Bearing Trx

Bearing Trx

The TRX Suspension Training System - Is It Right For Me?

I decided to write a TRX Suspension Trainer Review to answer some of the common questions most people have about the popular exercise system:

What is the TRX?

What makes the TRX different?

Is the TRX worth the price?

TRX - Is it safe?

What are the TRX mounting options?

 

What Is The TRX?

The idea for the TRX Suspension Trainer derived from Randy Hetrick and his US Navy SEAL teammates. These military athletes believed it was essential to have a portable, versatile and effective means of keeping in peak physical shape wherever they went and in whatever conditions.

The TRX Suspension Trainer is essentially an adjustable strap system suspended from a single anchor point with hand grips for the hands and incorporated stirrups for the feet. The TRX Suspension Trainer is made with industrial strength materials and redundant stitching similar to what is found in the mountain climbing equipment industry. The suspension straps are constructed of high grade nylon webbing and thoroughly tested up to 1400lbs - three times the recommended user weight limit. The design includes an anchor strap with a carabiner and multiple anchor loops making it easy and quick to suspend the TRX from any suitable overhead structure such as a solid tree branch, soccer goal crossbar, monkey bars, swing set or even a vertical structure such as a tree trunk or telephone pole. Almost anything solid that can bear your weight and provide a safe workout area will do. The combination of the non-slip cam buckles and pull tabs facilitate easy adjustments to the strap lengths making transitions between exercises quick and fluid - great for interval and metabolic training.

Fitness Anywhere, the company that designs and sells the TRX, covers it's products with a one-year warranty that covers any defects in materials or workmanship as well as a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

 

What Makes The TRX Different?

What makes the TRX Suspension Trainer extraordinary among the great majority of fitness equipment is it's versatility, portability, and effectiveness and it does all three very well. In all my years of fitness and sports training, I personally have not found a single piece of equipment that was so small and lightweight, yet allowed users to perform literally hundreds of exercises. Furthermore, the TRX system is versatile enough to be useful for everyone from the consummate novice to the professional athlete.

The TRX takes the familiar exercises like pushups, squats, twists, and rows (and many others) and makes them more effective and challenging by engaging the core area. The often neglected core area is vitally important because it provides a stable base and foundation for your body to move and function.

However, some of the same exercises can be made less challenging by providing support and a means for proper form so novice or even users undergoing rehabilitation can start slow and gradually add resistance to build strength and conditioning. No more than moving the location of the feet or hands (depending on the exercise) and altering the body angle increases or decreases resistance. Narrowing ones stance can engage the core area more, while widening ones stance offers more stability and disengages the core. This degree of control allows TRX users to adapt workout routines to their current fitness level and over time easily increase resistance to gain muscle strength, core stability, flexibility and metabolic conditioning. From the shear number and variety of different exercises and routines available, exercising with the TRX should never get tedious. This is an enormously significant factor for many TRX users including myself. If I get bored with exercise, I simply won't keep at it.

 

Is The TRX Worth The Price?

The TRX concept sounds straight forward and initially the $190 price doesn't quite seem justified. However, the TRX Suspension Trainer enables users to participate in a great variety of exercises and workouts as well as the ability to do these exercises in many locations: at the local park, at home, in the backyard, in hotels, etc. A simple change of scenery can add considerable life to any exercise regiment. Keeping things fresh and fun is essential. When you buy the TRX Suspension Trainer, you not only get the straps, but you get the support of the TRX community as well. There are literally thousands of fitness blogs, forums, articles, and YouTube videos on the net that support the TRX system. There is sport specific training for golf, running, surfing, football, rehabilitation, etc. Furthermore, the TRX is engineered to handle the extreme and substantial use found in busy fitness clubs, military gyms, and the rugged outdoors. In my opinion, the TRX is an excellent piece of equipment and an intelligent investment in your health.

Currently, I use the TRX on average 3 to 4 times a week for about 20 to 30 minutes to supplement my training for Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons as well as various other activities like squash, half marathons, and hiking. Before finding the TRX, my triathlon training consisted exclusively of swimming, cycling, and lots of running. Over time, I found the gains and benefits I once enjoyed diminishing because my body was adapting to the same type of repetitious exercise. Not surprisingly, I experienced the dreaded "plateau" in my training more often, I was prone to repetition type injuries, and quite frankly, I was getting bored. After trying many ways to mix up my training with varied results, it was my wife who turned me on to the TRX after she had signed up for a class at the local recreation center. My wife loved the TRX workouts and suggested it could be the missing ingredient for my training.

The first couple of weeks with the TRX taught me how badly I had neglected my core area. Overtime, I gradually started to adjust my body angle to add more resistance and experimented with some of the more challenging exercises. After a couple of months of progressive TRX use, I found my running and swimming times considerably improved not to mention my recovery time after a race. The most important benefit of all, was a rejuvenated passion to train. I didn't swim and run as much and replaced these workouts with short TRX sessions. My overall fitness and susceptibility to injury actually improved with less training. It was less training, but more effective and diverse training. Training was fun again.

 

TRX - Is It Safe?

Genuine TRX products are engineered to exceed requirements needed for use in military bases, busy health clubs, recreation centers, and the outdoors. I've personally used the TRX at outdoor bootcamps where usage is ceaseless and demanding. As mentioned previously, the TRX is tested well beyond normal weight loads. With all suspension trainers, trust in the equipment is a must or the equipment will not be effectively used. The makers of TRX products recognize this reality and it shows in the quality of the product.

Further on the topic of safety, because of its popularity, the TRX has become the target of counterfeit and knock off sellers who use inferior materials with virtually no quality control measures to cut costs and in effect produce unsafe versions. If you decide to purchase the TRX Suspension Trainer or other TRX products, purchase the product from the Fitness Anywhere site, from Amazon or one of the authorized dealers in your area. To find dealers near you, go to see the Fitness Anywhere website.

 

What Are The TRX Mounting Options?

Fundamentally, there are three ways of mounting the TRX. First and the most common is to wrap the TRX anchor strap around any solid, weight bearing horizontal or vertical structure. Anything from beams, chinup bars, gym equipment, trees, goal posts, etcetera. Make sure the structure is safe and plenty strong enough to bear many times your weight (just to be safe). With this option you don't need to purchase anything extra. Second, the TRX Door Anchor can be used to anchor the system in any hinged door. Personally, I only use the Door Anchor accessory when travelling. And, for this purpose, it works very well. Yet, at home I find the areas around doorways too constrictive for most of the exercises I prefer. The third choice is the TRX Xmount ceiling mount. This is a good option if you have a dedicated area in your home, but no exposed beams or anything to wrap the anchor strap around. The Xmount needs to be secured with lag screws to the supporting structure of the ceiling or wall. For some people, this may be out of their comfort zone. In which case, you will need the help of a qualified individual or have the Xmount professionally installed.

 

Review Summary

As you probably noticed in this TRX Suspension Trainer Review, I couldn't hit upon much wrong with the TRX. When I first heard about the TRX, I was a bit skeptical. Despite being very intrigued by the concept of suspension training, my thought was $190 dollars for "a set of straps" was pricey. Thankfully, good sense prevailed and I purchased the TRX ProPack with the Door attachment from Fitness Anywhere and have been enjoying the system ever since.

Two aspects of the TRX that I thought could have been improved was the mesh carrying bag and the foot straps. The included mesh bag could have been a bit bigger making it easier to pack away for travel. As well, I found the foot straps a little small for those times when I wear (size 12) running shoes. Yet, these are minor problems and for the most part, not really problems at all.

The TRX suspension trainer is a versatile and convenient fitness system for fast effective workouts for core stability, strength training, flexibility, and metabolic conditioning. The TRX system is exceptionally portable so you can exercise anyplace: at home, while travelling, at the park, or at the gym.

In my opinion, the TRX can be used as a all-inclusive home gym, but where it really shines is as a valuable addition to an existing exercise regiment. This uncomplicated yet incredibly versatile exercise system makes getting or staying in shape fresh and fun! When it's fresh and fun, you're more likely to keep at it.

This concludes the TRX Review. I trust you found the ideas, recommendations, and personal experience useful...

Thank you and best of luck,

 

**The information in this article is the authors own point of view and constitutes recommendations only. The author is an actual user of the product. At the start of any new exercise regiment, consult a doctor for professional medical advice.**

About the Author

Darin of fitness culture is an avid triathlete, runner, climber, hiker, squash player and a kind of "jack of all trades, master of none" when it comes to many other sports. For over forty years, he's pursued his life-long passion for fitness, physical activity and exciting endeavors. In his spare time, he reviews some of his favorite fitness tools like trx suspension trainer review. "There's never enough time for it all, but I'll try!"

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