Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I had seen the infomercial on TV a time or two before but a couple of weeks ago, I was watching it in earnest. Not sure why that day was different but I was a little mesmerized. I noticed that it seemed to work parts of the body that I wanted to work. As I watched, I had that feeling..."what's not to like?" Well the price was steep so that was one thing not to like. Even with the payment plan and offer to return if not satisfied, I could envision disappointment and expense to return if it was not as exciting as it seemed on TV. I started researching on the web and found reviews stacked toward the positive side. I watched videos about the Total Gym XLS on YouTube and got more excited about it. Yes, I did read the couple reviews about disappointment in quality. I also read that the vast majority of people were quite happy with the quality. The ratio of positive to negative reviews led me to believe that a few had done something wrong or in fact got one of the small percentage of slightly defective units, but most seemed very happy with the unit. The price was still making me think twice but one day when I checked here on Amazon, the price was down quite a bit! I pulled the trigger. (The price seems to vary quite a bit, so shop carefully and pull the trigger when you like the price!) Delivery is by truck and the shipping company was fantastic. They allowed me to schedule an appointment by phone or via the web. The driver arrived minutes into the delivery window I had requested, and even called ahead to tell me he was on the way. In fact, he even helped me lug it into the living room. I probably could have got him to help me with it upstairs but I didn't want to push my luck. It's a heavy thing but was packed just right. Unpacking was easy, and I was able to lug it upstairs on my own. Some people will definitely need help moving it though. Like I said, it's heavy. Assembly was very easy, and even taking my time, I had it operational within 10 minutes. I popped in the DVD and skipped to some of the exercises right away. I kind of over did it that first day, but who wouldn't? The Total Gym XLS is smooth and seems to be very well built. I was (and still am) pretty excited about it. One reviewer had trouble with the pulleys after about six months. I'll let you know if I do (I'm about the same height and weight as he is) but in the early going, I can't imagine that I will have trouble. This thing seems to be built really well. Do heed the safety warnings. It's built to be safe but if you ignore the warnings, you could really hurt yourself. I suppose this is true of just about any gym equipment. Just think and be safe, and you will be plenty fine. It came with several accessories, but I've only tried one so far. I'll get to the others eventually. For now, I'm concentrating on the 6-8 minute work out program that comes with it. That doesn't sound like much but a week or so into it, I am already feeling results. Muscles are tightening and shaping just a little bit. The program exercises different parts of the body every day, and calls for only about 8 reps per exercise. That's a good starting point no doubt. I am doing 15 reps and will build from there. Each person is different. I also walk about 1.5 to 2 miles a day for aerobics. Hey, if you are in better shape than I am, you can start at a more advanced level and be quite happy. One thing I did not count on with this product is the extensive work out suggestions. The 6-8 minute work out is great for me, but the Gym comes with many dozens of cards with different work outs. Each card tells how to do the exercise, what part of the body it works out, some coaching tips, and many cards tell how to amp up the work out a bit. The cards are even grouped by body part that they work. There is also a chart with many exercises and of course, the DVD. So you are not on your own with this thing. There is lots of help provided. Setting the glide bar at different heights definitely allows you to fine tune your work out from beginner to advanced. I am looking forward to raising my height setting over time! As you can tell, I am pretty happy with my purchase! If you are contemplating buying one, watch the infomercial and know that it's not baloney. It works as they say. It's nicely built and seems like it will last a long time. You won't be overwhelmed or underwhelmed. I am pretty sure of that. I will check back in a few months from now and let you know if I am still as happy with it as I am today. I bet that I will be.