Bayou Fitness Total Trainer Pilates Pro Reformer Home Gym PilatesPro

Two months later - it's getting easier to use as I get used to it. Made a few adjustments as you can see in my original review. Watched an infomercial with Chuck Norris for his Total Gymm and it taught me some exercises that are useful. Original Review follows: Paid $449. First, I was worried that I would not be able to fold this to move it around because my back is badly injured with structural damage to the vertebra and disks. Been fighting off the surgeons for years - they want to fuse several vertebrae. But, I have no problem lifting it from the middle to fold the machine. It rolls easily. However, I leave it set-up all the time in a spare bedroom. It's a full 8 feet in length so it's big. I bought this to exercise my leg and lower back muscles to help support my lower back. Last year I worked on a Pilates reformer with a coach to do the same thing but muscles had started to get out of shape again. The machine does the trick. It comes with a great DVD that has the Pilates exercises at the very end of the DVD and an instruction book with pictures and step by step for each exercise. I also use it to exercise my shoulders and upper back muscles. I did have to put some foam at the base so that the slide board wouldn't bang so hard when I let it go all the way down. Some reviews complained about a rough feel as the wheels go over the joint but it's no big deal to me and I'm picky. It came well packed. Was relatively easy to set-up EXCEPT the shoulder pads would not fit over the bolts that they slide onto. I had to drill out the two holes a little in each shoulder pad to make them fit over the bolts. Well made machine otherwise and am very pleased with the purchase.

This machine is so much better than the Total Gym. It comes with all the attachments...not like the Total Gym in which you have to buy each attachment separately and that can add up very quickly. My kids who are 10 and 12 years old are on it every day, which makes me so very happy. It is sturdy enough to hold my husband who is a large man with no problems what so ever. The Total Gym did not have a machine in my price range that could stand up to his present weight. This is a solid machine that is fun to work out on. I did have one piece that was defective and the wheels were a little wonky but Bayou FItness is sending me new parts as we speak with tracking...I think the wheels got messed up in transit with all the banging around the package must of gone through. Bayou Fitness customer service was helpful and very accommodating and so pleasant to deal with. One phone call and a quick email and in a couple days the parts were posted to ship to me. I am pleased with this purchase and I could not of touched a Total Gym of this quality for the price I paid. If you are considering a piece of equipment like this...I would highly recommend looking into the Total Trainer Pilates Pro Reformer.

Well built better machine for the money than total gym. To buy same quality machine from total gym would have been twice the money. Am completely satisfied

I was looking for an exercise machine comparable to the total gym. The bayou fitness trainer gives me the type of resistant training, stretching and strengthening exercise that I was looking for. The machine is smooth. At first I thought it was difficult to set up but it was just a matter of developing the technique to how it opens. My husband a and I both use it. I have not altered my diet. I have not lost pounds but I have lost inches. All of my clothes are loose. I love it!!!

I'm thrilled to have this machine. It has helped me and my family become consistent in our exercise routine because it is so easy and fun to use. The quality is great and it can handle everything. It does all that I need it to. I especially like going from one exercise right into another so quickly. You can get a great workout with this machine!

Its bigger than I expected but I'm 6'3 300lbs ex power lifter so that was definitely a good thing. I love it! If you're a big guy trying to cut your weight back this is the right choice!

It is really good for my needs except that is not as easy to fold up & move as they claim. You must remove all attachments first & it is heavy & doesn't roll well. Otherwise, it is great. Easy to use, has various ways to use it, etc.

Received it but wheels wobbled like a car with a bent rim. They were quickly replaced and it was better. Works well but is not as smooth as I had hoped.

I've been using this machine at least once a week for eleven months now. It is superb for light- to medium-weight upper body workouts. It is especially good for increasing flexibility and range of motion, as well as strengthening stabilizer muscles. With the proper workout regimen and nutrition, it can help you build strength and increase muscle density without bulking up. The maximum base resistance you can get out of it is roughly 45% of your body weight. It also comes with three elastic bands plus a weight bar for plates if you want even more resistance.First (major) gripe: The cables are VERY LONG. Many people will most certainly like that (similar, older machines had very short cables), but I find it a tad annoying -- only because I enjoy bilateral lat pull-downs. Don't expect to be able to do those on this machine. You'll have to hold one arm down while pulling up with the other, then alternate at either cycles or sets. If anything else, it will force one arm into a press and static hold.Second (minor) gripe: When you attach the pull-up bar, you'll have to set the machine at its steepest angle, as the vertical bar gets in the way. Alternatively, you can just move your head to one side as you pull up.IMPORTANT: This offers very few leg exercises unless you're flexible (and agile) enough to use the pilates cables and want to get creative with them. However, I wouldn't recommend this as an all-in-one anyway. You'll definitely need (and most probably want) more for your legs, and there are other options for such, even just floor/box/platform exercises. In any case, it's always best to supplement any machine-based routine, including on this one, with free weights and floor exercises.

I have for health reasons been neglecting my fitness for some time, this machine allows me to work out on my own time. It gives me a complete workout and I rotate areas of exercise concentration. The easy adjustment to levels of difficulty makes it easy to transition from one exercise to the other. What I like best is that it allows a flu workout without putting undue strain on one's body. It allows one to exercise that permits eliminating strain to areas of concern.Why did I choose this machine was because it seemed to be more substantial and ruggedly constructed than the major competitor's machine for a significantly lower price.The machine is easy to set up and put away, it takes a lot of room when set up but is compact to store.One thing that I dislike is the velcro straps that hold your feet when doing leg curls and sit ups. It would be nice if they had something similar to the competitor for these exercises. But that is just a small problem that should not influence one's decision to purchase this machine.My only concern is the DVD that accompanied the machine was damaged, I contacted the support desk and they promised to send a replacement. that was about three weeks ago and I have not received it as yet. In their defence I have not yet recontacted them to see what is the concern.i would recommend it to anyone who is wanting to improve their fitness on their own time. It is a reasonable cost alternative to the gym.

This is the best way to work out. I love everything about this gym. Went from a 1200$ universal gym to this and I'm sure glad I did. What a joy to work out now. I was benching around 200-250 on universal and this little glide roller thingy still challenged me on the lower settings. I wish I could sell these for the company. I really believe in this product 100%. By the way I returned a top of the line total gym(fit) just because of the price difference and although I think total gym has great workouts and product presentation, with a little creativity you can surpass those cheesy DVDs.

Well made,I can highly recommend it for serious workout. It's very easily set up and ready to start exercising almost immidiately