Brenda dykgraaf biography

Tom Campanaro - 2013 NFHOF Inductee

Tom became a self-taught student of exercise equipment and methods, tinkering in his garage to find or make various objects with which to weight train. By the early 1970s, Tom was competing in regional and national bodybuilding competitions.

However, a steady increase in steroid use among professional bodybuilders disillusioned Campanaro, and he soon bowed out of the sport. 

Tom founded the Total Gym® Company with business partners Dale McMurray and Doug Marino in 1974, with Larry Westfall joining the team within the year.

They developed the Total Gym incline bodyweight trainer, a high-quality version of a machine that encouraged the use of multiple muscle groups together in each exercise—now referred to as “functional training.” 

As Campanaro and his partners tirelessly showcased the benefits of Total Gym far and wide, the company grew.

Infomercials, the darling of direct response TV, were Campanaro&rsq