TRX Workout Benefits: 9 Reasons to Start Suspension Training
If you’re looking for a challenging workout that will work your entire body, suspension training is definitely the way to go. TRX exercises use your own body weight as resistance, making them incredibly effective.
This blog post will discuss the nine main TRX workout benefits and show you just how powerful this type of training can be.
Let’s dive in.
What Is TRX?
TRX, short for Total Body Resistance Exercise, is a system that relies on gravity and body weight to work out different muscle groups in the body. The TRX system consists of heavy-duty nylon straps, foot cradles, handles, and padding.
The TRX equipment has several advantages, including portability and versatility for hitting every muscle group in the body.
TRX has become a cult favorite in the fitness industry ever since it hit the market in 2005. This suspension training equipment is so successful that the brand has several variations, including TRX Tactical, TRX Home2, TRX Rip Trainer, and TRX Pro4.
Did you know?
TRX owes its origin to Randy Hetrick, a navy seal who experimented with parachute webbing and a jujitsu belt during his deployment in the 90s so that he could stay active on the go.
The first commercial TRX suspension trainer hit the market in 2005, and the US Marine Corps incorporates TRX Force as part of their military training.
In addition to being a favorite of professional athletes, TRX also forayed into sports science and has an academy that offers a workout program to those who aspire to be personal trainers.
TRX training offers a great workout experience with digital courses, accessories, weights, resistance, and mounting gear. This suspension training brand also has a training club that you can join in-person or virtually to train with the top personal trainers in the industry.
Check out our article on The Best Suspension Trainers
How It Works
As briefly mentioned above, the TRX suspension trainer uses your body weight and gravity in combination with body movements to give you a full-body workout.
Since the TRX suspension straps are literally hanging from the anchor point, the body position and exercises are performed in an unstable condition.
This instability forces you to engage your core muscles, the upper body, and other muscle groups to the max. These neuromuscular responses from your body build stability and muscle strength and help in weight loss.
Core engagement becomes an integral part of the TRX suspension training in order to maintain balance. Additionally, the muscles in the upper body, including the back, shoulders, and biceps, work actively to pull your body with the TRX straps to the system’s anchor point.
Although the TRX with its straps is the equipment for your exercises, the actual workout comes from your body movements as you try to balance and maintain stability with your body.
TRX Benefits
TRX workout benefits are manifold as it improves flexibility, coordination, and balance. In addition, training with the TRX also builds strength as it pushes your body to its limits, and yes, you get a great aerobic workout.
We go in-depth about the many benefits of TRX in this section.
1. With TRX, it’s possible to workout anywhere
One of the top advantages of TRX is the ease of using it anywhere. The TRX suspension training system has a patented anchor point for indoor and outdoor use so that you can hook it up to a tree or a hotel door frame.
If you’re wondering how reliable it is, the TRX has integrated foot cradles and straps to support all functional movements, including the squat, pull, push, rotate, lunge, plank, and hinge. This suspension training equipment also has locking loop assists, which reduces slipping during your exercise session.
The TRX system is also high on portability, which is another great advantage. You can pack the system and TRX accessories into the mesh travel pouch and make it your ultimate travel gym buddy.
2. TRX targets all major muscle groups
The TRX also takes the medal for effortlessly targeting all major muscle groups in the body. This suspension training setup can target biceps with curls, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves with squats, rhomboids, lats with rows, etc.
In addition, TRX exercises need your body weight for resistance, and major muscles are involved in the movements even when you are targeting a specific muscle. Therefore, whether your fitness goals are weight loss, building muscles, or staying active, TRX can help you achieve them.
3. TRX strengthens core muscles
One of the well-known facts about TRX training is developing unbeatable core strength. Because the system remains suspended during the workout routine, you brace and try to maintain stability with your abdominal muscles at all times.
With TRX training, your core muscles are engaged to the max. This suspension training system relies on an anchor point, so it is prone to rotation with the slightest of movements.
During the TRX workouts, your abdominal muscles must stay active and constantly kick into action to resist the rotation and maintain balance. Suspension training requires your core to engage and make constant adjustments to maintain stability regardless of the exercise method.
In addition, TRX suspension training also allows isolated exercises for the core muscles for greater abdominal muscle activation. You can perform crunches, planks, oblique crunches, lower back exercises, and the popular TRX atomic push-ups to achieve unbeatable core strength.
4. It’s very versatile and adaptable
Another fantastic benefit of TRX suspension training is unrivaled versatility and how easily you can adapt the system to suit your fitness levels.
With the TRX suspension, you can quickly execute more than 300 exercises with variations. Of course, you can keep the workout sessions as fun or challenging as possible.
For any TRX workout, three types of resistance principles are involved – vector, stability, and pendulum resistance, which concerns the body positioning angle, the position of the feet, and the angle of the TRX system. This allows you to execute functional training effortlessly without needing additional equipment.
5. Low-impact and low-risk exercises
Bodyweight workouts and compound exercises that involve weights and heavy equipment generally come with a risk of injury.
This is why strength training and muscle activation exercise regimens take place under the supervision of a qualified personal trainer.
TRX training is independent of heavy equipment, which is extremely low-risk. The adjustable TRX straps with the padded handles are all you are in contact with to get a full-body workout. So you have complete control of the amount of resistance and pressure during the workout routine.
The TRX suspension trainer is highly safe for your joints, so there’s little danger of injury, whether you’re targeting the upper body or the lower body.
6. TRX builds muscle by using your body weight
The TRX suspension trainer illustrates that bodyweight workouts with weights and a variety of strength-building machines are not the only alternative.
Conditioning the muscles and correcting muscle imbalance is one of the many benefits of TRX equipment. This is easily possible because you use your weight as the primary resistance for every workout program.
According to one study, participants who used the TRX workout method and those who did standard resistance training had similar outcomes after seven weeks. This implies that for people wanting to gain muscle, TRX suspension training is underappreciated.
TRX suspension training also improves the jumping ability of the test subjects. In addition, this suspension training also enhanced the bench press strength and back squat significantly more than those who trained in traditional resistance.
If you know anything about fitness and stability resistance training, muscle imbalance is one of the issues that is very easy to develop and difficult to fix.
However, with TRX suspension training exercises, muscle imbalance can also be corrected through compound exercises targeting the most prominent muscle groups in the body.
7. Appropriate for anyone at any fitness level
Among the top benefits of TRX training is its suitability for all ages and fitness levels.
This suspension trainer is ideal for everyone, irrespective of your level in the fitness game because you can add or remove the resistance.
Standing exercises and push-ups at a 45-degree angle where the upper body does not have to bear most of the weight are ideal for beginners and those with joint problems.
On the other hand, using the TRX straps to incorporate swinging motions is also possible if you want to increase resistance and make the workouts challenging.
Furthermore, suspension training workouts are great for the elderly because they are pretty gentle on the joints and the whole body.
As a result, depending on your requirements, you may use the TRX system to strengthen weaker muscles, reduce body fat, or build a six-pack.
This suspension training gear is also a great choice if you have prior injuries or recovering from injuries as you can slowly ease your body into moving the muscles. Just remember to keep the intensities low, and you can accelerate your recovery.
8. It provides a complete body workout
One of the real benefits of TRX suspension training is the inclusion of every body part.
This is not usually possible unless you have a home gym set up or a gym membership, which can run into thousands of dollars. And even that requires several pieces of equipment to target specific body parts.
This suspension trainer is an all-in-one home gym that allows you to work out your entire body seamlessly. TRX suspension training benefits everyone, from seniors and those recovering from injury and weak joints to advanced athletes.
TRX makes this possible because you are never working on one particular muscle group or performing one exercise at once. So when you’re working on your leg strength, your legs will do most of the movements. But other major muscles, including the back, abdominals, and the muscles in the upper body, work in tandem to stabilize the body.
9. It is a highly effective type of cardio
The effectiveness of TRX suspension trainers has been well researched and presented in a recent study.
TRX training has many benefits for the cardiovascular system, including reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure, decreased body fat, waist size, and increased cardiovascular endurance.
It is also effortless to set the pace of cardio workouts with the TRX suspension training. However, keeping the intensity challenging is a good idea to reap all the benefits of TRX training.
In addition, this suspension training system also has a dedicated TRX Cardio Circuit to maximize your cardio benefits. The high-intensity 60-minute program gives you a great start to TRX training.
However, this cardio program is quite advanced and may not be suitable for you if you just started suspension training.
Nevertheless, you can start slow with the TRX as you control how quickly or slowly you want to work out.
Pros and cons of the TRX
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TRX advantages are well-known in the exercise world. As shown in this article, TRX training is an excellent option for anyone serious about becoming in shape.
To help you make a well-informed decision, I’ve listed the suspension system’s pros and cons below.
Pros:
- Highly versatile for numerous exercises
- Suitable for all fitness levels
- Enhances stability and fixes muscle imbalances
- Strengthens muscles and works the whole body
- Portable with included travel bag
- Allows weight-free resistance and strength training
- Excellent for cardio and endurance
Cons:
- Unstable straps might be challenging for beginners
- TRX or personal trainer guidance may be needed initially
- Limited leg training options (common to suspension trainers)
- Not ideal for bodybuilders
- Incorrect form may increase injury risk
Possible exercises you can perform with TRX
As mentioned earlier, TRX training allows endless choices with exercises that target every muscle in your body. Here are the possible exercises you can perform with this suspension setup.
Note: The TRX exercise mentioned below starts with beginner-friendly, intermediate, and finally advanced. Also, the list of exercises here is by no means exhaustive, and you can add or reduce them according to your preference.
Get clearance from your doctor or a certified medical professional before getting into TRX training or any physical exercise. In addition, if you have a chronic health issue, pain, or joint problem, it is in your best interest not to attempt the TRX unless you get an OK from your doctor.
Beginners in suspension training should also enlist the help of a TRX trainer or personal trainer before they dive into it. Using the TRX with improper form can increase the risk of injury.
Possible exercises with TRX
- Chest – Chest press, chest fly, clock and knee-tuck push-ups, crucifix fly
- Core – Atomic crunch and cross plank, hand saw and split squat
- Arms – Reverse curl, one arm curl, tricep kickback, and extension pull up
- Shoulders – Rotator cuff, split fly, and handstand push-ups
- Back – High row, back bridge, power pull, and pull-ups
- Legs – Squats, bridge, side lunge, curl bridge, and Hungarian leap
- Cardio – Lunge pullover, squat row, sling jump, and lunge twist
- Full body – Atomic push-ups, wheelbarrow, saw press, and burpees
Conclusion
The TRX is simple yet one of the most effective systems for achieving your fitness goals without spending a lot of money on equipment or an expensive gym membership. It has incredible benefits of versatility, ease of use, and portability.
In addition, the TRX is a versatile piece of equipment that may be used by both beginners and experts in the fitness business, and this is something only a few exercise machines and equipment can claim.
Whether you aim to lose the excess flab, build strong muscles, or stay fit for a healthy life, you can effectively achieve your fitness goal sooner with this effective fitness system.
