TRX Suspension System

I am not a big fad a fans. I never have been.

As a teenager, I was always the girl to avoid the clothes and hairstyles that were the “in thing.” As an adult, I am even more so, especially when it comes to diet and fitness fads.

I am not one to try the latest and greatest diet. And though I think some classes are fun to take on a one-off basis, I am not one to spend money on pieces of equipment like the ThighMaster and the Shake Weight.

So when I first heard about the TRX Suspension System, I didn’t really give it a second thought. It was just one more fad. But lately readers have pointed me toward the system more and more often.

As I was recently heading out of town for two weeks I had several suggestions that I invest in a system as a way to stay fit without the help of my gym.

Fortunately, our vacations are usually planned around our fitness with plenty of biking, running and swimming included in each day. This one was no exceptionm, which meant I didn’t bother with the TRX System.

But after arriving back home, I noticed that my gym has started using it. I noticed that Dan Riser at The Club at API, who has been helping me with a personal fitness project, had the system and I remembered Teresa Giordano at the The Power of Fitness had incorporated one exercise using the system into the Tabata routine I took there a few months back.

It was time to admit that maybe there was something worth looking into. But still, I am cheap. I don’t want to spend money on anything unless I am convinced it is worth the effort.

Giordano agreed to give me an introduction to the system.

According to the TRX website, the system was developed by former Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick as a way to workout whenever he and his fellow SEALS were not able to use conventional methods.

The system comes packed in a small canvas bag and can be attached to anything that can hold your body weight—a tree, swing sets and monkey bars at a local playground.

Right away, I was concerned with two problems. First, how easy is it to set up? I am not a mechanically minded individual and I seldom have extra time on my hands.

When I want to workout, I don’t want to spend 15 minutes worrying with the setup. Luckily, that worry was alleviated right away. The system takes less than five minutes to set up.

Second, and most importantly, how intuitive is the system? That worry was not alleviated. The system is not intuitive. Though there are videos and there are booklets that explain each exercise, it is a system in which you could easily hurt yourself without some guidance or if you do as I did—stand there wondering what the heck comes next.

This is where Giordano came in. Because she uses the system herself and teaches her clients to use it for their workouts, she was able to walk me through a series of exercises.

Without her guidance, I would not have felt comfortable trying half of the exercises we were trying and even with her guidance I found myself constantly aware of how the smallest move in the wrong direction could cause an injury.

Giordano said it is very important, as with any routine, that you have proper instruction before starting. It is important that you maintain focus, know what muscles you are trying to focus on and know which moves you need to avoid.

After 30 minutes with Giordano, I could see the benefits of the system. Because it uses your bodyweight, it is infinitely adaptable. It can be used by a relative beginner and the more experience athlete can add much more advanced exercises as they see fit.

Riser said the TRX System also can be used to create a sports-specific workout. Whereas Giordano focused on the total body, Riser walked me through several exercises that would help improvement my mobility for the swim and bike portions of my triathlons.

He also said there are TRX routines that can be adapted for golfing, baseball and other sports, as well.

Both Giordano and Riser said they believe there is a place for the TRX System in a fitness routine, but both agreed it is important to get instruction, work with a trainer and develop a routine that works for you.

Having gone into my session at the Power of Fitness with the idea that this system really was not something I would be interested in, I was surprised to walk out wondering how soon I could get one for myself.

Even if I didn’t use it on a weekly basis, which I think I probably would, there is an appeal to having something to take on vacation or use in the house when I am not able to get to the gym.