You can do a lot of different training exercises on the Total Gym with just the cables provided. However, there are a lot of exercises that can only be performed by adding certain Total Gym accessories to your machine. Some of these attachments come with certain Total Gym models.

Since I believe that it is very important to work the body from every angle these attachments give us more opportunity to do just that.

Below I will give some brief examples of my favorite attachments. Notice that there are other attachments besides the ones I’m showing you. The ones below I use regularly myself and with my clients.

Some of my favorite Total Gym accessories are:

1. Wing Attachment

My favorite piece of all the Total Gym Accessories because it allows me to perform chin ups, military presses (you must face down towards the bottom of the machine and on your stomach to do these) as well as leg curls and sit-ups.

Many people today cannot do a correct pull up or chin up on a overhead bar. This attachment allows us to replicate this very awesome exercise. No matter your age or weight I bet anyone can perform one pull up with this great attachment.

2. Dipping Bars

My second favorite attachment because it allows us to isolate the back of our arms (the triceps) The triceps is the biggest part of our arms, not the biceps. Dips, when performed correctly on a dip station are like the pull/chin ups one of the hardest exercises to do. These dip bars allow everyone to do the exercise and do it in perfect form. This is a favorite for the ladies as it gets rid of the floppy arm syndrome that women hate. Advanced trainees can also use these as supports so they can do incline leg raises.

3. Weight Attachment Bar

My third favorite attachment because it allows those people that have managed to become Machines and are at the top of the tower on #6 to make their workout more difficult thus providing continued growth.

4. Chrome Handles

Depending on what model Total Gym you own depends on what handles you have. The handles are what you hold to perform the exercises. I did not like the rubber handles that my unit came with so I went to the Total Gym website and ordered the “L” shaped hard rubber and chrome handles. I like these better for comfort and durability. See what works for you and go to the site and see if you want to try a different type.

5. Pilates Stand

Speaks for itself, performs various Pilates type movements on your Total Gym. I do not use this very much but on occasion I will use it with clients that are suffering from knee troubles and need to rehab.

6. Squat Stand

The same as the above, as I have stated in earlier post, I am not big on the leg workouts for the Total Gym as I think they are way to easy and do not provide enough resistance. But I do use this pad for rehab and clients with knee troubles.

There are two other attachments that the Total Gym company caries that I do not own but plan on ordering very soon. They are the abdominal pads and shoulder pressing bars. The abdominal pads allow us to place our forearms down on the pads and hold the handles to perform knee raises. This is compared to the very popular and difficult hanging knee raise. A great exercise and a great addition to your unit.

The shoulder press bars hook to the bottom of the unit in place of the wing attachment. This allows us to go deeper in to the press working our deltoid muscles. The position of the bars is perfect to get the most effect on the shoulders.

As you can see the Total Gym is the only piece of eqipment you need to work your whole body. It is based on your bodyweight. Depending on where you have the Total Gym bench height set you are thus working from a low % to a high % of your bodyweight. If you look at a Gymnast body they are muscular and ripped with great lung capacity to launch themselves in the air. Gymnasts do what? They use their bodyweight and have mastered it.

If these olympians adhere to this type of workout then don’t you think it’s time you did to? Total Gym offers free shipping on all products from Total Gym®! Purchase today!