The Benefits of Training with the TRX Suspension System

As a Sports Chiropractor who treats various athletes at all athletic levels and abilities, I have found that when looking at muscle imbalances a great tool has been incorporating the TRX into a sports specific workout. TRX stands for "Tension Resistance Exercise" and is the newest piece of exercise equipment out there in the fitness industry. The TRX is the simplest piece of exercise equipment to enter the fitness world. All it requires is a stable anchor point and a willing body. The concept behind the TRX is core involvement, my favorite word.

As a chiropractor, this is my favorite word because when treating the non-athlete and the athlete, your "core" is where your strength, power, and control resonate from. For those of you who don't know what your core is, it is made up of your deep abdominal muscles, spinal stabilizers, pelvic bowl muscles and your hip flexors. You could be the most skilled athlete and have a weak core. Or, you could be an overweight individual and have a very strong core. Like I said, the TRX enables this concept and helps everyone develop these muscles from the moment anyone puts their hands in the straps.

A visual description of the TRX would read like this: a non-elastic strap that has two handles and hangs from one single anchor point. There are three positions you can train your body when using the TRX system (supine, prone and transverse). Whichever position you are training in, your core is consistently engaged. That’s the true beauty of the TRX.

Having just trained 10 tri-athletes for a local triathlon here in Stamford Connecticut (for the Kids In Crisis Triathlon) each tri-athlete was amazed at how much harder their bodies had to work when training with the TRX. Training them in the TRX made it clear where their imbalances truly lay. No matter how much they were running, swimming and cycling, their bodies were not properly trained to handle the transition from one event to the next without compensating, creating imbalances that could lead to injury or putting stress on a joint that was unnecessary. Also, I was able to specifically re-create actions similar to running, swimming and cycling by using the TRX in their one hour training sessions not just to strengthen the muscle but to stretch the muscle as well. The TRX has proven to be a useful training tool when working with athletes and their imbalances.

For information on how to use the TRX with athletes please contact Dr. Heather Gansel, owner of CORE The Center for Fitness and Chiropractic Care in Stamford CT, at heather@corefitnesschiro.com or 203-322-9299.