The TRX Suspension System For Fitness

In my endless, often fruitless quest for exercise equipment that will really work for anybody who uses it regularly, I don't usually find stuff that I really like! So it was truly refreshing to come across the TRX exercise system - a deceptively simple piece of equipment consisting of two heavy duty elastic straps with length adjustments and padded handles that comes complete with a kit that means you can fit it to a beam in your living room or a door frame or a wall bar. The whole system only weighs 2lbs. You may not think this sounds very exciting, but it's really amazing what you can do with this thing, whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned exerciser.

The TRX Suspension System was originally designed for the training of super-fit Navy Seals, but is equally suitable for any of us ordinary mortals. As a personal trainer I am delighted by its potential, as I mainly train "ordinary" people - who often have back problems, knee injuries and limited range of movement. The TRX fitness system provides as much resistance as required for straightforward exercises such as rowing, and as it works the body in a practical manner using all the stability and core muscles, the exercises can be made just as challenging as you want them to be!

Just thinking about the potential of the TRX Suspension System cheers me up; there are over 200 different exercises that can be done with the TRX and probably nearly as many again that can be done with a little ingenuity. Just think what can be performed using the TRX to provide resistance - rowing and all of the pulling exercises that tone the shoulders and back; leaning forward you can tone the chest muscles and arms; use the TRX to do resisted squats and lunges, which will tone legs and buttocks into a smooth, sleek shape, and use the handles for lat pulldowns to shape those long muscles on the side of the back. Remember; toned lats reduce bra-strap bulge. And that's just for the boys!

These exercises are all done in one plane; add some rotation and you start to work your deep core muscles and strengthen yourself from the inside out. The potential of the TRX for doing Pilates is jaw dropping! These are just a few exercises that can be done in a standing position - just imagine the exercises you could do kneeling, seated, or lying prone or supine. The list is almost endless and as you are not using weights, the potential for injury of muscles and joints is far lower than in other workouts.

The only part of your workout that the TRX exercise system will not provide is the cardio aspect, but all you need for that is an exercise bike or something like a mini trampoline. If you spend 20 to 30 minutes doing some cardio at a level that makes you hot and sweaty and slightly breathless, and then run through 20 - 30 minutes of exercises using the TRX fitness system, ending with a 5 minute cooldown and stretch (another way of utilising the TRX), then you will have done a full body workout that would make any personal trainer very happy indeed. And you will have burnt several hundred calories and toned up just about every single muscle in your body, including your deep core and postural muscles that you didn't know you had.

Do this three times a week, eat sensibly and you will see weight loss and a change in your shape within about a month. And you'll feel great!