Against All Odds: My Story (28 page)

Afterward CBS gave me a tape of my live singing debut. I cracked up laughing when I saw my performance. I had stood on the stage, looking like a deer caught in the headlights; my eyes were as big as saucers as I attempted to sing, hugging that microphone, and singing with a total lack of emotion or pizzazz.

I laughed and said, “OK, that teaches me a lesson. I'm never going to do that again! I'd rather face ten black belt attackers than sing live!” Nevertheless, the Billy Bob's experience was good for me because once again I had done something I had thought I could never do. That in itself made it a worthwhile, fun adventure for me, although I apologize to you country music lovers who endured my debut.

We aired our last episode of
Walker, Texas Ranger
, a two-hour finale, on April, 6, 2001. It was an emotional time for all of us as we gathered for a wrap party on the set. Many of the cast and crew had worked together for eight seasons; we were as close to a family as it gets on a television series. As we finished our final day's work together, I spoke briefly to the cast and crew. I didn't dare talk too long for fear that I would burst out crying. There were plenty of tears to go around, anyhow, as we all said our farewells.

As we closed up the
Walker
set, I looked over at my wife, Gena, and said, “Let's go home.”

When I began working on the series, I thought that
Walker
had the potential to run for three or four years. Never did I believe it would go for eight years! CBS might have picked it up for a ninth season, but by then, Gena was pregnant, and I didn't want to be tied down for the time that a series demands. Gena was carrying twins, and I knew she would need my help. I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams how much help and prayer Gena and the babies would need!

If you would like to catch any of the 203 episodes, they are being aired on the USA Network Channel. I should also mention that
Walker, Texas Ranger
is the highest-rated syndicated show on the USA Network Channel.

CHAPTER 23

THE TOTAL GYM STORY

A
bout twenty-five years ago I injured the rotator cuff in my shoulder while doing curls with heavy weights on a bench press. I worked through rehabilitation exercises for about four months, using a series of light weights trying to rebuild my strength, but the shoulder was no better. I was nearly ready to give in to my doctors' opinions and have an operation on my shoulder when I received a telephone call from two guys in San Diego who had a new exercise machine they had developed for rehabilitation exercises.

“We saw something in the news about your injury,” one of the guys said, “and before you have an operation, you may want to try this. It's brand-new; we just invented it, and we think it might help you without you having to go through the pain, hassle, and other destructive aspects of an operation.”

Because of my visibility in the martial arts community, and later in the film industry, I often received pitches for new products. Some of them were interesting and worthwhile; many were not. But for some reason, when the Total Gym guys called, even though I'd never before met them and knew nothing about them, I felt compelled to consider their new exercise machine.
What do I have to lose?
I thought.
If it doesn't work, I can still have the operation.

I called my doctor and told him that I wanted to put off the operation for a while. Much to his chagrin, I explained to him that I wanted to try one more rehab machine before going under the knife.

Tom Campanero and Larry Westfall, the inventors of the Total Gym, came to my home in the Rolling Hills section of LA and set up their machine in the house. The machine seemed simple enough, just a series of pulleys on a flat, padded bench press. Rather than using heavy weights or complicated machine settings, the Total Gym incorporates your own weight, as you pull your body along an easy-gliding frame. The angle of the board increases or decreases the difficulty of the exercises. It seemed almost too simple as I watched the guys showing me a series of exercises, but it was clear that the exercises they prescribed provided a serious workout for the areas of the body I was concerned about. I tried the machine, and I could definitely feel its effects.

Tom and Larry encouraged me to start at a low level. “Do the exercises each day for ten or fifteen minutes, keeping the plane of the board at a low level for about three weeks,” they said, “and see if it doesn't help your shoulder.”

I faithfully exercised on the Total Gym every day, and as I felt the strength in my shoulder increasing, I raised the angle level of the board. Amazingly, within three weeks, my shoulder was completely healed! I called the doctor and cancelled the operation.

As I continued working out on the Total Gym, I discovered that I was getting stronger than I'd ever been before, even when I had been working out with heavy weights. The Total Gym was stretching my muscles and elongating them without pain, almost like a dancer or a gymnast doing full-stretch exercises. My body was becoming more flexible, and I could tell that my arms and legs were stronger than they had previously been. When I grappled and wrestled with students in my martial arts classes, I realized that the strength in my grip was more powerful too. I was astounded. I had worked out with every sort of exercise equipment and weights imaginable, but this simple machine was producing more desirable effects, in less time and with less stress!

I still did my martial arts training and aerobic exercises, and tried to maintain a healthy diet, but from the first time I tried it, to this very day, the Total Gym has been a regular part of my daily work-out routine. Over the years I've tried other machines and methods, but I've always come back to the Total Gym.

The only drawback to the Total Gym was its lack of portability. The Total Gym had been originally designed as a machine to be used in rehabilitation centers, not for the general public. But by 1995, Tom and Larry had nearly exhausted the market for selling the Total Gym to rehabilitation centers. They sold a few machines to gyms, but nobody seemed to know what to do with it.

One day as we were talking about their situation, I asked, “Have you guys ever thought about modifying the machine so it could be used in people's homes?”

“No, not really …”

“Well, if you could change the design slightly so it could fold up and be put away in a closet or under a bed, I think you guys could make some good money on this.”

“Do you really think so, Chuck?”

“Yeah, I do. I know what a benefit this machine has been to me. I'll bet it could help a lot of other people, too.”

“Would you be willing to endorse the product?”

“Sure, I would. Every time I've gone overseas to do a movie or something, you have sent me a Total Gym to work out on. I'd be more than happy to help out.”

Tom and Larry went back home and worked on the design of the Total Gym, modifying it slightly so it could be packed away after use. When they brought it to Dallas for me to try, I was as excited as they were! The new machine had all the benefits of the original, without the heaviness. Best of all, it could be set up or taken down in a matter of seconds and stored away in about the same amount of space required for an ironing board. I felt sure the guys were on to something big.

“Great! Now we have to find someone who can market the machine for us,” Larry said. They researched the various marketing companies and settled on American Telecast, a marketing company specializing in infomercials.

The guys said, “Chuck, nobody knows this machine any better than you. Would you be willing to do the infomercial for the Total Gym?”

“Well, I'm happy to endorse the machine, but I hadn't really thought about doing anything on television,” I hedged. I was already appearing on my own television program,
Walker, Texas Ranger
, and I didn't want to be over-exposed. But something inside me said, “For these guys, go ahead and do it.”

I'm now convinced that God was leading me to become involved with Larry and Tom. I knew that they were quality guys whom I could trust. As devout Christian men, their personal integrity was beyond question. Every morning before their actual workday begins, Tom and Larry start by having a brief prayer session with their employees.

“I don't endorse too many products,” I told the representatives from American Telecast, “but for Tom and Larry I'll do whatever it takes.”

I was willing to do the infomercial for free because of my friendship with Tom and Larry, but American Telecast wouldn't hear of it. “No, we need to work out a contract arrangement of some sort,” they said.

“OK, whatever you want to do is fine with me.” We struck a deal in which I would make a small royalty on the infomercial sales of the Total Gym.

American Telecast felt that we could appeal to a broader audience if we included a female on the program, so they brought in Christy Brinkley to assist me. I hadn't known Christy prior to filming the infomercial, but she is extremely articulate, cooperative, and wonderful to work with. We had a great time putting together the program.

More importantly, the product was something that we really believed in. I've never endorsed a product I didn't have absolute confidence in, and I couldn't have done the infomercial if I hadn't been convinced of the Total Gym's effectiveness for anyone willing to put in the time and effort, even beginners.

It's always nice to see good things happen to good people. When the infomercial began airing on television stations across the country, Tom and Larry—who had been struggling to find a market for their machine for more than twenty years—suddenly had a new problem. Sales started pouring in so rapidly that Fitness Quest, the manufacturer of the machines, could hardly keep up with the orders! To date, sales figures on the Total Gym have surpassed a billion dollars! Christy Brinkley and I have done several editions of the Total Gym infomercial. It is the longest-running infomercial featuring a piece of exercise equipment in the history of television commercials. And it's still going!

The Total Gym is so effective it can be deceiving; it works even when you don't realize it. When my son-in-law Damien and family came to visit at our ranch in Texas, he asked if he could work out with me.

“Sure, glad to have you,” I said.

Damien watched as I worked out on the Total Gym at the top level. When it came his turn, I placed the bench at a low level, two steps up from the bottom. Damien did the routine with relative ease. He wanted to keep on working out on the Total Gym, but I was a little concerned.