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30 of 30 found the following review helpful:
 Pretty cool, can still stand improvement. Aug 10, 2007
By R. Funk
First let me say that I am using this trainer and getting good results. I am reasonably satisfied, considering that I saved a lot of cash compared to the TV celebrity infomercial gym. It is a functional piece of fitness equipment but perhaps I am expecting too much, compared to the dollars I paid, because now I would like to share a few of my quibbles:
The snap hooks which are at the ends of the ropes are plastic. I would feel more secure if they were metal and I may fix this later, myself.
The area where the rails hinge is bumpy to roll over. On some exercises it is of no importance, on others you really notice it. That area needs to be manufactured with more care and precision and/or bigger diameter rollers to help smooth out the ride.
The fixture that holds the rails by means of two pins at adjustable heights on the upright bar is also made of plastic. This piece seems sturdy enough so far, but it is certainly not commercial grade gym equipment, with this much plastic. I also wish to note that something is tweaked in the way mine is made. This plastic fixture holds my rails at a slightly "off" angle (not level as it should be). This does not seem to impair the function of the machine for the use it was intended for, but often my eye is drawn to this imperfection and it makes me a little sad to see that things get built to such lax standards.
There is a nice velcro foot restraint to allow you to use the board on an incline for sit ups. Good luck (as a beginner)getting onto the glide board for sit ups! You need the board in a position partway up the rails for inclined sit ups, and there is no provision for locking the glide board on the rails in such a position.
While you are doing sit ups and such, with your head pointing down slope, you may want to remove the accessories that fit into the two holes at the bottom end. If you were to slip and "glide" backwards, you could injure your head/neck if the accessories were left in place, or if you position the unit close to a wall or object. If you remove the accessories, there are still two metal pipes that stick out of the bottom cross bar, to insert the accessories into. There should be plastic sleeves to cover them when not in use, to avoid injury when you slip down and off the end of the machine, as is more likely to happen, the steeper the incline you use. There should be warnings included in the videos and instructions about this possibility, too.
Personally, I made my own safety device, by drilling holes into a 2x4 to fit over the pipe stubs, and rounding and sanding off the 2x4 until it looked like I could bump over it without problems. Then I gave it a coat of linseed oil.
The videos were VHS tapes, not DVDs, incase this matters for you. It would be easier to view the method for doing a specific exercise, if a DVD with a good menu system were included.
Overall, I think the trainer works as advertised, but it can certainly stand some improvement in fit and quality.
14 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 Work out any time..Day or Night !! in the comfort of your home Jul 10, 2007
By Wildman Keith
I had been considering buying either a Bowflex or one of the imitation rod trainers for a couple of years. The thing that made me decide to go with this was that I had previous experience with a similar type piece of equipment and always enjoyed the ease of use and simplicity of so many different exercises.
Over the years I have trained at various gyms and at home..using everything from Nautilus, Universal, etc. to cable systems to a variety of free weights and benches.
I always made increases in strength no matter what brand of machines or weights, both at home and going to the gyms so I have to say that whatever way you choose to train is fine but the beauty of this piece of equipment is that it takes up little space, is easy to switch back and forth to many different exercises, doesn't make the clanging of loading plates onto a bar which might be a concern if you want to keep it quiet while you work out.
It is stable in case you might be wondering if it would be wobbly when you got on it.
This Bayou trainer has more features than the Total Gym that you see Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley advertise on TV and is a whole lot less expensive than the model they try to sell.
As a reviewer for the Bayou Pro machine said, it's only drawback is that it has a limit of around 400 lbs., and like him I realized that it couldn't replace a squat rack or deadlift when you really wanted to go heavy. But for staying in shape, maintaining your flexibility with the Pilates exercises and so on it is hard to beat.
Those of us that are stronger than average guys working out know that there are times when you ease up and sort of like to maintain your strength or you might have been out of lifting for a while and just want to get back in shape before getting serious about going heavy again. This trainer is perfect for that and provides more than enough resistance that the average person will ever need.
Women will love the Pilates exercises that are available with it and the guys will love the way you can add the bands and weights while increasing the angle to make it more difficult at each setting.
I hope you will just go for it and buy it ... being able to slip over and get a set of exercise in while a commercial is on late at night is so cool.
12 of 13 found the following review helpful:
No Comparison with Total Gym Nov 01, 2008
By T. Christmas
"frugal quality"
I owned a informercial Total Gym I bought at a yard sale years ago. I left it with my mom when I moved out of state. I loved it because of the smooth movement and the ease of switching between exercises. The drawback was the lack of fun cardio and being stronger than most of the leg exercises it offered.
When I couldn't find another yard sale specimen -- I only found the cheap retail version -- I decided to look online. For price and features, I decided on the Bayou Pilates and I'm not disappointed.
Everything the Total Gym offered and more. Most importantly though, this machine is so much sturdier, better constructed, detailed and well thought out, there is NO COMPARISION. From the latch, bar and rollers that make the device easy to secure and roll to the heel cushion that comforts situps, the Total Trainer is well designed. What was easy with the Total Gym is effortless with the Total Trainer.
The Pilates version is more expensive because of the NUMEROUS attachments. I don't know where I'll put them all. Leg straps, pullup/pushup bar, curl bar, free weight bar, squat platform, pilates bands, pilates foot board, situp strap, etc. This is probably more than I'll use, but some are essential.
It's not perfect. The video that comes with it sucks and needs to be updated with menus and other features instead of just a transferred VHS. More information on setup instructions regarding the Pilates setup are needed for those of us who don't know Pilates from Socrates. It appears they make great equipment and need to hire a few media/computer geeks to explain their wonderful creation. Also, it takes up a bit more space than the Total Gym (It's worth it for the sturdiness). My wife would appreciate a washable fabric cover which we'll try to find or sew ourselves.
Now exercise machine is perfect. This is the best one of this type and this type is great for smooth, rhythmic, flexible resistance training. The fact that is small and storable makes it great. With this and my 10-minute trainer videos (for days when I don't watch the stock market while exercising), I should be in shape in no time.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
6 months and getting strong Mar 14, 2009
By Mayland
"Mom of 2"
I really like this machine. I am over 40 and was becoming a size 12; decided that I didn't want to be a size 12, but getting the kids into child care so I could work out was too much to overcome. After many weeks of research, I decided to give this a try and I have to say ...I really do like it A LOT!! I work out first thing in the AM doing the pilates. I do it every day! I used the VHS tape a couple of times, but that really didn't help. They don't give you enough time to actually follow the routine - the move is demonstrated, the cords are changed and the next move is being done while you are still at 6 of the 10 reps.
Remember I am a 40+ mom (kids under 10) and it is working for me. I now have 10's feeling big on me, more energy and decided to start adding walking and tennis into my week. I love rolling out of bed and getting on the machine.
It is not hard to fold up. Getting on and off with the board slanted was challenging, but now that I am doing Pilates, that is no longer an issue. My hair did get caught sometimes, so pulling it to the side is a must if it is below your shoulders.
Did not try the more expensive machine, but this one has been used enough to justify the costs.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Great machine, waiting on customer service Aug 22, 2009
By JKRay
5 stars for the machine, 3 stars for customer service so far. Revised customer service rating is 5 stars.
I've had this machine for four days, after researching this purchase for about a month. So far, I love it, although I haven't used the pilates yet. More on this below.
In the box, it weighs about 100 lbs. Getting it out of the box and set up was easy enough, took me about 20 minutes total with no help except for the manual and dvd. I'm not a directions-reader, but after a few minutes broke down and put in the dvd, which was helpful as regards some of the stabilizing pins.
The bench is a little heavy, and it's sometimes complicated to get on it when it's at a higher level, while holding the handles behind me (to do the chest press, for example). The machine is very solid and well-made. It does take up some room length-wise when open.
Judging from the manual and website, it looks like I did not get a leg cuff for pilates nor the pilates dvd. Because of this, I've not used any of the pilates features, and so can't comment.
Regarding customer service, I sent an email to the company explaining the situation, and did not hear back for two business days. I called to follow up and the CSR stated (in an accusatory tone) that they never received the email, or they would have responded. I confirmed their email address, and forwarded my original email from my "sent" folder. I've not heard back after another business day.
I love the machine and recommend it highly, pilates features aside. I'm giving benefit of the doubt regarding customer service, and will update if/when the matter is resolved.
Edit: A few days after I wrote this review, I received an email response to my second email. The CSR explained how to use the leg cuffs and confirmed that I had not received the pilates dvd. That afternoon I received an email with tracking info for the dvd and had it within a few days. The dvd clarified everything about how to use the leg cuffs, how to assemble them, and how to do pilates on the machine. I agree with another reviewer who noted that the demo goes a bit quickly to actually follow as a workout, but it is very very useful.
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