One of the most buzz-worthy recent fitness trends is TRX. Those three letters represent a specific type of suspension training where you use your own body weight to provide resistance. You do this by using nylon straps and handles to perform the designated exercises. Sound easy? Be sure to take another look – or a class. Navy SEALS (yep) originally developed this workout and later passed it on. Fitness professionals say it’s no surprise why it’s caught on with the public, though. “It’s a total-body workout; you’re always engaging,” says Ray Wallace, co-owner of Pedal NYC, a New York City studio that offers TRX and has been previously featured on Bite Size Wellness. “It’s the beauty of getting something where it’s one tool you can incorporate in all five elements of fitness. Any age, any size person, any individual can use it.” If the idea of suspension training scares you, Wallace suggests adopting Nike’s motto and “just do it” to assuage your fears. Who knows? You might just fall in love.
1. Progress Slowly
“The most common mistakes new TRX students make are moving too fast and not progressing themselves correctly,” Wallace says. He’s seen TRX users try advanced moves like atomic pushups (your feet rest in the handles and after performing a pushup, you bring your feet to your chest in a crunch), and fall flat on their faces. To prevent embarrassing mishaps, injuries, and severe post-workout soreness, Wallace says it’s important to add to your routine slowly.
2. Get the Right Instruction
Proper form when using TRX is imperative. “It’s a great tool, but there are a lot of mechanics too as far as how you move your body, how you position your knees, your foot and how you’re properly aligned,” Wallace says. “A lot of key things that need to be put into place so you don’t hurt yourself.” He recommends having an expert demo the right moves as it will make each exercise more effective. As always, form is incredibly important and you won’t know what it truly is unless you ask.
3. TRX is Dynamic
If you take TRX, you should expect to see improvements in balance, coordination, strength, and speed. “They’re all the elements that work together,” explains Wallace. “The great thing is you can take a stationery lunge and you can make it very challenging balancing exercise or you can make it a very advanced move.” He goes on to expand on the fact that two key elements to TRX are balance and body awareness. “You’ve got to really focus on where your hips are and where your stomach is, especially if you don’t have a mirror. If you don’t have a mirror, it really makes you focus on where you are in space,” Wallace says. Try it out and challenge yourself!
4. Program Design is Key to Achieving Targeted Goals
Athletes can add TRX to their routines to improve specific aspects of their games. For instance, baseball players or golfers can use it to improve their swings, but only if they go after their goals in a targeted fashion. “If they’re just getting on it and doing some swinging movements, a lot of push-ups, trying to build strength in their arms, the common error is that they’re not going to achieve those goals because they’re not choosing the right exercises or putting them in the right order,” Wallace says. “So that also becomes part of the program design : making sure they’re starting from a base level and advancing themselves correctly.”
5. TRX really is for everyone
“I have 8 year-old kids I work with on it, and I have my heaviest clients at 390 pounds that use it. They can’t do a lot of things on their own with dumbbells, but they can get stronger moving their own body weight,” Wallace says. “That’s the beauty of it. We teach the body how to get better at moving all that weight every day. In the end, TRX’s model is : your body is the machine. It’s very, very awesome.”
Have you ever tried TRX?
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All images via Thinkstock
