Advertisement
Victoria Pendleton gives TRX a go. GEOFF CADDICK
Fitness

So what's TRX training all about and should I get on it?

Here’s everything you need to know.

TIRED OF THE same old gym routine and looking for a change? Looking for something as hard, as punishing and as rewarding as anything you’ve done to keep fit up until now?

Step this way…

TRX training – or suspension training as it’s often referred to – is a brilliant way to get a total body workout and can be used to train power, strength, endurance, coordination, flexibility and core stability simultaneously.

Most gyms nowadays are equipped with the requisite materials to host a TRX class, which to be fair, is very little.

Admittedly, it is a daunting prospect to go into your first class and if you’ve not tried it before you could be in for a shock. But it’s like any class – or sport – you try for the first time, you’ll probably be awful at it. So just go for it.

How does it work?

TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise) is a way of working out using just your body weight, gravity and a pair of straps. The straps usually hang from a door, the ceiling or beam to slightly destabilize your body as you run through variations of exercises ranging from classic lunges to push-ups and crunches.

Sounds simple, right? Not quite. What makes TRX such a challenge is it isolates the muscles you want to use, loading this target zone better than most other exercises. But don’t worry, the amount of body weight loaded is determined by the user’s current level of fitness and conditioning.

What are the benefits?

  • You can do TRX training anywhere
  • Is especially excellent to isolate the core muscles
  • Improves your strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and joint stability
  • Very little risk of injury
  • Can isolate muscle groups or involve multiple muscle groups at a time

Who is it for?

Absolutely everyone. Whether it’s to keep fit, rehab from an injury or if you’re chasing a performance goal it’s hard to beat TRX. As mentioned already, this type of training uses your own body weight so there’s absolutely no need to be afraid if you arrive at your first class and the Leinster Academy are in there before you. It’s a totally individual thing. You can only do what you can do, if that makes sense.

Anything else?

One of the big selling points of TRX is how low maintenance it is in terms of equipment. The straps are cheap to buy and pack away really small. And truth be told, you can easily make your own and transport them in a backpack with you, whether it’s to work or on holidays.

They can be attached to a tree or a door or a ceiling and you can work through a range of exercises in a four-foot radius around yourself.

Warning: You will feel like a chump after your first class. But not your 10th one.

12 Medicine Ball exercises that will give you a great full body workout

Thinking of heading out for a run? Here’s what you need