TRX (Total Resistance Exercise), a brand name for suspension training, has steadily become one of the most popular forms of functional training on the market. It’s a trend that’s taken the fitness world by storm with more and more of us experimenting with the workout and reaping its benefits.
But what exactly is TRX, what are the benefits and is it right for everyday workout routine? Here are the answers you’ve been searching for:
What is TRX Training?
Let’s first address the basics and uncover what TRX actually is. Total Resistance Exercise offers a full body workout whilst challenging your core strength, agility and overall balance as you suspend your own body weight and practise with TRX harnesses.
TRX Training was first used by the US Navy SEALs and has fast become the biggest fitness trend going as your flexibility, core stability and poise are developed. Using TRX harnesses, you’ll embrace a whole new concept of fitness with suspension training allowing you to either focus on a whole body regime or a specific target area; you can truly customise your TRX experience and gradually improve your strength and ability.
TRX Training can look like a relatively simple workout and certainly involves little variety in terms of machinery and equipment used. But don’t be fooled: it’s a method favoured by many endurance athletes, power lifters and even UFC fighters, not to mention the military, and therefore certainly isn’t easy! Using your body weight is tough on your muscles but altogether fantastic for your overall fitness and strength.
What are the benefits of TRX Training
The benefits to TRX Training are extensive; ranging from physical benefits to your body to the practicality of training at home if needs be. Some of the key benefits include:
- Improvement in core strength and stability – Through TRX training, you’ll improve your overall core strength as almost any exercise performed using TRX equipment requires you to stablise your abdominal muscles and lower-back. This in turn allows you to leverage your body weight for suspension; and then you’re away! What’s more, your stability will increase as you suspend your own weight and use muscles that have perhaps not been exerted enough through past workouts.
- Perfect for all levels and standards of fitness – Whether you’re a Gym newbie or an established athlete, the great thing about TRX training is that it’s suitable for everyone, no matter their fitness level and standard. If you’ve never tried this training technique before, it’s best to start off slowly and work out how far you can push your body to begin with. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at suspending your own body weight and the better results you’ll see.
- Training whilst standing – There’s a lot to be said about exercising on your feet as opposed to sitting down. TRX training whilst standing allows you to strengthen the body’s stabilising muscles and in turn, improve your overall body strength.
- Integrated, not isolated – Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to TRX training is that you experience a total body, integrated workout that uses various different muscle groups at once. Isolated fitness, on the other hand, only works one target area which, whilst beneficial to a degree, can restrict your fitness overall.
- Injury prevention – Because of the integrated, multi-directional manner of TRX training, we can help our bodies overcome injury or even prevent it altogether by helping to aid our muscles and joints to work together, not against one another. Just be sure to practice TRX training correctly; if you rush into moves that you’ve not tried before or charge ahead before you’ve let your body get used to the new form of exercise, you might cause an injury which will slow down your fitness journey. Be sure to do your research and ask for help from a Fitness Instructor if you’re unsure of how to get started.
Is TRX Training right for me?
In short….yes! TRX Training is suitable for anyone, of any level of fitness. It’s ideal for those just starting out their fitness journey or those who are after something new in their workout. If you’re feeling a tad nervous about your first TRX experience, why not grab one of our Fitness Instructors in the Gym and ask them for a quick demo or come along to one of our TRX classes?
