What Are TRXs Good For?
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The TRX Suspension Trainer (and pretty much every other knock off version of it) has been praised as the full body workout that uses nothing but the included straps and handles. Some say it’s all you need to get fit.
Is this true?
Should you ditch your gym membership and just invest in a TRX?
Not so fast. We’ll go over why a TRX can be useful but they’re really just another tool in the toolbox instead of an all-encompassing piece of fitness equipment.
What is a TRX good for?
It’s true that you can get a full body workout with a TRX. You can even workout every primary movement pattern that exists. You can Squat, Hinge, Lunge, Push, Pull and do TONS of core exercises.
It also allows you to perform some very unique movements and exercises that challenge your muscles’ and joints stability. Some great examples are TRX Fallouts (core), TRX Bulgarian Split Squats (Legs) and TRX Hamstring Curls (Hamstrings). You can do a variation of all these exercises without a TRX, but the TRX offers a unique combination of loading and and stability challenges.
Versatility. A TRX comes with a small bag to carry it with and it’s very lightweight. You can put it in your backpack and bring it anywhere.
Allows you to focus on stability and balance.
All those things are good right? It sounds like a good fully body workout. And that’s exactly what it is…
It’s a good workout. It’s not a great workout. And I’ll tell you why.
What is a TRX not good for?
TRX’s miss two of the most fundamental aspects to every great program…
Training Maximal Strength
Training Maximal Power
Training for Max Hypertrophy (muscle building)
In order to get the best results of strength, power and even muscle building - you need progressive overload and you need lots of resistance. A TRX misses the boat on all of those. Sure, you can make exercises harder by moving closer to the midline of the TRX but it’s not even close to the amount of load you could add with dumbbells or barbells.
On that note you CAN build muscle with a TRX if you’re a beginner. There are some specific TRX exercises that will likely offer enough resistance for more advanced people to gain muscle. Exercises like TRX Triceps Extensions and TRX Hamstring Curls. But there are arguably only a handful of those exercises. One necessary strategy for maximal muscle growth is changing the resistance, the rep ranges and even the angle at which you stress a muscle/joint. With a TRX you are limited in those aspects.
With dumbbells or barbells you can load each muscle group as much as you need (as long as you have enough weights) to progress and as you get stronger you can keep increasing the weights. They also provide more exercise options. You’re more limited with the amount of exercises you can perform on a TRX vs dumbbells.
How We Use TRXs:
We still use TRXs and suspension trainers. They have their time and place. But at the end of the day the TRX is just another tool in the shed. We love using it for some unique exercises such as TRX Inverted Rows, TRX Triceps Extensions, TRX Hamstring Curls and some abdominal anti-rotation exercises. But the list is short lived.
Every program is different, but generally you’d emphasis heavier loads at the beginning of a workout and then work on things that the TRX provides later on as a supplementary exercise. Even then, it’s not necessary but it does provide some unique benefits that are fun.
I don’t think you’ll see a TRX class at Clear Cut Fitness anytime. But you WILL likely use it in our small group training classes and our personal training session as an accessory to help you reach your fitness goals!
At the end of the day you CAN get a full body workout with a TRX, but it is not an OPTIMAL way to train, not is it the most effective to reach most general goals whether it be strength, fat loss, etc. However, there are some unique exercises you can perform on them that make them a great addition to a Strength workout and the fact that you can get a full body workout with just one piece of equipment is appealing for a gym gym or travel gym setup.
For the Beginners/Intermediates
If you’re a beginner/intermediate and you’re looking to simply get into better shape - YES a TRX can help you improve. But even as a beginner, you’re better off with a set of adjustable dumbbells.
We’ll leave you with a playlist of a bunch of exercises with the TRX that we use in our workouts:
Oh and by the way, if you’re interested in training with us, reach out to info@clearcut-fitness.com or apply for personal training on our page form