Join the 1700 Club

At the request of readers I am reviewing the Total Gym 1700 Club. When I wrote my review of the 1500 I mentioned that it was most similar to the 1700. However companies change models frequently. The 1700 Club (which is the only 1700 there is) is actually quite different from the 1500.

Some people like me comparing models; some don’t. I will write this as a stand alone review. There will be some overlap in reviews.

About The Total Gym 1700 Club:

The Total Gym is made by FitnessQuest. Like all of these systems the 1700 requires little assembly. At a little over $400 it is reasonably priced. The prices in the Total Gym line range from about $200 to $1100. In addition like the others it requires little maintenance. There is relatively no technology that will break.

Total Gym 1700 Club claims to combine strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, and flexibility in 20 minutes a day. In a nutshell before I get into the details the board or what is called a glide board is what you will lie down on, face, or sit on. This is the piece that gets moved with your body weight. Many will like the fact that you don’t have to set any programs, buttons or put in pins to get your weight resistance. However unlike the other models, weights (plates) can be added to the 1700 which is a really nice feature. I will get into this below when I talk about what the 1700 Club comes with.

There is a one-year warranty on the parts and the frame. This is the same warranty as that of the 1500. You’ll have to spend twice the money in order to get a better warranty on a Total Gym system.

The 1700 Club measures about 16 inches wide (24 inches with the weight bar) by 94 inches long by 44 inches high. When folded it is 51 inches long by 10 inches high. It weighs 69 pounds.

Many of you have asked me how tall you can be to use these systems. You can be up to 6 feet 2 inches tall for the 1700.

The maximum user weight is a total of 350 pounds however that includes 75 pounds of weights. The user should not weigh more than 275 pounds. The glide board is 13 inches wide by 40 inches long. That does not give the larger person much wiggle room so please note that.

In general I have found the Total Gym systems to be made well. The rails are made of steel. The glide board is made of a heavy duty vinyl material over 1/2 inches of foam. The vinyl is quite durable. One reason is pretty basic. Benches at gyms have a lot of wear because people put dumbbells on them. I have not seen wear on the 1700 Club or any of the systems thus far but they are not used as benches.

What you get and how I use it:

I like the 1700 Club because it has taken the Total Gym system and added some nice features. I thought that the Total Gym machines were just too simple. I got bored using them. The 1700 has kept me interested.

You’ll get a machine that has a quick release height adjustment pin. This is easy to take out and put in making adjusting the height of the board easy. I change the height depending on what exercise I am doing and how difficult I want the exercise to be.

Since I’m not bored on the 1700 and I used weights I found that I could work harder on the 1700 Club than on other models.

It comes with a mat to put under the system.

It comes with an exercise flip chart that can be attached to the machine. I am used to the Total Gym systems but for those of you new to it I think you’ll find this little feature helpful.

The 1700 comes with a foam covered Pilates bar. In one review in which this bar was optional I commented that I didn’t think it all that helpful. I use props in Pilates class but this bar isn’t one that I find necessary. I can do Pilates work a bit better with a Pilates Ring and my own muscles. One exercise you’ll see has me holding onto the bar with one leg bent on the glide board and the other leg straight out. I have never done this in Pilates class. I have done similar exercises with my hands on rollers or down on the floor. Still for those of you who would like to do Pilates this bar will give you stability and the video the 1700 comes with will show you some exercises that will work your core using the bar.

It comes with dip bars and press up bars. Dip bars primarily target the triceps (back of the upper arm) and to some extent the chest. The can be done a variety of ways. On the 1700 they are done by lying on the board and sliding up and down while holding onto these bars. They are surprisingly effective!

The press up bars are at the base of the unit. With my head at the base I held onto the press up bars and with my body moved the board working my back primarily and biceps.

It comes with a weight bar. Weights are not included but two weight clips are included. These ensure that the weights don’t fall off. The bar is toward the bottom of the unit. What Fitness Quest has done is enabled those of us/you who wanted more resistance to get more. Granted 75 pounds may not sound like a lot and if you are a body builder most likely you aren’t even thinking of the 1700 Club. However if you are not adding that extra weight provides some challenge.

Some other exercises you can do on the 1700 include pull ups and chin ups, crunches and sit ups, squats (though not ideal if you are used to a Smith Machine or barbell) and leg presses

How this works:

Fitness Quest claims that the Total Gym is safe for all fitness levels. It is not recommended for children. Please be very careful using fitness equipment around children.

I suggest that until you get used to getting on and off the 1700 you have someone with you or be very, very careful. There are no sides and losing your balance is possible

The resistance is worked by raising or lowering the board. The 1700 has 6 levels which uses 6% to 50% of your body weight. I pull out a pin and then can raise or lower the board on metal rungs. The way I can describe it is to compare it to the somewhat old fashioned sit up boards that had rungs on the back. The higher I would put the board the more difficult the sit up. I’ll explain those percentages this way: If I am on the highest level I am moving 1/2 of my weight. For those of you who pull up 100% of your weight you will understand how this machine is perhaps not for the person looking to build lots of mass or compete. To explain even further when lifting 100% of my weight I am essentially lifting 100% of my dead weight. Since I’m lying down or at an angle on the 1700 the 50% actually feels (to me) easier than if I were to pull up 50% of my weight on a Gravitron, which is a machine that allows the user to pull up all of my weight, none of it or somewhere in-between.

The Total Gym 1700 Club does a lot for the money. I can work every body part. Although you are getting some cardio vascular benefit, the Total Gym, in my opinion, does not replace cardio vascular work on a treadmill or walking outside.

My final thoughts:

I think the Total Gym 1700 Club is the best of the systems under $500 that Fitness Quest puts out in the line. It is, in my opinion, best for a person who is new to working out or has been working out whether at home or at a gym and wants a piece of equipment. For those of you really wanting to build mass this is not a machine I would recommend.

The Total Gym 1700 requires no maintenance to speak of. You will not have to worry about fancy technology or electronic parts breaking down. On the other hand it is a simple machine that has its limitations because the programming consists of moving a board up and down. With the addition of the weight bar the 1700 has become a bit more complex than the others which is why I am rating it higher.

If you are new to exercising, have any medical conditions, are a man over 40 or a woman over 50 please talk with your doctor before starting any program.

I hope this is helped. Please feel free to leave me a comment or question or request a piece of equipment you would like me to review. Thanks for reading. Jo

Equipment reviews mentioned above:

Weights to put on the weight bar
Total Gym 14000 • Total Gym 3000 • Total Gym 1500

Pilates Ring
Foam Rollers

Weider Pro Smith Machine

My fitness equipment reviews can be found here.