I own a Total Gym 1000 (That's the one in the Chuck Norris infomercial)... I've had the machine for three years now, using it on and off every now and then, and recently starting a regular program after reading about John in VG and then discovering MAX-OT.

I'm surprised to hear myself saying this about an infomercial product, but I actually think it's a great piece of equipment. You can work out all the muscle groups with a wide variety of excercises, and you can do both strength and cardio on the same machine. And it takes me about 30 seconds to fold the thing up and put it away... That's pretty important when you live in a small apartment with no room to spare.

Problem is, after only two weeks with MAX-OT I'm already doing nearly all the excercises on the heaviest setting with 6-8 repetitions before reaching failure. If I keep this up I'm soon going to be doing way more repetions than recommended by MAX-OT.

I'm wondering whether it would be safe to modify the thing with a bar and some additional weights on the slide board. The specs says it can only handle 115kg, and I weigh 100 so that leaves only 15 kilos. Maybe the whole thing will collapse on me if I add another 50? Anyone seen the construction of this machine and have an opinion on this?

I would recommend getting some free weights and a cable machine or going to a gym. I have a Total Gym 1500, which I used up until I started Max-OT. After starting Max-OT, I use free weights and a cable machine. The Total Gym isn't really a good tool for such an exercise.

If you don't mind experimenting with your equipment, I'd say give it a try. I have a Total Trainer 4000xl and it has a weight bar. Ive put 100# on the weight bar and it has been fine and I weighed about 230# at that time. I think it will hold more weight than they say it can. There is an advertisement for either Total Gym or Total Trainer featuring a professional mountain biker. In that advertisement, he is using the weight bar and has quite a bit of weight loaded on it. Granted he looks like he weighs about 120 lbs. but it was still alot of weight. If you are designing your own weight bar, be sure that the weights are closer to the bottom of the board at about hand level when you are squatting. Good luck and keep us posted! :tucool:

Well, I chickened out and ordered a real bench with 80 kilos of real weights instead :) As a matter of fact I'm picking it up today, already having had to wait an extra day before I could get it.

I could still do the experiment with the total gym since the same weights would fit on the bar I was planning to put in there. I guess a steel bar can't cost that much...