Say goodbye to your ho-hum fitness routine, because strength training will never be the same. You can now mimic the effects of a super-sculpting cable machine, hone your balance and posture, and sculpt your abdominals in 15 minutes with one affordable TRX tube with handles.
You’ve seen it, but you’ve probably had no idea that Suspension Training has officially hit a gym or studio near you; and while the set-up looks intimidating at first, it also cuts your weight lifting workout in half, and it’s pretty fun to do with a small group and utilizing several “stations.” When you exercise against a fixed, external point, you’re in control of how much you want to challenge yourself on each exercise because you can simply adjust your body position to add or decrease resistance.
Suspension Training is a do-anywhere workout that sizzles calories and strengthens your core muscles by wrapping a resistance band around one point above you (some exercises use a point below you) to curl and lift against for arm resistance, chest and back, and belly and legs. Thousands of people at all fitness levels now train on it. TRX is used routinely by all four branches of the military and can be found in the locker rooms of:
• Major league baseball teams
• UFC fighters and mixed-martial arts fighters
• Olympic-level cyclists, swimmers and marathon runners
Tie the tube securely and perform strength moves for 15 to 20 reps or one minute per side. Even better, the next time you’re at the gym or Pilates studio, ask a trainer what TRX suspension workouts are like, and take a small class with a teacher. You work in smaller groups of six to 98 participants. Suspension Training (also called gravity training or simply TRX) may:
• Deliver a fast, effective total-body workout
• Help build a rock-solid core
• Increase muscular endurance
• Benefit people of all fitness levels
• Portable and affordable strength training that doesn’t hurt your wallet
Try it next time you hit the gym, track or park. There are exercises you can do at home or with any suspension trainer at your studio or gym. (My shoulders were achy for two weeks after my TRX session.)
Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography / freedigitalphotos.net
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