Bayou Total Trainer Pilates System

First let me say that I am using this trainer and getting good results. I am reasonably satisfied, considering that I saved a lot of cash compared to the TV celebrity infomercial gym. It is a functional piece of fitness equipment but perhaps I am expecting too much, compared to the dollars I paid, because now I would like to share a few of my quibbles: The snap hooks which are at the ends of the ropes are plastic. I would feel more secure if they were metal and I may fix this later, myself. The area where the rails hinge is bumpy to roll over. On some exercises it is of no importance, on others you really notice it. That area needs to be manufactured with more care and precision and/or bigger diameter rollers to help smooth out the ride. The fixture that holds the rails by means of two pins at adjustable heights on the upright bar is also made of plastic. This piece seems sturdy enough so far, but it is certainly not commercial grade gym equipment, with this much plas... Read more

I had been considering buying either a Bowflex or one of the imitation rod trainers for a couple of years. The thing that made me decide to go with this was that I had previous experience with a similar type piece of equipment and always enjoyed the ease of use and simplicity of so many different exercises. Over the years I have trained at various gyms and at home..using everything from Nautilus, Universal, etc. to cable systems to a variety of free weights and benches. I always made increases in strength no matter what brand of machines or weights, both at home and going to the gyms so I have to say that whatever way you choose to train is fine but the beauty of this piece of equipment is that it takes up little space, is easy to switch back and forth to many different exercises, doesn't make the clanging of loading plates onto a bar which might be a concern if you want to keep it quiet while you work out. It is stable in case you might be wondering if it would be wobbly when... Read more