Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB TRX - anyone here with experience?

[User 7569]

Hello I got a TRX not too long ago.

So far I have been loving what it's doing for my rows, pistols, and support work (like with parallel bars). Rows on the TRX are a whole separate ballpark than Australian pull ups from a bar, and way easier on my forearms/wrists. I'm really looking forward to dipping on the TRX at some point as well.

I do wonder though - what's up with this piece of gear? There seems to be a good deal of information about the TRX on its website, including trainer certifications (what??) and exercise videos, but I'd be more interested in hearing about members here at Strongfirst using the TRX for SF-style training programs, which are generally based on few, bigger, heavy, compound movements..

As far as I can tell you can use the TRX for most basic body weight movements and then some other things like curls.

There seems to be a big TRX following among military personnel as well..or at least TRX would want you to believe that..

Some of you may not know about this .

Any thoughts on this piece of gear? I'm pleased with it, just mystified.

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

I have one (or rather a non TRX branded suspension trainer of almost identical specification) and it's not a bad bit of kit. It only cost me £30.00 (about $40.00 at the current exchange rate) as opposed to £150.00 for an official TRX.

When the weather was nicer (and before I got my kettlebells) I did like attaching it to a tree branch in the garden and working on a bodyweight push/pull routine, although I never performed this consistently enough to really achieve any noticeable results myself. It's nice for travel as it doesn't weigh much and all you need is something to hang it from.

If I'm doing any kind of suspended training at home, however, I'll usually set-up my gymnastic rings and use them instead, although you can't do chest flyes and similar movements with the rings.

I think that its convenience and portability are probably the main reason it's popular with the military and if I'm away from home for a week or more it's definitely something I'll make space for in my rucksack, should I get bored of push-up variations, pistols or, Heaven forbid, I can't find anything on which to do pull-ups.

 

[Steve Freides]

If you use the Search feature here for TRX, you'll find a few folks who mention it in their training logs.

-S-

 

[TexasDan]

Somewhere I picked up the expression "Goals determine the methods, methods determine the tool."

If you are wanting to explore calisthenics then I would recommend a suspension trainer of some sort. It definitely allows for a greater number of exercises and is easily to scale difficulty.

I think this tool can easily lend itself to a higher rep style of circuit training. If you know your physics and are creative then it can also lend itself to some really difficult low rep exercises.

 

[wespom9]

We have some at our gym and I use them occasionally. Can be absolutely great for rows, definitely. I like them as a progression for rear foot elevated split squats, as the foot in the strap asks for more stability than on a bench.

That being said, I would 99/100 times prefer a set of rings for suspension training. Pullups, musle ups, skin the cat's, and all the lever variations are next to impossible on a TRX. I would add dips to that list too - I'd hesitate to do them on TRX's.

 

[North Coast Miller]

I made one and used it for a few weeks, so no expert here. I would have used it more but my basement ceiling is too low and my garage is too packed to workout in, so I can only use it from a tree when the weather is nice.

Definitely lends itself to circuit training and higher rep work (depending on fitness levels). That said, there are variations of some movements that are extremely challenging low rep, and many movements can be adapted to it such as one arm pushups, one arm rows etc. It is a great tool to augment BW work.

The best thing about them is the ability to modify difficulty with relatively small changes in how you support yourself.

Ultimately I found workarounds for the moves I was using, but I was barely scratching the surface.

Steve Maxwell speaks highly of them in general, and we used them at my certification as part of a pretty demanding circuit. There's an awful lot you can do on them.

 

[JeffC]

A friend asked me what he could do to start exercising and "lifting weights". I told him to buy a suspension trainer or rings, and a 24kg Kettlebell. A person off the couch could build a solid base with those two tools and a will to be better.

P.S. I told him to let me know when you get the stuff and I will help you out. He didn't get the stuff. I believe that is solid advice for an effective economical way to start improving yourself. Maybe I am just talking out of my a#@ again.

 

[User 7569]

I have one (or rather a non TRX branded suspension trainer of almost identical specification) and it's not a bad bit of kit. It only cost me £30.00 (about $40.00 at the current exchange rate) as opposed to £150.00 for an official TRX.

When the weather was nicer (and before I got my kettlebells) I did like attaching it to a tree branch in the garden and working on a bodyweight push/pull routine, although I never performed this consistently enough to really achieve any noticeable results myself. It's nice for travel as it doesn't weigh much and all you need is something to hang it from.

If I'm doing any kind of suspended training at home, however, I'll usually set-up my gymnastic rings and use them instead, although you can't do chest flyes and similar movements with the rings.

I think that its convenience and portability are probably the main reason it's popular with the military and if I'm away from home for a week or more it's definitely something I'll make space for in my rucksack, should I get bored of push-up variations, pistols or, Heaven forbid, I can't find anything on which to do pull-ups.

Do you do those weird TRX pullups where you start with your feet on the ground?

 

[User 7569]

A friend asked me what he could do to start exercising and "lifting weights". I told him to buy a suspension trainer or rings, and a 24kg Kettlebell. A person off the couch could build a solid base with those two tools and a will to be better.

P.S. I told him to let me know when you get the stuff and I will help you out. He didn't get the stuff. I believe that is solid advice for an effective economical way to start improving yourself. Maybe I am just talking out of my a#@ again.

I'm definitely feeling that as far as an economical gym goes.

Because of my build I've never had too much trouble with pushups or pullups but rows have always been a weakness of mine.. the TRX would have been nice when I was having more trouble with some of the other basics as welll

 

[User 7569]

We have some at our gym and I use them occasionally. Can be absolutely great for rows, definitely. I like them as a progression for rear foot elevated split squats, as the foot in the strap asks for more stability than on a bench.

That being said, I would 99/100 times prefer a set of rings for suspension training. Pullups, musle ups, skin the cat's, and all the lever variations are next to impossible on a TRX. I would add dips to that list too - I'd hesitate to do them on TRX's.

maybe this is deserving of scoff on my part.. but i got the trx specifically for dips, pushups, and rows.. so that I could replace the pushup elevations and parallel dip bars that I had in my backyard.

never tried rings, don't like the look or the set up ..

dips on trx are actually ok just very hard for me... still easier on the shoulder though (vs fixed bars)... I don't mind the strap although I know some people do

 

[wespom9]

@Jak Nieuwenhuis not saying they are impossible, just that I find them more challenging. Rings are much sturdier for the dips. Pushups are definitely a good option for TRX as well.

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

Do you do those weird TRX pullups where you start with your feet on the ground?

If you mean these then no; I've been training pull-ups for a while and usually perform sets of 12 without any significant fatigue so I don't really felt the need to regress to a self-assisted version of the exercise, although that's not to say that it's not a beneficial exercise.

I am a big fan of bodyweight rows with the TRX however.