Old Total Gym Model History & Company Details

Updated on February 23, 2021

Total Gym is a name synonymous with quality, integrity, and results. For 3 decades we have witnessed the successful evolution of the Total Gym brand in rehabilitation, athletic arenas, garage gyms at users’ homes, and commercial gyms to round it out. A brand that has been moving people physically, mentally, emotionally, and economically since its inception in 1974. Originally founded as Total Gym incorporated under the DBA EFI Sports Medicine in 2003. They are now moving back to their roots and centering their products and mission around the forever known Total Gym name. From the beginning, they’ve been all about getting their users moving.

  • 1975, Tom and Doug found a name for their idea and called it Total Gym. This happened right in California on the beach
  • 1976, they have Dale come on the team, and the original model makes its way onto the market.
  • 1978, continuing to move the industry Syracuse university finds Total Gym to actually be an effective, safe non-compressing workout machine! This is a huge step for their name in the rehabilitation market.
  • 1979, Total Gym makes its first professionally-filmed commercial for TV.
  • 2003, Total gym gets right into the commercial gym market and has a full line of equipment- they called it the gravity system because of the way it uses your bodyweight along with gravity working against it to give you intensity and resistance which is great for using those muscles you don’t often target
  • 2004, the gravity line wins multiple awards and makes a name for itself in the PT market, where innovation was vital for the growth and prosperity of PT clients. Therapy clinics looked toward old Total Gym models as the Gods their industry. A ton of trust was built into their name at this time.
  • 2006, the Gravity summit is first held in San Diego. 9 different countries across the globe came to witness what this system had that none others did at the time. 
  • 2008, TG has a large user base of over 5 million users! Survey shows 76% of purchasers from the 1970s are still using the same equipment they originally bought.
  • 2010, Total Gym takes over EFI Fitness and brands themselves around the gravity-based systemization.

Product, brand, and user-experience integration are what make Total Gym one of a kind. Any company that starts off targeting physical therapy clients gives them a steady foundation for learning how the body moves and the best ways to get in shape without injuries, impact, and degradation of joints over time.

Regardless if you are an athlete, bodybuilder, cardio enthusiast, elder, or someone overweight looking to reach certain goals to maintain health, the Total Gym is probably your best bet. These days, going to a commercial gym is dangerous, not only for those throwing around free weights but also for innocent users who go into their commercial gym expecting everyone to be wearing their masks just as they are. People can be very careless and putting your health in their hands is risky and unnecessary, especially when you are aware of such products like the Total Gym.

Should you be someone with injuries or chronic pain, the Total gym gravity line is great for you as well! Check out the different models and see how you can incorporate them into your weekly schedule. Having one of these bad boys at home leaves little room for excuses and motivation to get in shape, reach your fitness goals, and step off onto the right foot for the start of the year. They have differently priced models that offer a different weight capacity, number of possible exercises, and extra accessories, but what remains the same is the quality build and the centerpiece which is the glide board.

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Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.