TRX Training - Survival of the fittest

My first awesome trial with TRX training...and an interview with two Uber fitness addicts.

Digest: Frappe Lifestyle Magazine, Nov 2010

 By Amrita Samant

  

When people talk about the physical benefits of exercising, they tend to hold on to the three S’s; Strength, Stamina and Slimming. Although these 3 aspects are important to stay healthy, they are not the only benefits that can be gained from physical exercise. Running and weight training have their own benefits, but let us be realistic. These fitness regimens can get repetitious and very dull over time. Fitness freaks need variety to keep them going.  Overcoming these weighty issues, city-based Fitness instructors at Leap Wellness Studio, Santosh & Nita, certified by STOTT PILATES (internationally renowned for their quality of its training) have brought down a whole new face to exercising with their recent TRX training routines.

TRX training is a fresh trend that is sure to boost some variety in your training schedules that helps you to acquire greater muscle tone and at the same time burn more calories without needing to carry out hour long sessions of aerobics. The greatest benefit is the fact that it allows you to exercise many different muscles simultaneously.

“Your workouts need to be mindful - the mind should be present with the body & the breath -  which not only yields quicker, safer and faster results with less effort - but also becomes meditative, enjoyable & an antidote  stress, proven now to be the top reason for weight gain & other physical problems.” says Santosh.

So what exactly is TRX training? The designer of the TRX training program, a former US Navy Seal, Randy Hetrick, developed TRX training because he and his fellow Seals often found it difficult to exercise effectively with limited equipment and space. 

The equipment used for TRX consists of adjustable straps with handles that is anchored to a sturdy surface such as a ceiling or a wall above head level. The foremost benefit of TRX traininlyg is Core Stability and the added benefit is weight loss, as it increases the metabolism by raising the heart rate. The suspension system in the TRX regimen has a vigorous cardio training effect by raising the heart rate. Primarily a Pilates studio, Santosh recommends doing Pilates as a pre-requisite to TRX, as the knowledge & practice of the 5 principles used in STOTT PILATES training apply here & ensure that the TRX workout is safe & injury free.

The 5 principles used in STOTT PILATES are:

 

- Breath Awareness - Breathing consciously & deeply to activate the abdominal muscles which in the process, helps detoxify the system.

- Pelvic Alignment - Keeping the pelvis in a neutral position when stability is required, or another position called Imprint, when we need to roll through the spine, in certain exercises.

- Ribcage Alignment - Aligning the ribs over the hips to ensure that the back is in a safe position while exercising. This again involves control through the abdominal muscles.

- Shoulder Girdle Stabilisation & Mobilisation - Keeping the shoulder blades stable, in a neutral position while exercising which is a pre-requisite to avoid shoulder & neck pain that is commonly experienced while training the abdominals.

- Cervical alignment - Treating the neck with care as an extension of the spine in all forward, backward, twisting & side-bending movements.

The other benefits associated with TRX training include strengthening the lower back muscles, while building a stronger body with better balance and flexibility.

“The popular misconception of fitness is that one has to sweat & hurt all over to get strong & fit. We would rather emphasize that real fitness involves being strong at the core (around the spine) first, before attempting to bulk up or lose inches. It’s much more sensible to look at your body as an intelligent system that has its own awareness & needs to be treated with respect.” Says Nita.

With the festive season just around the corner, fitness buffs have a plethora of options to indulge in and bring out the new you!