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Both Total Gym and Bayou Fitness offer some of the best total body workout machines you can find available in the marketplace. The home fitness industry has exploded in growth. With more people than ever before shopping for convenient and affordable home workout equipment, you may find yourself looking at both of these brands to satisfy your needs. This is especially true if you are looking to find a compact home gym system. Finding the right compact home gym system is likely to be complicated.
After all, you want to ensure that you are not only able to find a system that is available at your respective budget, but also one that is going to be able to help you reach your fitness goals. There is a lot that you must consider when comparing the available options.
Without having knowledge of compact gym systems beforehand, you may struggle with comparing the products being sold on the marketplace. Throughout this article, you will get information that should help you make a well-informed purchasing decision by the end of it.
Bayou Fitness Total Trainer vs Total Gym: Models and Features Comparison
Total Gym Models
1. Total Gym XLS
Features
- 12 Levels Of Resistance
- Over 60 Exercises
- Folds For Storage
- Attachments Included (leg pull, standard squat stand, Tri-Grip shaper bars, AbCrunch)
- Max weight 275 pounds
2. Total Gym Fit
- 6 Levels Of Resistance
- Over 80 Exercises
- Folds For Storage
- Attachments Included (leg pull, ribbed squat, wing attachment)
- Max weight 400 pounds
3. Total Gym Supreme
- 12 Levels Of Resistance
- Over 85 Exercises
- Folds For Storage
- Attachments Included (AbCrunch, leg pull, upgraded squat stand, 2-piece wing attachment)
- Max weight 450 pounds
4. Total Gym GTS (requires assembly)
- 22 Levels Of Resistance
- Over 200 Exercises
- Folds For Storage
- Attachments Included (squat stand, LAT bar attachment, 6-piece strength package)
- Max weight 650 pounds
See all Total Gym models at their website.
Bayou Fitness Total Trainer DLX-III
Features:
- 11 Levels Of Bodyweight Resistance
- Leverages Your Own Bodyweight For Resistance Training
- Total 400-pound user capacity
- (14”x46”) Glide Board
- 3 and 4 Point Pulley System
- Folds and Rolls For Convenient And Easy Storage
- Strength Training Attachments including Biceps Power Flex Attachment
See Bayou current price (currently out of stock – check Weider Ultimate Body Works as closest alternative)
Winner: Total Gym
Total Gym offers a full line of Total Gym products. Therefore, you have a variety of models with different features and price points to choose from. This alone makes it the better option as you will be able to find a feature-set and price point that works for your needs. With the Bayou Fitness Total Trainer, you are pretty much stuck with what they have available.
Therefore, that machine would need to satisfy all of your current and future needs as it relates to a piece of home gym equipment.
Workout Comparison
When it comes to the workouts that each complete gym system is capable of providing, Total Gym surely gets the edge. Not only does Total Gym have machines that offer more than the 11 levels of resistance you get with the Bayou Fitness Total Trainer, but it also comes with Total Gym TV compatibility.
If you pay for the subscription to the service, you will get access to professional trainers, brand new workouts, and the best possible programming you will find on Total Gym. With the service, you get access to 3 or more new workout programs each month and nearly 50 new workouts per year. The ability to stream on-demand workouts from professionals is a sure way to get the most out of your workouts.
You will be able to follow along as you watch to be certain you are doing the exercises properly and that you are learning everything you can do with the equipment.
Bayou Total Trainer Workout Experience
Pros
- It comes pre-assembled
- Attachments allowing you to work out your entire body
- You can perform over 70 exercises with the equipment
Cons
- Limited resistance adjustability
The overall workout experience the Total Trainer provides is good for the money. The biggest downside is the lack of resistance levels to choose from. Because it utilizes your own weight for resistance, you really can only get 4% to 69% adjusted percentages by adjusting the incline levels.
Total Gym Workout Experience
Pros
- Offers a lot more attachments
- More models with more workouts, resistance levels, and features
- Ability to subscribe to Total Gym TV which gives you access to professional trainers workout videos.
Cons
- Only basic is included with the purchase of a Total Gym machine. You need to pay for premium. Premium gives unlimited access to all classic library videos and new ones as they launch.
The ability to get access to Total Gym TV alone can help deliver a better workout experience because you have professionals helping you make the most out of the equipment.
However, when that is combined with the compatibility with more attachments, the ability to choose machines with greater levels of resistance, and the ability to get machines with more individual exercises – you get a machine that offers the superior workout experience without a question.
Winner: Total Gym (Because of the Total Gym TV App)
Price Comparison: Is Total Gym or Bayou Total Trainer Cheaper?
When you are comparing different options, you are likely going to be very interested to know which one costs more and which one might be able to save you some coin.
When comparing the entry-level models, they both come in at around the same price at just under $600. What gives Total Gym the edge in this category has to be the ability to choose from the different models.
Unless you are perfectly fine with the limitations set forth by the model offered by the Bayou Total Trainer, you are going to want to go after a Total Gym model.
After all, you have more ability to choose the right model for yourself. Not everyone is going to be content with the features or lack thereof as it relates to the entry-level models.
With Total Gym, you can choose to pay more to get substantially more value out of the compact gym equipment with the most premium offering providing a whopping 200+ exercises in the single piece of equipment.
Winner: Total Gym
See current Total Gym prices at their website.
Summary: Is Bayou or Total Gym Better?
When it comes down to it, the Total Gym is the better option for most. While the Bayou Total Trainer does happen to offer a good value for those looking for what it is capable of providing, not having the ability to choose from multiple models really puts a damper on things. Whereas, with Total Gym, you have the ability to sort through various models.
Even if you are looking at the budget Total Gym model, it compares favorably to what you get with the Bayou Total Trainer.
Every product in the Total Gym line provides everything that you could get in the Bayou model, but you have more ability to tailor your purchase to your individual needs and use-case. You will be able to choose a model that fits your unique needs and budget. This alone makes it a better value. However, on top of the ability to choose, you get the ability to subscribe to Total Gym TV.
This further adds to the value you are able to get out of the Total Gym package because it gives you access to on-demand workouts done by professionals. Being able to stream workouts from elite trainers optimized for the Total Gym compact gym system makes it an incredible value.
You will be able to get the most out of your home workout equipment and minimize your risk of injury by getting visual feedback on whether or not you are doing the exercises properly.
