Weider Total Body Works 5000 Gym

First off, the construction: I'd let the box sit for over a week just because I feared having to wade through missing parts and complicated setup. Nope. Everything was already assembled save for a couple pieces and it was ready to go in MINUTES. That alone deserves 5 stars. I'd bought other workout machines and at least 3/4 of them came with missing parts. Second, the machine itself: Don't waste your money on the Total Gym. Weider shows you how simple this machine really is and owners of this machine will shake their heads at those that paid premium money for the Total Gym. I think someone else mentioned that the railing could use a little oil to avoid noise but, as is, the machine works exactly as advertised. I have found it difficult to both get seated AND grab the handles but that's not a failure of the machine as much as it is a matter of getting used to it. It can fearlessly handle close to 250-260 pounds (myself + added weights) which is a big plus. I find the exercises a bit too easy as I've spent years in the gym, but you can work around this by working on single arm pulls and such. I could use a more advanced machine due to that issue but I knew that going in. This is a great machine, in my case, to help strengthen the areas that I'm not super strong in (some core, endurance, situps, etc.). I've also used it as a regular incline bench with my dumbbells and have been happy with that so far. It's not perfect, but coming in at under $130, it's a reasonable investment. The sliding does make it more enjoyable as well. Anything that entices you to work out is a plus in my book. It's not built like a $1000 machine but for the price, I'm completely satisfied with the value of the TBW.

We just set this up and it works amazingly well. We need it for swimming exercises. It looks great for a "super pullover" type of exercise, and in addition you can do stroke pulls on your stomach. The exercise card shows 58 exercises but maybe 12 of them could probably be done better on your own (I don't need to be on a board to do leg presses, i can do lunges on the ground holding something heavy if I need that) and 12 of them are perhaps inferior duplicates of other exercises on the card. One failing is that you cannot lock both handles together in a straight line, so we put some 1/4" dowels (2 of them) through both of the hollow handles to treat the 2 handles like a straight metal bar. Another (very minor) failing of this device is that it's sized for adults with very long arms. What this means is that it's difficult for smaller people to grab both of the arm-pulls once you get onboard. At the moment my sons are using two people - one person gets on their back on the board, and reaches up, and the other person pulls each arm-pull down, one-by-one, to hand them to the exerciser. This is not a simple or convenient process. This machine has a HUGE advantage compared to some other low-cost machines because there are 4 bungee cords at the bottom to add resistance so you get 8 height settings and 5 bungee settings per height setting to fine-tune your workout! We looked up the parts on a exercise machine repair website and sure enough, the parts are priced as if this item retailed for $800. I thought I might pick up 4 bungee cords as spares, but not for $84 ($21 per bungee cord). What about a spare poster? $22. I was interested in spare foam pads but for $42 each, I certainly cannot afford 2x! I feel like the company should offer 4 bungee cords, 2 foam pads, and maybe cables for $40 and I'd buy that right away (and they'd probably make $25 in profit.) Instead, I'm probably going to be buying replacement parts at the hardware store and "rolling my own" - THEIR LOSS. With shipping the total gym cost us roughly $140, about 18 months ago. That is a great bargain. The build quality is surprisingly good and once you tighten the 3 nyloc nuts on the heavy duty bolts, it's very sturdy. You don't need the foot boards very often (only about 8 out of 40 exercises use them and I can do lunges on my own I don't need a gym for that) so I put those away for future use. There are only 5 things you need to do for (5-min) assembly : (1) There are 3 nut/hex-bolts you have to tighten to get the T-foot on the gym. Use a crescent wrench or a socket set for this (they are nyloc nuts with split washers.) (2) There are 2 foam pads you slide onto the bars (3) You need to rip the plastic off the vinyl-padded board (4) VERY IMPORTANT you must go down below and extend the gym. If you don't extend the gym, the board has nowhere to slide. (5) NOW PUT UP THE FOOT. The gym has a foot (kind of like an ironing board with one foot cut off) and you need to extend the remaining foot to set the height. There are 8x height settings. For even more settings, parts of the exercise poster show people leaning the gym against the wall for near-vertical exercises (pull-up type exercises.) I recommend setting the height while the gym is on its side because it's quite heavy and if the pull-pin gets away from you the whole thing can supposedly come slamming down on your thumb. This probably sounds scary but it's simply common sense as the gym is very sturdy steel and is a heavy-duty well-made machine.

Short summary: I've been doing sports for 20 years, 5 of them competitively. I like this machine for a light injury-free workout. It's good for toning and losing weight. I cannot see myself buffing up on this one, but it's not my goal. Long summary: It'll serve you better if you know already what you're doing. You should have at least a few years experience of working out. If you have no background, I recommend you go first to a gym that has similar equipment and use a personal trainer to get familiarized with the range of exercises, how to combine them into a meaningful workout and how to executed them correctly. I don't think this product falls short in any way to Total Gym XLS. I've been using it for about a week with my fiancée. We love it. We take turn with one person being "the personal trainer" for the other. She was a gymnast, I was a Taekwondo player. There are some exercises which are not comfortable to execute on this machine (especially the chest), but they're solvable with some simple modification. I wrapped my belt around the handlebars to increase the range of exercises I can do. Youtube "Weider Total Body Works 5000", and you'll see a video review which gave me the idea. As many people, I find it challenging to work out the chest. However, I've "invented" my own thing - as there is a one arm rowing, I'm doing one arm press, which is basically punching with one arm against the resistance of the machine. Works fantastically. There are some other creative things I've done to work out the chest, but they're hard to describe in words. Generally - buy this machine, and invent your own workouts. I also love it that I can do assisted pullups. I can do "normal" pull ups, but I prefer to warm up for them. This machine helps me warm up or to do pull ups when tired or lazy or injured. One warning - this thing is heavy and it's hard to toss to and out of storage. Folding is easy. Very easy and very fast. Also, it scratched my hardwood floor the first time I worked out. Now I make sure I put a bathroom rug underneath it every time I use it. I've been drooling over Total Gym GTS (commercial version of XLS), but couldn't find a used one for less than 1000$. If I could get Total Gym GTS for less than 500$, I'd take it over Weider Total Body Works 5000 Gym. But with the way things are, this is by far the best value/money investment. And eve if you're a serious athlete, it'll give you enough functionality.

I'm a woman who's been going to a gym and really looking for a way to eliminate the gym or at least supplement it at home. That's been a challenge because I'm on the second floor of a 1-bedroom apartment. Whatever I chose had to be quiet and fit in the space. I went around and around trying to decide between the Gazelle Edge, the Stamina 1050 rowing machine, an incline bench + weights, and this Weider gym. According to the reviews, those are all great products. If you've got the space and money, you probably can't go wrong with any of them. I went with the Weider gym, and I'm so glad I did. Here's the rationale for anybody else in a similar situation trying to make a choice between the above: --Weider gym can work your entire body, but it's mostly going to work the upper body. Like most women, my upper body strength is what could use the most work. --Cardio and lower body can be easily worked outdoors. Even if you're not a runner, walking and/or hiking are a great workout. Climbing steps is great for quads and glutes. --Gazelle Edge has great reviews, but on watching video reviews of it, I was concerned about noise for neighbors below. --Bench is great, but again, it does upper body primarily. Plus I'd need to either invest in an adjustable dumbbell set (more money) or add to my current set. All of that takes some space I really didn't want. --Rowing machine looks awesome. It's primarily upper body. It costs a bit more than the Weider gym. There are some variations in rowing technique, but basically it's the same motion repeatedly. I thought that the Weider would offer a greater variety of exercises. The Weider gym arrived via FedEx. The woman driver said "you're gonna have to help me with this one. It's really heavy." Thankfully there was a neighbor home who helped get this thing up to my apartment. It's definitely a 2-person item, and know that it's mostly already put together, so if they deliver it somewhere other than your front door, you're not going to be able to open the box and carry the pieces. The main piece is very heavy. Once in my apartment, I was able to put the thing together myself, but it wasn't easy due to the weight factor. I used furniture sliders to help move it to the room I wanted it in after I assembled it. I'd recommend you assemble it where you want it, because moving it isn't easy. No, this isn't something you're going to be able to fold away for storage after each use. It's very heavy and really doesn't reduce in size that much. All pieces appear solid and well constructed. The instructions are a bit lacking in a couple areas, but it's easy enough to figure out. Other random info: --Unlike the image that currently appears with the product page, mine has the yellow Weider logo. --It isn't completely silent, which concerned me at first since I am on the second floor of an apartment with very thin floor and walls. However, on actually using the gym, I found if I'm moving slowly so as to optimally work my muscles, it's very quiet. --This is long. Look at the images and also realize that the way it arrives in the box is not its total length. This is why, after assembling, I realized it wasn't going to work in my small living room. The backup plan was one long side of the bedroom. --I'm 5'8" tall, if that helps figure into whether you'll get similar results. I went and measured the space it takes up fully assembled, and this is the space you're going to need: The gym itself assembled and ready to be used is approximately 88 inches in length. For some exercises, you're going to want to reach over the top of it or extend your leg(s) past the foot board. Add on a few feet each direction for these. As far as width goes, I'm making do with about a yard (36 inches). Hold your arms perpendicular to your body and measure the span from fingertips to fingertips. That's the optimum width. What I wasn't prepared for was for this to also be a CARDIO workout! I noticed my heart beats very fast when I'm using the gym with high enough intensity, so I strapped on a heart rate monitor and found that I was well into the aerobic zone. Increasing the incline or adding weights (with the pulleys by the foot board) increases the intensity of the workout. It's very easy to change the incline: Just pull the knob and adjust it to what you like. A plus was that by reducing the incline, I was able to have a machine that isn't at all unlike a rowing machine, too. So I've gotten everything I wanted and more out of this gym. After a workout on this machine, my muscles quiver like they do after an excellent workout on machines or with weights at the gym. My goals aren't to be a competitive body builder. I just want to be a woman who's very fit, with well-defined muscles. If you have similar goals, I think you'll be very happy with the gym.

UPDATE: It broke beyond repair after about 2 1/2 years of 2-5x/week use. Still, it was cheaper and more convenient than 30 months of a gym membership. I had previously given it 5 stars, but dropped it down to 4 stars after it broke. This thing is great if you have the space and don't want to pony up a gym membership just to use weight machines. I've been using mine now for about a year and am satisfied and recommend it so long as you know what it's capability/limitations are. There's a review of the Total Bodyworks 5000 on YouTube by someone with user ID primitivesecrets that does a great job a laying out the highlights of the machine, while pointing out its shortcomings. I agree largely with his review, but here are some pros/cons: PRO * inexpensive compared to the nearly identical Total Gym that Chuck Norris does ads for * can do virtually everything you can do on a weight machine (seriously, I was skeptical, but you can) * easy to adjust...once it's set up... * makes it very easy to 2-3 sets of varying exercises in a row, so unless your gym is empty of has lots of machines, you're going to get a better cardio workout lifting at home with this * TONS of free exercise charts and videos available online...just be sure to search Total Gym instead * doesn't occupy an absurd amount of space (about as much as a couch) * if you weigh 180lbs, it maxes out to the equivalent of about 100 lbs total (or about 50lb free weights per hand) CON * set up instructions are almost worthless * build quality is a little shaky, after one year of use (6 months of roughly 3 days/week workouts, a 2 months lost to injury, 3 months where I was lazy and only worked out once a week) its showing signs of being worn * maxes out at 100lbs for someone like me * not the greatest means for doing certain weight exercises (that YouTube vid discuses it) * difficult to know exactly how much you are lifting OK, so the first workout you'll get from this is from you ripping out your hair in frustration trying to get it set up. Having a second person around will be helpful to pull to two ends apart. The grips have started to disintegrate a bit and the vinyl on the bench is starting to come apart at the end. The bench got an early tear that I thought would quickly unravel the entire thing, but that tear has gotten worse. The caps that cover the ends of the bases fall off all of the time whenever I move it. Some folks say you can't do leg press exercises but you can some pretty decent resistance is you do the on one leg, which is easy because you're on your back! Last year at this time I was 185-190lbs with a big beer gut and tiny arms/chest (I had the body of Dale Gribble from King of the Hill, lol, but I'm a bit taller, 6ft even) to 180-185 lbs, a nearly vanished beer gut, and I fill out shirts much better). Note: I also walk to/from work 3-5x time per week, 2 miles each way, 4mph pace. I attribute the gut loss mostly to the walking, but the weight maintenance to the Total Bodyworks. I have a really bad back that has kept from sticking with any routine in the past, but the ease with which I could gradually build up strength with back exercises has been a pleasant surprise. Very happy with steady progression. If you're looking to get ripped, this won't be the machine for you, at least not as a primary device. Seems like it would a be a home supplement for someone more ambitious with their exercising goals. But for someone who wants to workout at home to workout like Joe Devola or Lester Burnham just to stay in good shape, this is the machine for you.

Mine just arrived. Assembly couldn't have been easier. All that's needed is one 1/2" wrench for three bolts. A clear drawing shows exactly where and how they go in. There's a second drawing showing where to slide on the foam ankle pads. Rollers would have been nice to help maneuver the machine folded, however because it locks in the folded position, it's easier to maneuver than was my $1000 Total Gym which stayed folded only by gravity. The accompanying wall chart illustrates 29 exercises with two photos each showing starting and ending positions of a rep. That's about all one needs to know to do them. Adjusting the height is simple, easier than any ironing board I've owned. Pull out the long knob and lift or lower. A spring pops the knob back, locking everything in place. Each of the four bungee cords add about 10 pounds to the force. They are easily attached or detached by sliding the end into it's slot on the frame. The cords not in use retract neatly into the seat. I tried a few exercises and everything worked just fine. The seat rollers could be smoother, but for the price, they are fine. The grips are comfortable and the cable stays in the pulleys just as it should. The extending and collapsing of the frame for storage takes a little effort, but it's hard to complain because I bought the machine to let me work my muscles. I noticed the short knob's pin scratched the inner tube, and didn't readily pop in. I removed the knob (a 7/8" wrench),polished the locking pin tip a little with a fine file, beveled its edges slightly, and applied a couple of dabs of grease. That wasn't necessary, but it helped. The easiest way I've found to extend the machine is to elevate it (while folded), with my foot on the frame bottom, pull the short knob, and gripping the seat, slide it up and away until the knob pops back in. Collapsing it is a bit harder unless you have a friend or wall to keep the bottom of the frame from sliding. With the machine elevated, I can pull the short knob, then lift the frame top letting gravity collapse the tubes together. After the knob pops in, lower the machine to finish the folding. The two bolts securing the top of the adjustable leg to the frame were backed out a bit. I screwed them in until they just touched the bracket. The machine felt stable to me right from the beginning, but tightening those bolts might help the stability a bit. A couple of reviews mentioned scratching the floors. The pulley bolts can touch the floor, so keep that end of the folded machine up. At the other end, the foot plate sockets are a problem. They extend through the frame far enough to touch the floor with the machine open for use. (This lost a star for the machine. Had I been on a hardwood floor, it would have lost more.) I'll file the socket bottoms so they conform to the frame. Once that's done, keeping the pulley end and the seat side of the machine up should keep my floors safe. Weider suggests using a mat. If I were going to criticize the design, in addition to the preceding, I would suggest the top of the support leg pivot on bushings rather than on the bolt threads, and to try longer inner slide tubes to hold them in line with the outer tubes all the way out to the fully extended position. It might make collapsing and extending the slides easier. As far a usability is concerned, everything works just fine. There are two L-shaped pins for the handlebar and two more for the foot plate. Attaching or removing them is simple. You can store the pins in place in the frame while the handlebar and foot plate are off. It seems to be a lot of machine for the price.

I am so happy with my purchase for the following reasons: 1.) It's much cheaper than any other home gym out there, and the quality does not reflect the price. It is built sturdy, and glides effortlessly. 2.) Can maneuver easily regardless of your height and weight (my husband is 6'1", 250 lbs+) 2.) Resistance bands are extremely easy to switch (just stretch them down and lock them into place), and are a great alternative to weight plates that have to be used with the Chuck Norris version of the Total Gym (replaces the need to buy at least 50 lbs worth of weights). 3.) You use your own body weight for resistance! Even the out of shape, like myself, can easily operate this machine by lowering and reducing the angle of the backboard (the lower it is the less amount of your body weight is used for resistance). As you strenghthen you can raise it. 4.) My husband HATED the idea of resistance training. He believed that the only way men could put on muscle was to use free weights, and that this system was only for women who wanted to tone. This machine showed him the error of his ways. Now, he uses it just as much as I do. What I didn't like: 1.) Some of the metal was dinged and the pleather on the backboard had a small rip on the corner,but I think that has do to it's rough handling during shipment. The damage was superficial, and not enought to warrant returning the product. 2.) The Chuck Norris version of the Total Gym offers attachments, e.g., AbCrunch, Dip Bars, Press-Up Bars, Pilates Kit, and ankle straps for leg extensions. I have searched and searched, but could not find attachments for this Weider version (not sure if the attachments for the Chuck Norris version are compatable with the Weider Total Gym). 3.) Although it came with a helpful poster that demonstrates at least 20 different exersizes; there are no videos or pre-designed work-out routines that the Chuck Norris version has on the market. However, I do suppose you could buy them anyway--the two machine are relatively the same. Or you could just look it up on Youtube for free (there are tons of videos).

Good Day all I never known these systems exists until seen one at sporting goods, it was total gym priced at $400, I fell in love with it using it for couple minutes in the show room, therefore I searched online for something similar with cheaper price tags and found Weider Total gym. I received Weider 5000 couple days ago, it took me 30 minutes to put together, only few 4 screws. I was very impressed with quality and stability of the product. I thought for that price i would get something cheap. Weirder 5000 is very nice well built product even better that the once priced $400 and above. I used to go to the gym 6 days a week then due to kids and school and work visiting the gym twice a week is great for me. Weider gave me complete home gym and complete work out for both losing weight and building in addition getting ripped. I'm 5'10" 210Lb, and this machine fit me very well. I believe after using treadmills for an hour a day then using Weider you will be able to lose weight and gain muscles add to that get your shoulders and back ripped. if you need to add more resistance you can use the resistance cord provided with it which adds 50lb more resistance. also you can purchase ankle and vest weight to increase your weight for more resistance in case you are trying to focus on becoming bigger. the machine wont replace the gym %100, but if you are busy and don't have the luxury of free time to go to the gum 6 days a week, this machine will do a good job. The machine is way bigger than the picture of the product is showing. like other reviewers below said, it is almost 9' to 12' tall when extended it all the way. Amazon gave me free two day shipping after 5 to 9 days free big saver shipping going to take more than 16 days for me to receive the product ( after making purchase on 20th of July, shipment said i should get it on 28th of July, two days later check package tracking and it showed the shipment still not shipped and I should get it by August 9th, called Amazon great customer service and moved it to two days free shipping, I received my product July 24th early morning.) The product comes with big poster with more than 50 training positions. Last but not Least. MAKE SURE TO FASTEN THE ALL THE SCREWS EVEN THE ONCE THAT ALREADY THERE SOME THEM ARE VERY LOSE.

This is an amazing gym. I started getting compliments within 2 weeks of using. The bands for extra weight are amazing. I think this gym is great for almost any strength or fitness level.

Very sturdy, and can't wait to get in shape. Bigger than I thought it would be... so if you lack space, don't buy this one. A little hard to set it at different heights...almost need to be 2 people so you dont get hurt, because it's really heavy. Overall, good exercise equipement to have, glides easily.

Had hip replacement done and I use this exerciser daily. Love it.

nice