The Total Gym was easy to set up, doesn't take up much floor space, and you can perform many different exercises.

You won't see this Total Gym on their website, but it's made by the same company and seems to be very high quality. I've only had it five days now, but I will update this review if anything changes.

Quality: Very high. Stated weight limit is 375 and I believe it. I'm 225, and this feels very sturdy to me while using. Tubular steel and attachments all feel very sturdy and high quality. Cables do too. Heavy duty pulleys as well. The pad on the glide board is not super-thick, but I don't think it is on any of the Total Gyms. It's not Trying to be a bed or couch.

Experience: So far a big thumbs up. Glides very smoothly and the included exercise book and cards show you some creative and challenging ways to use the machine - a wide variety of exercises. The attachments fit perfectly, and I have total confidence they will support the weight as needed. It is pretty easy to switch the machine's configuration to perform various exercises, and I like that it's so quick, as it does not introduce an unintended cool-down time. I haven't come across any configuration changes yet that take more than 15-20 seconds. The exercises are all super-smooth and non-jarring if you do them correctly. Great full range of motion.

Setup: comes fully assembled. Several boxes to open that contain the attachments. Read the directions for how to "unfold" it if it's not clear to you.

Storage: no wheels, so if you plan to store it away a lot, you might not like that, but I just leave mine out unless I have company over. Opening and closing takes a minute to sort out, but it's easy once you understand it.

In the box: I went with this model over some others like the XLS mainly due to cost and the fact that it includes the leg rope, the wing attachments, the squat stand and the dip bars.

Other stuff: Although it's not included, this model does have the holes if you want to add the weight bar, so that was a nice plus to discover.

That said, this is a tone machine more than a hulk-out machine. At the highest setting, you're using 60% of your own body weight and I think if you add the weight bar it supports up to another 180 pounds (not positive on that though). So if you need more weight than that for your workout, this won't really work for you.

It's also a long machine when open. Plan on having a good 10 feet available length-wise and, depending on the types of exercises you do, and how long your arms are, at least 5or 6 feet of width clearance.

Overall, I am very happy and even impressed with this machine so far.

Update 6 months in: Still love it. No complaints.

Update one year: I added the optional weight bar. It is great for tweaking the "feel" of the resistance to get it just right. It's still a great machine. I use it four times a week for about 30 minutes and over the year have dropped 30 pounds and greatly increased my strength. I'm surprising myself how easy it is to lift things I used to struggle with. The absolute best thing about this machine is how easy it is to change the difficulty. At one point, I had hurt my back working in the yard. I was able to set the resistance way back - all the way back to #2 - and still do some really light work while my back healed. No idea how I would have done that with most other equipment. And, if I had completely taken off the four weeks it took for my back to get right, I might have stopped exercising entirely. Instead, over those four weeks, I slowly moved from 2 back up to 8 as I could handle it. That's a really great thing about this equipment that isn't obvious at first.

Since I am not a fan of going to the gym and I have done various workout programs at home in the past, I decided to give the Total Gym's "APEX Versatile" a try. It was a little larger than I expected when expanded (about 93" long) so the original room I wanted to use it didn't work. The assembly and start-up video wasn't exact because the video demonstrated an older model (but I made it through). I committed to using it during the trial 3 months so I could adequately decide if I was going to keep it or not. It does give a total body workout as advertised and comes with everything you need. In addition to the workout cards provided I found videos on YouTube and put together a calendar combining the cards and videos for my workout so I would be more prepared once I got started. Overall, I think this is a great unit for a beginner but I did decided to return it because with certain movements the unit was too shaky and I didn't feel like I could get an intense workout on it. I am debating on getting the newer unit (Total Gym Fit I think it's called) because the video I have been watching they were on the newer model and the workout were more intense which is what I want so I can get the results I am seeking. During my use of this machine, I did lose inches, begin to see muscle structure develop, and felt more energized.

I was looking for a weight machine to accompany my recumbent bike for a home gym. Most were just too big for the room. I really wanted something that folded away when not in use, as this room doubles as my home office.

I remember seeing the Total Gym a few years back and began looking at them, reading the reviews, and watching some videos on You Tube. Total Gym does not use weights in its main function, its based on resistance. I ordered the Total Gym Apex G5 at a price below what the weight machine I was considering would have cost.

My decision was an easy one to make. I looked at all the exercises I wanted to incorporate in a workout routine, and every one of them I could do on a weight machine, could also be done on the Total Gym AND achieve a nearly identical result.

If I were to max out the ten resistance levels The Apex G5 gives me, there were other ways to increase the amount of resistance in the future. It can be done by adding a weight bar and weights to the sliding bench or using resistance bands. My intent was not to use the Total Gym to replace free weights or as a tool for "power lifting". Its about getting toned and develop some muscle definition with out getting involved in the whole "join a gym" thing.

It folds up out of the way when not in use, easy to set up and allows me to work out to my schedule with out going to a gym and pay the fees that come with it. There are videos on you tube by "Sliding bench trainer" that's like having your own personal trainer.

Amazon shipped it with 2 hours of ordering it and I had it the following day! It weighed about 80 pounds, I took it down stairs, opened up the box and had it set up in about ten minutes. It's a very sturdy, stable unit and excellent quality. Give the Total Gym some consideration. They have 3 different Apex models. I chose the Apex G5 so I would have enough resistance levels to move up to in the future. Well worth the price.... very satisfied!

Overall, I like the Total Gym. It's relatively easy to get a good workout from it. Coming from working out at an actual gym, there are things to get used to: obviously you can't just hop on and do all the exercises you want. Switching between exercises isn't always fast or easy: one thing might get unhooked, another out in its place, and other things attached with hitch pins, which aren't the easiest to install (in general terms). It's certainly clever to use your body weight for all the exercises (and the bench raises when things get too easy). However, getting on and off the Total Gym can be its own workout: the bench's willingness to slide makes it difficult to get in and off if there's any incline to the bench. Also, I'm on the short side for a guy (5'6"). There are only three holes for the arm/leg supports (wing something or others in Total Gym lingo) so I have to try to slide the bench up to reach them with my legs while I'm upside down. That's my last criticism: some exercises you have no choice but to do upside down; it's unavoidable because of the machine's design.

I know that sounds like a lot of negative for only 1 star being taken off, but it's positives make up for its shortcomings. For starters, having a complete gym in my basement for $500 is impressive. I'm not gym but, but I so far can't think for a weight-focused exercise you can't do with the Total Gym. We had been paying about $100/month for my wife and I to go to a gym, the closest of which is like 30+ minutes away. So now it's 30 seconds to the basement, and we can work out.

Next, while I did mention a negative about the bench, it is still overall great that it slides so readily, making it easier to work out. And yes, it's annoying to have to switch out parts so often, but the more I do it the more it becomes second nature. I don't think there's a better solution than what Total Gym uses.

The workouts are on individual cards that make it relatively easy to find and very easy to understand. I wish the cards were bound, but I understand the decision not to do that.

In the end, if you want a home gym that's inexpensive and can fit in a relatively small space (it's about 10 feet long with the bench flat, then you'll need about 4 feet on each side to safely work out), this total gym is for you.