Pros: Not complicated to use; can work your entire body.
Cons: Be careful getting on and off; not for the novice or bodybuilder.
The Bottom Line: I am recommending the 1400 with a note of caution. I think there are better machines. For the average person who doesn't want to program a workout, this isn't bad.
I have reviewed both the Total Gym 1500 (like the 1700) and the 3000. The noticeable differences were the price, cosmetic differences and the maximum weight of the user. When I saw the Total Gym 14000 I decided to spend some time with it because a lot of people really like Total Gyms and ask me about various models. At a retail price of $1200 it is the most expensive of the 3 though not the most expensive in the line of Total Gym machines.
The Total Gym 14000:
The Total Gym is made by FitnessQuest. I will be comparing some information among these models to help you make an informed decision. Because of this there will be some overlapping of reviews.
These three machines require little assembly. The 14000 is a simple machine like the other two and requires little maintenance. For those of you who have written to me or have the question about how good the technology is and how long it will be before it gets fixed, you will not have to worry about the 14000. There is virtually nothing that will break.
Total Gym 14000 claims to combine strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, and flexibility in 20 minutes a day. In a nutshell before I get into the details the board or what is called a glideboard is what you will lie down on, face, or sit on. This is the piece that gets moved with your body weight. Many will like the fact that you don’t have to set any programs, buttons or put in pins to get your weight resistance.
The frame of the 14000 has a lifetime warranty; the parts have a 5 year warranty and the foam rubber a 90 day warranty. Please note: I have experienced differences in warranties among products and that is true of the Total Gym as well. If you buy it, let’s say, online, one site may give you a warranty different than what I just wrote. Please check that you are getting a warranty with which you are satisfied.
The 14000 we are told works all my muscle groups in 10 to 20 minutes a day giving me 80 general exercises. I find it interesting that Fitness Quest has gotten on the Pilates band wagon by telling us that we can do Pilates exercises on the Total Gym. The fact is many exercises that are considered Pilates exercises can be done anywhere and most require no equipment. However please note that Fitness Quest sells accessories that are sold specifically as Pilates accessories. The Standing Platform will cost you an additional $125 for example, so please take that statement with a grain of salt.
The facts:
All the models are made similarly. The 14000 is nickel-chrome plated. The upper and lower rails are made of steel. I have found the glideboard to be made well. A heavy duty vinyl material is used over 1 1/4" foam. It is tear resistant. I have never seen a Total Gym’s board with any tears in it. The Total Gym is not made to use with dumbbells. When boards are used with dumbbells we tend to put the dumbbells down on the board making it much more likely to tear. The only thing touching the vinyl on the Total Gym is your body so unless you have something sharp on you, it is unlike it will tear.
The 14000 folds and is on rubber rollers. At 97 pounds it can be moved fairly easily. However I don’t consider a machine this size to be portable since it isn’t one that I would carry around or move around on a daily basis.
It is 23 inches wide by 100 inches long by 53 inches high. The 14000 is the largest of these three models. It is 10 inches higher and longer than the 3000 and a few inches wider. It folds to the same width and height as it is when not fold but is only 20 inches long rather than 100 inches.
The weight limit on the 1500 is 275 pounds. The weight limit on the 3000 is 300 pounds. The weight limit on the 14000 is 350 pounds. You can be as tall as 6’ 5" and be able to use the 14000.
My experiences and thoughts of the Total Gym 1400:
I am a personal trainer. I am very concerned about safety. Total Gym claims to be safe for all fitness levels. It is not recommended for children. Please be very careful using fitness equipment around children or leaving them where you child can get into or onto whatever you own.
Because there are no weights to lift one might think it is safer than other machines where your fingers can get caught or a plate (circular weight) might fall on your foot. (I am amazed that there have been recalls on the AbLounge which I don’t feel is any more dangerous than a treadmill where an article of clothing can get caught and worse.) In any case I disagree that the Total Gym is safe for all fitness levels.
Fitness Quest says that a spotter (Someone who stands behind or next to you.) is not needed. I disagree especially for the novice. You can lose your balance and fall off. Nothing holds you on the board. There are no railings or anything convenient to hold onto so you have to raise and lower yourself carefully.
The Total Gym 14000's resistance is worked by raising or lowering the board. The 14000 has 6 levels. I pull out a pin and then can raise or lower the board on metal rungs. The way I can describe it is to compare it to the somewhat old fashioned sit up boards that had rungs on the back. The higher I would put the board the more difficult the sit up.
The higher the board on the Total Gym 14000 the more difficult the exercise and the more resistance I have. The resistance level can be measured. So for example if I have the board sitting in the highest rung I will be moving 61% of my body weight; at the lowest rung I am moving 7% of my body weight. This gives me slightly more resistance (Though not significantly) than the 1500 and 3000. To make this even clearer, if I do a pull up on my own without using a machine I am lifting 100% of my body weight. This isn’t an exact analogy because in the case of the Total Gym I am not pulling up making it a much easier piece of equipment than a pull up machine that has me lifting 61% of my body weight.
The platform on the 14000 is very helpful. Not only is it used for squat exercises but it gave me stability when I first got on these machines and wasn’t used to them. Three hundred and fifty pounds pushing on this platform (A squat works your legs and although you will not be standing on the platform your feet will be pushing against it.) in my mind challenges the durability of this little piece but it is attached with two steel bars and no one has ever told me that theirs bent or broke.
The Total Gym works on a cable system. I did the same exercises on the three machines and there is no difference in the technology. Holding onto the handles attached to the cables and lying down I can do fiyes. These work my chest. I also used these handles for other exercises such as kickbacks for my triceps (the area on the back of my upper arm) and seated rows which work my back. I found using the Total Gym to work my triceps awkward and would rather use a traditional machine, dumbbells or really anything other than the Total Gym. Seated rows felt fine because the Total Gym 14000 is not that much different than a seated row machine in terms of mechanics.
However moving from flyes to seated rows (which is a normal superset that I would do – one exercise of chest and one of back without stopping) I had to turn around. In order to do that safely I had to get off. Granted I might say that when moving from a flye to a seated row on the gym floor I would have to take a few seconds. I have more of a problem with getting on and off or having others turn around when there is nothing convenient to hold on to than I do the few seconds it takes.
There is no doubt that the Total Gym 14000 does a lot for the money. I can work every body part. I can do exercises such as leg raises for my abs (which only takes a bench to do) and bicep curls to name a couple more exercises. Although you are getting some cardio vascular benefit, the Total Gym, in my opinion, does not replace cardio vascular work on a treadmill or walking outside.
I do like the position variations I can do on the Total Gym. On a chest press machine my arms are in one position. I can replicate this movement on the Total Gym 14000 with the cables but I do have some flexibility. I can move my arms whether out to the side a bit as in a punch I might do in a kickboxing class or bring my arms back to hit my deltoids (shoulders). However I have been working out for over 25 years. My fear is that even with instruction you can hurt yourself if your form is not right. There is too much flexibility. I think that a more controlled machine is more effective and safer for the average person.
My final thoughts:
I think the Total Gym 14000 has a place in the home of a person who is not a novice but not a weight lifter either. It is, in my opinion, best for a person who has been working out whether at home or at a gym and wants a piece of equipment. The Total Gym 14000 requires no maintenance to speak of. You will not have to worry about fancy technology or electronic parts breaking down. On the other hand it is a simple machine that has its limitations because the programming consists of moving a board up and down. Doing 20 minutes of resistance training a day will help if you work to your maximum. I would not recommend it if you get bored easily.
So which one? I don’t love any of these models. There are a couple I do like which are more expensive and I will review them soon. I don’t think you get much more for your money with the 14000 over the 1500 which is the least expensive though an older model. The one caveat to that would be if you are a larger person. The real plus to the 14000 is its size. If you are heavy or tall, then the 14000 is a decent choice though still in my opinion an average piece of equipment.
If you are new to exercising, have any medical conditions, are a man over 40 or a woman over 50 please talk with your doctor before starting any program.
I hope this is helped. Please feel free to leave me a comment or question or request a piece of equipment you would like me to review. Thanks for reading. jo
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