By Yanar Alkayat
Fitness fads come and go and if I could try every one of them, I would. So when I heard one of the top dogs at Virgin Active singing the praises of the TRX - apparently it's a firm favourite among athletes, coaches and even the military - I was there in a flash.
How it works
This is what's called suspension training, which means you use your body weight as resistance. Hold on to the two hanging nylon straps (industrial-strength to hold up to 500kgs) and stand on your feet to do squats, lunges, pull-ups and a million other exercises. Or, place your feet in the loops, balance on your arms and do mid-air resistance work (slightly harder!).
TRX totally taps into the core because you need balance and stability for most of the moves. If you want to make a move harder, you simply change the angle and incline of your body, giving you more or less resistance.
The training
Alongside my weekly cardio of a couple of runs a week, I threw in an hour's session of TRX. My personal trainer at Virgin Active in South Wimbledon, Chris Fitzgerald, was great at teaching the basics and make me feel comfortable and confident with the exercises - there are so many things you can do that it's good to talk about your goals with the trainer.
Weeks one and two - getting to grips with the grips!
Getting used to the hanging loops and using your body against gravity as resistance is the aim, so the first couple of sessions were spent wobbling about in an uncoordinated fashion.
Weeks two and three
Chris created a workout for me that really worked the hips, bum and tum with mid-air push-ups, lunges, shoulder presses and one-legged squats. Doing 30 seconds on each exercise for an hour was more than enough to leave my whole body aching like mad the next day.
Weeks three and four
I feel like a pro, hanging off the loops on my side and pulling my body up through my hips. The more used to TRX, the harder the workouts get. Chris tells me to drop my body's incline to make the moves harder and reduce the interval time between each exercise. Before long, I'm panting and my heart is racing. Apparently, TRX is also great for endurance workouts as it can get your heart rate up within minutes.
Weeks five and six
I can definitely feel a difference in my stomach and not just at the front, but all the way around the sides too. My arms don't feel so limp and flabby and I've worked a lot on my feet to strengthen the muscles I use in running. Another good use of TRX is rehabilitation from injury.
The verdict
Incorporating TRX into your weekly cardio training will yield good results if you are patient. It can get a little dull at times but a dynamic 20 or 30-minute burst of non-stop moves will do the job. A strong core? Tick. Taught, toned arms? Tick. Total body workout? Double tick.
Visit www.virginactive.co.uk to find your nearest club or www.trxfitness.co.uk for more details on TRX
