but that would require an even longer unit, additional weight and I'm sure more than a few $$.

Overall, my unit is stable, the bench glides easily, costs a fraction of what the TV model costs and it works better than I expected.

Recommended.

I bought this- skeptical of course. After it was delivered to my home.. I found there are a lot of pros- and few cons- Let's start with the cons- This is a fairly heavy piece, that takes up more rooom than you might think. If you are not in good shape, lifting it, moving it, and unfolding it- will be tough and awkward. It can not be stored upright- it has to be stored flat. I suggest you have enough room to keep it up and folded out. That also makes it easy to just get on it and actually use it. That's it- that is the only con!

Not- to the pros- It is a great movtivator. As I said, I keep it up, and set to a desired level, and have the chin up bar attachment always on. If I dont feel like working out- I will do (at least) 10 min of chin ups. That is enough to get my blood going, and want to do more.. usually end up with a 20+ min work out.

It comes with a lot of attachments, and is so adjustable, that it is easy to move from one exercise to another without a lot of machine changes. I have found excercises that I can do- in conjuction with other exercises, so my workouts go pretty quick.

One GREAT feature- this comes fully assembled. Yeah. You pull it out of the box, and set it up, watch the DVD, and then you start to figure things out. That was a huge selling feature.

One side note- not a con, but something to be aware of. Because it is a pulley system, and YOU are the weight resistance, you have to get used to positioning your body for your work outs. This is not a problem.. it just takes a bit of getting used to

I highly recommend this for someone who really doesnt want to get BIG.. but to tone, to keep fit, and to have an over all feeling of well being. It is worth the money...

This unit was OK, until it broke and snapped at the weld!!! I was using the unit when it occurred and thankfully I wasn't injured. I was shocked when I heard the LOUD SNAP and I jumped off the unit. It had been working OK, but it was more to tone up your body rather than to build large muscles. Hopefully, Amazon and the seller will make good on the defect and ship me a new one!!! Its been a nightmare contacting the seller and trying to work this out!!!!

Pissed!

I ordered the Total Gym 1700 Club on March 24th, got word that it wasn't shipped until April 9th, over 2 weeks later (even though the seller Stress Less, Inc. claimed it had at least one in stock), and received it on April 15th, a day late from the latest date for delivery (April 7-14). But no big deal - I got it.

I received the item with one broken wheel under the glide board - the other 3 are fine for now. The wheel's flange is broken making the glide board prone to "jumping the track" if any twisting or turning takes place. It's still useable if I don't twist any on the glide board, but frustrating if the board jumps the track in the middle of an exercise. That necessitates having to stop whatever exercise I was in the middle of, get off the machine, put the glide board back onto the rails, get back on, start where I left off, etc. Very annoying!

I contacted the Total Gym Limited Warranty 800 number on April 25th to not only register for the 12 month warranty, but also to get a replacement wheel sent to me. When I mentioned the broken wheel, the girl that I spoke with acknowledged the broken wheel problem in a knowing manner, as if to say to me that that happens alot. She also said that she would send a pair of wheels out and that I should get them within 7-10 business days. I'm still waiting.

Today I called back to follow-up on the replacement wheels (5-6-08) and the different girl that I spoke with didn't show any record whatsoever of my name or product being registered in their system. So I had to start all over and give her the usual stuff; name, address, phone, serial number, etc. She also told me that they only send out wheels in packages of 4, not 2 like the previous girl said - which I'm not complaining about getting 4 wheels. It's just that getting conflicting information along with the overall experience thus far has not inspired confidence in either Total Gym or in Stress Less, Inc.

Now for the product itself: The Total Gym is a tool just like any other piece of workout equipment. You get out of it what you put into it. Despite the broken wheel, I have used the TG 1700 Club 3 times a week every week since taking delivery. That makes about 7 workouts by now.

Along with the TG, I was provided with three different sources of how to do a proper warmup and basic workout. The TG 1700 Club came not only with an instruction book, but with a flip chart that mounts on the machine itself and a DVD. All three are different as if put together by three different people during different times without consulting the other sources. I have chosen to go with the DVD for now simply because it's easier for me to watch the models workout using proper form while describing what they are doing. If I get bored down the road with the DVD, I'll use either the book or flip chart for variety. But for now the DVD works. The DVD is not TG1700 Club specific. It's generic and covers all TG models.

The workouts are good but interrupted by having to connect and disconnect the arm attachment and pulley system to reconfigure for different exercises. I'm getting faster and more efficient with the changeovers though, so I can generally keep my heart rate up between sets.

The TG 1700 Club seems somewhat durable although a few of the parts are flimsy - probably to help save weight not only in shipping but for the advertised feature of quick and easy setup and tear down. I weigh 220 lbs and have noticed that the track seems to give and flex some whenever I get on and off of the machine. That may not be a bad thing - I'm just sayin'. And the broken wheel which I have already discussed to death still needs replacing.

Overall, the jury is still out with me on the results. I intend to use the TG 1700 Club at least 3 days a week and put in a good honest effort. If the machine holds up and I ever get my replacement wheel, then I intend to use this in conjunction with my treadmill for years. So far, the workouts feel refreshing with a "good tired" feeling afterwards. The inherent stretching that's involved also feels great. The workouts are not too taxing but are hard enough so that I feel like I'm making a good effort and will reap some results. I know that I will never bulk out on the TG, nor do I want to, but hope to get a lean wirey look and lose weight.

Overall, I would somewhat recommend the TG 1700 Club but with reservations based on problems as described in the review.

I bought the Total Gym 1700 club last year June. I have positioned it right in front of my bed and I never put it away. Therefore I have never missed a workout (not even once). Presently I am at the level just before the top on the resistance tower. Its a culmanation of my gained muscle and strength and of course my weight loss too. I feel myself moving to the last level within the next 2 months (maybe before). When I reach that level than I will add additional weights with the weight bar.

The 1700 club has changed my life. When I started I was just over 300lbs and now I'm somewhere around 230lbs and Im no where near stopping. This is the single best investment Ive ever made in my life. Just to note, I also have a stationary bike and I follow a very strict diet and nutrition plan.

Also, I actully didnt buy my 1700 Club from Amazon, I live in the Bahamas where I bought it for $650.00 and every penny was well worth it! Therefore if Amazon has it for $475.00 then I'd say go for it. I hope this review was helpfull...

Be blessed...