Friday Fitness | TRX - AshLee Frazier

So, what is TRX?

Maybe your gym has a set of nylon straps with handles dangling in a corner somewhere. If it does, take a closer look and you’ll probably see the letters “TRX” stamped on it. The official name of this curious piece of gym gear is the TRX Suspension Trainer. And it’s becoming one of the hottest fitness tools on the market.

The TRX Suspension Trainer was invented by a Navy SEAL as a way for him and his SEAL mates to stay in shape no matter where they were deployed in the world. Using only the suspension straps, it works by leveraging your body weight against gravity and allows you to hit every muscle in the body in a dynamic and integrated fashion.

TRX Intro and Beginner Workout

by Brandon K. Cole

TRX Beginner Workout Circuit: Download Here!

How is it unique?

It’s lightweight and super portable. It’s also endlessly versatile, and delivers a full body workout that can replace a whole gym of equipment. I have a set that I take with me any time I go out of town, since it fits easily into luggage bags. You don’t even need that much room.

If you’re used to going to the gym and plopping down on the same old machines week after week, then the TRX can introduce a lot of fun and variety to your workouts. Once you hang it up, it requires very little adjustment. You can even increase or decrease the challenge on almost all exercises by changing the angle of your body. This keeps the pace fast and the intensity high. It’s a lot different than meandering from one machine to the next at the gym.

What are the benefits?

I’ll list them in a bullet point format to make is clear:

It’s versatility. You can go from one exercise to the next with almost zero pause.
If you’re crunched for time, it’s the perfect tool.
You can build strength and cardio at the same time. Keeping the pace up gets your heart racing, while the resistance makes your muscles work hard.
You get a very effective core workout no matter what because the muscles HAVE to stay engaged in order to balance yourself.

OK, so how do you use it?

I use it every day with clients and in my own workouts. And you’ll often see professional athletes like NFL star Drew Brees, world class footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, and many top UFC fighters using it regularly in their training.

Lunges!

You don’t have to be a high caliber athlete to reap the benefits. In fact, I always start my new clients out on it, because it teaches so many important skills like body awareness, coordination and integrated muscle function. I’ve included a PDF to show you some visuals and to get acquainted quickly.