Trying TRX

Thanks to a great friend of mine, who was also my running buddy once-upon-a-time, I had the opportunity to try out TRX Training.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with TRX, it's a body training system using the method of "leveraged bodyweight exercise." It's a training method born in the U.S. Navy SEALS, and developed by Fitness Anywhere®.

The equipment is basically two straps that can be adjusted for length. The apparatus attaches to either your ceiling or a door handle (in the travel versions of the TRX; the equipment only weighs 2lbs, so you can throw it in your luggage when you have business trips and, as the TRX battle cry goes, "never miss a workout". You use the straps to perform over 300 exercises that can build total body strength, flexibility, and improve physical performance. You use your own body weight-increasing angles to make exercises more difficult, or decreasing angles to make it easier. For instance, you hold the straps in your hands, walk your feet behind you until you form a "plank", and from there you can do an exercise very similar to a push up, to work your chest. To maintain your balance, you have to engage your core muscles, making the exercise truly total-body.

As our instructor, Linzi Arellano-Co said, the beauty of the  TRX workout is that you make small adjustments to tailor-fit the workout to your current strength and ability. Additionally, the TRX trainer makes transitions between exercises lightning-quick, so you can keep your heart rate up, making the workout aerobic as well.

Linzi Arellano-Co, on the right, with esteemed Pilates instructor Romana Kryzanowska

 We started out with squats, holding the straps in our hands very lightly, just for balance. Each student in the class went at their own pace, and the instructor would tell us when to stop and switch to a new exercise. We did a variety of squats and lunges, even piston squats (which made me want to cry.) We did upper body exercises as well: rows, chest presses, bicep curls, tricep presses. And even though the room was air-conditioned, I was sweating like anything.

The TRX will reveal which side of your body is stronger (for instance, my left leg was hopeless on the piston squats. My right was a little less pathetic.), and it will force you to work your body evenly, equally. Your body is constantly adjusting as you try to perform the different exercises, some of which require a lot of balance.

We also did a couple of exercises on the floor, for the butt and abs, this time, putting our feet into the straps. Planks and crunches on the TRX bring a whole new meaning to the concept of ab work.

Finally, we did stretching, using the straps to go deep into stretches for the upper body and the legs and hips. Heaven.

Streeeeeeetch!!!

TRX Training is both effective and fun. There's no time to get bored, because you're constantly switching it up. Of course, the fact that I was there with friends made it that much more...shall we say, entertaining?  
On the whole, it was an experience I enjoyed a lot. I hope to TRX train again soon!

Why not give TRX a try too?

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Linzi Arellano-Co is also a Classical Pilates instructor. Her studio, Pure Pilates, has Pilates and TRX Training classes.