What Is the GTS Gravity Training System?
If you’ve trained with us at Mount Yonah Training in Cleveland, Georgia, you’ve probably noticed our three GTS Gravity Training towers. And if you haven’t trained with us yet, you might be wondering what those tall machines with the pulley systems are—and why we chose them over traditional weight equipment.
The GTS (Gravity Training System) is a cable-based resistance training system that adjusts from 10% of your body weight up to 80% of your body weight, with the option to add an extra 200 pounds. This range means the system meets you exactly where you are—whether you’re doing your first assisted pull-up or adding explosive plyometric variations to challenge yourself.
At Mount Yonah Training, we don’t follow fitness trends. We choose tools that work for real people living real lives in Northeast Georgia—from active retirees to rock climbers, from weekend warriors to people just starting their fitness journey. The GTS is one of those tools.
Why We Chose GTS Over Traditional Equipment
Here in the North Georgia mountains, we see clients ranging from their 20s to over 100 years old. That means we need equipment that meets everyone where they are and grows with them as they build capability.
Traditional weight machines have a problem: they lock you into a fixed range of motion. Your body doesn’t work that way. When you reach for a handhold on Mount Yonah’s granite face, pull yourself up a steep trail, rotate through a golf swing, or carry gear to your campsite, you’re moving in multiple directions at once. The GTS trains those real-world movement patterns.
The pulley system provides smooth, constant tension throughout your entire range of motion. Unlike free weights where resistance varies based on leverage and gravity, the GTS cables maintain consistent resistance from start to finish of each rep—without the joint stress of heavy barbells or fixed machines. You build strength progressively—starting exactly where you are and advancing as you’re ready.
No excuses. Just progress.
The GTS Advantage: What Makes It Different
Meets You Where You Are
Can’t do a pull-up? The GTS lets you start at 80% assistance (lifting only 20% of your bodyweight) and progressively reduce assistance as you get stronger. Already strong? Set it to 10% assistance or add the 200-pound weight stack for serious resistance.
This isn’t about recovery or rehab—this is about building capability from wherever you’re starting. Whether you’re a beginner or a tactical athlete, the GTS scales to your current level and pushes you forward.
Constant Tension, Variable Position
Unlike free weights that rely on gravity pulling straight down, the GTS provides resistance from any angle. This means we can train movements like rotation, pulling across your body, and overhead pressing patterns that are impossible to replicate safely with dumbbells or barbells.
Train for Capability, Not Appearance
We’ve used the GTS with clients who couldn’t do a single bodyweight squat, and we’ve used it with former college athletes adding explosive plyometrics. The system doesn’t care where you start—it just gives you a clear path forward. This matters in a small community like ours, where we serve everyone from Mount Yonah’s rock climbers to Clarkesville’s working professionals.
Some of What You Can Do With the GTS
At our facility on Yonah Mountain, we use our three GTS towers for progressive strength training across all major movement patterns. Here’s what that actually looks like:
Squats – Traditional two-leg squats, single-leg variations, and explosive plyometric squats. Start with assistance, progress to full bodyweight, add load as you advance.
Pull-Ups – Slow controlled reps to build strength and form, fast tempo reps for work capacity, and plyometric pull-ups for power and explosiveness. The GTS gets you started at an easier weight level and progresses you to unassisted pull-ups and beyond.
Dips – One of the most effective upper body pressing movements. Assisted, bodyweight, or weighted variations. Same equipment, scalable intensity, progressive strength.
Rows – Multiple grip variations (palms facing each other, alternating pulls, palms down) and dynamic movements like the sawing motion that challenges your core while building back strength. We don’t just train pulling—we train all the ways your back actually needs to pull in real life.
We combine GTS work with several of our other training methods—bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, medicine balls, balance training, to name a few—in order to create programs that build real-world capability.
Who Benefits Most From GTS Training?
Short answer: everyone. Long answer: we’ve seen particularly good results with:
Rock Climbers – The GTS builds the pulling strength and core stability essential for climbing Mount Yonah’s routes. Progressive resistance means you can train specific movement patterns and gradually increase difficulty.
Hikers – Whether you’re tackling the trails around Helen or preparing for bigger adventures, the GTS builds the leg strength, core stability, and upper body capability you need. Single-leg squats on the GTS directly translate to hiking steep, uneven terrain.
Golfers – The rotational variations and core work we program on the GTS improve your swing power and stability. Plus, building overall strength helps you play longer without fatigue affecting your game.
People Over 50 – The variable resistance means you can start light and progress gradually. Many of our Northeast Georgia clients in this age group have told us the GTS is the first strength training system that let them build serious strength without joint pain.
Former Athletes – If you used to play sports and want to get back in shape, the GTS lets you train hard and progress systematically. Start where you are now, not where you were twenty years ago.
Anyone New to Strength Training – The assisted options mean you can perform exercises you couldn’t do on your own yet, building confidence and strength simultaneously. No excuses. Just progress.
GTS and Our Training Philosophy
We opened Mount Yonah Training because we wanted to offer something different from the typical gym experience in Northeast Georgia. No memberships. No trying to figure out machines on your own. No pressure to do exercises that don’t make sense for your body.
The GTS fits perfectly into our approach: tactical fitness combined with ancient wisdom. We use modern tools like the GTS, but we program them based on decades of experience and a deep understanding of how bodies actually work. This isn’t about chasing fitness trends or trying to look like an Instagram model. This is about building the strength and capability you need to live well—to climb, hike, play golf, keep up with your grandkids, and feel capable in your own body.
The Gravity Training System meets you where you are. Then it takes you where you want to go.
Try the GTS at Mount Yonah Training
If you’re in the Helen, Clarkesville, or greater Northeast Georgia area and you’re curious about the GTS Gravity Training System, we’d love to show you how it works. We offer private, appointment-only training sessions where we can design a program specifically for your goals and current fitness level.
Whether you’re 25 or 85, whether you can’t do a single pull-up or you’re training for your next climbing route, the GTS can meet you where you are and help you get where you want to go.
Ready to experience the difference? Contact us to schedule your first session at Mount Yonah Training. We’re located on Yonah Mountain, serving all of White County and the surrounding North Georgia mountains.
Adults 50+: Stronger than you think. We’ll prove it.
- 1-on-1 private training
- Small group sessions
- Customized programming
- Injury prevention focus
- Functional fitness that actually matters
Let’s talk about your goals and build a plan that serves YOUR life.
Stay strong,
Tim & Vie
Mount Yonah Training | Spartan Mind Strength
Mount Yonah, Georgia
