My husband and I purchase this because we needed something to kick-start our workouts at home and decided this was a great item to do that. It really is perfect for us. We both make an effort to use it a couple times a week. It's easy to use, very versatile and it's actually fun. If you're looking for ideas on what exercises to start with, there's an entire packets of ideas. This a great product that we highly recommend.

I used to have a knockoff of the Total Gym called Weider's Ultimate Bodyworks, and it served me well for about five years, but then one of the cables got frayed and it no longer seemed safe to use.  Since Weider apparently no longer makes the Ultimate Bodyworks, I had to switch to the much more expensive Total Gym.  In case anyone else is in a similar situation, I figured it might be helpful to do a review that compares the Apex G5 to the Ultimate Bodyworks:

Assembly:  One really nice thing about the Apex G5 is that it comes fully assembled. Just take it out of the box, and you're pretty much good to go.  You'll just need to attach whatever particular attachments you want to use, but that's simply a matter of using some metal pins.  Compared to the Bodyworks, this is a nice start, since the Bodyworks did require some assembly.  

Noise:  Another really nice thing about the Apex G5 is how much quieter it is than the Bodyworks machine.  I usually have the tv on while I exercise, and now I can keep it at a normal volume and hear everything just fine.  This has the added benefit of making me more tempted to use the Apex G5.  It feels like less of a hassle when it's so quiet.  There's just a very low rumble as the glide board moves.  

Stability:  The Apex G5 also feels a lot more stable than the Bodyworks ever did.  I'd gotten used to the Bodyworks, so its rickety nature never bothered me, but this is definitely nicer, especially when doing certain exercises where you're kneeling on the board.   
 
Resistance:  This category goes to the Ultimate Bodyworks.  That machine had bungee cords that you could attach from the glide board to the frame, increasing the resistance, but the Apex G5 does not have the cords.  So even when I have the Apex G5 at its maximum incline, some exercises are still a bit too easy.  The good news is that there is a weight bar you can add to the Apex G5, which allows you to use free weights to increase the resistance, but it's an additional purchase.  Considering how expensive the Apex G5 is compared to what I'd paid for the Ultimate Bodyworks, this is a bit disappointing (and when I say "free weights," I do not mean "weights that don't cost anything," I mean removable weights.  So you need to purchase the weight bar AND the weights just to add more resistance.)

Attachments:  The attachments on the Apex G5 are mostly comparable to those that came with the Ultimate Bodyworks.  There's the "wing attachment" for doing chin ups, pull ups, shoulder presses, etc, and a pretty feeble squat board.  But the Apex G5 also comes with dip bars, which are really nice to have.  Putting on the attachments (and taking them off) is very simple, so it's easy to switch between exercises.  The Apex G5 also comes with a leg pulley attachment, which I have to confess, I have not used enough to really comment on it.  It's slightly more complex to attach than the other attachments (but not at all difficult.) One other point about attachments-- on the Bodyworks, the pulley cable was not detachable.  This meant it was always clanking around even when you were doing exercises that didn't need it (chin ups, squats, etc.)  The pulley cable on the Apex G5 is easily detachable when you don't need it.

Comfort:  As mentioned above, the Apex G5 is more stable than the Bodyworks, which adds to its comfort.  It also has really nice padding.  I never found the Bodyworks uncomfortable, but the padding on the Apex G5 is a bit thicker.  I also find that I don't slide around as much on the Apex G5.  On the Bodyworks, I tended to slip down the board when doing some exercises.  So far, that never happened to me on the Apex.

Folding:  Both the Ultimate Bodyworks and the Apex G5 are simple to fold up and move out of the way when you're not using them.  I think I slightly prefer the Bodyworks' folding mechanism (maybe I'm just more used to it), but the Apex G5 has the advantage of being smaller when it's folded.
  
So, all in all, I'm quite happy with the Apex G5.  I'm not sure if it's SO MUCH better than the Bodyworks to justify the huge price difference (I spent about $150 on the Bodyworks, and about $500 on the ApexG5), but I guess that will depend partly on how long it lasts.  I'd gotten five years out of the Bodyworks (using it about 4 times per week.)  I'm hoping the G5 lasts longer than that considering the much higher price.

Lots of different excercise for your upper and lower body

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!

I can't think of any dislikes. I have had other competitors machines and I liked this the best. Right out of the box it is fully assembled and when you're done with the workout it folds back up and you can put it aside or under the bed. Really great if you have limited room. When you fold it open for use you need around 93 inches I believe, but it folds up nice and doesn't take up much room. My workout takes about 30 minutes and I feel like I have worked out. When I was younger I used to do a lot of free weights, but now I am 60 my back doesn't like the free weights, but I have found I'm ok with the total gym. A few months ago I had arthroscopic removal of the meniscus in my knee. I have found this machine has been good at strengthening my quads. I just follow their beginner program and do two leg squats, single leg squats, pullups, leg curls, cross cable rows, bicep curls, lying tricep (legs off bench), outer hip and thigh, oblique twister, seated chest press, front pullover with crunch, shoulder press, core extention. 16 reps each exercise I am done in 30 minutes. I'm feeling better and it's only week 1.