Total Gym 1700

I used the first $400 of my PayPerPost money to buy a Total Gym 1700. It arrived earlier this week and I've had a chance to set it up and use it several times. I had a standard Total Gym model for about 10 years and it was starting to wear out a little bit, plus it was missing a few features that the new model has, including a weight bar, dipping handles and a wider base and better padding on the main area where you put your back. Not sure what that's called. Overall, the 1700 is a much higher quality product. Each piece is more solid and the whole thing works well. The weight bar is nice to have and you can really feel the difference when you add some weight (up to 75 pounds total).

However, there are some negatives with the new model. It's heavier, and as a result it is more difficult to put away. The original was very easy to slide back into a smaller unit and move out of the way. The new one is a pain in the neck in that regard. While I like the dip handles and the weight bar, you can't really use them both at the same time. The weight bar gets in the way of the dip handles if they are both attached. Taking the dip handles on and off is easy, but the weight bar uses a bolt which has to be attached underneath the unit, so it's not so easy to take on and off. Also, while the new model has new features, none of them are reflected in the exercise manual. In fact, it's identical to the one I had for the older model. There's no video or DVD either.

I like the new one and I think it's a well made product which will last for many years, but in a few instances, they could have thought things out a little better to make it easier to use.