Long distance running is a very repetitive sport and the overuse of certain muscles can cause tightness in the body. With the marathon season fast approaching it’s important for all those training, to incorporate alternative exercise into their training sessions.
Sportsister’s Lizzie is well under way with training for her first marathon later this year, so she went along to meet the TRX Head of Training and Development, Fraser Quelch, to try out a different form of exercise that promises to improve the whole body and counteract running’s repetitive motion.
Who are TRX?
Seven years ago, US Navy SEAL Squadron Commander Randy Hetrick created TRX; a company that makes innovative unique exercise tools and programmes that aim to fundamentally alter the way in which people think about fitness. Hetrick believes his company delivers results not promises, by helping his customers achieve their peak physical condition through the use of his equipment.
What is the TRX Training all about?
TRX Training is a revolutionary method of exercise that allows you to leverage your own bodyweight and gravity to improve strength, balance, stamina and flexibility all at once. It is broken down in to two parts; Suspension Training and Rip Training.
Suspension Training develops strength, balance, flexibility and core stability simultaneously. With the use of the suspension trainer the user can take advantage of hundreds of exercises that can work the entire body.
Rip Training is the newest addition to the TRX family. The Rip Trainer complements the Suspension Trainer by developing explosive power and rotational movements to further work out the whole body. This unique mix of rotation, core stability control, balance and co-ordination, challenges the core and stabilizer which in turn achieves better balance and stronger muscles around the spinal cord. This enables the individual to become more stable and less likely to be easily injured.
The training is different from any other form of exercise as it utilizes and targets body weight as its resisting building up lean muscle, boosting your metabolism, tightening your core and also helping to increase endurance.
What are the training tools?
The training tools are webbed straps, handles and anchors which can be attached to virtually any secure anchor point. They are incredibly strong and look neat and professional. At first glance they can look like a tangle of confusing straps but are in actual fact very easy and quick to set up and use.
The trainer is adjustable for any fitness level and because the mechanics of suspension training are based upon three planes of motion, muscles work together in groups to safely build strength, balance, flexibility and core stability in a more efficient manner. The tools are extremely safe as your body weight is the only load that is needed.
In addition to this, the versatility of the tools allows for hundreds of functional exercises to be combined to create a unique and challenging training program that meets the performance enhancement goals of any individual.
Who can do it?
The TRX is designed for everyone; from top athletes and the US Military to the elderly who are just looking to improve their balance. The advantage of the TRX is that the movements and straps can be tailored to meet the individual’s needs.
Where can I do it?
One of the great things about TRX Training is the portability. They are lightweight and can fit in a small bag allowing for people to take them anywhere; people can make use of them at home, at the office or even outside.
Why does TRX Training help marathon runners?
For long distance runners it is vital that they have a good core, especially towards the end of the run when fatigue starts to set in. Almost all the exercises require core stability and awareness; since your body is suspended at an angle, the user must be aware of their core and stay stabilized for the duration of the exercise.
The training also helps to strengthen and improve the range of motion in areas such as the hips (something running by itself cannot achieve due to its repetitive nature). By maximising a runner’s range of motion, TRX has found that they can decrease their time by over one minute in a 10k race without even having to increase their fitness level!
The additional strength and conditioning of the body will also help to reduce overall injury.
How did Sportsister find the experience?
I found this form of exercising brilliant but it was also a rather rude awakening to the current strength and condition of my body. I found familiar exercises, such as the plank and lunges, much harder when using the TRX Training tools as there was extra focus on working my core and balance.
I was shocked as to how much of my body was actually being worked without even realising, for a few days after I could feel that my stomach and leg muscles had been worked, which is something that I don’t get when doing the same exercises without the TRX tools.
The efficiency of the training is something that I particularly like. The neatness and portability of the bag is ideal and the straps were easy to use and the exercises were simple. Basic movements such as squats and lunges are taken to a higher, more effective level and the shift between exercises I found to be smooth and quick which is great for achieving a fast and efficient workout.
I would definitely love to use this form of exercise some more as part of my marathon training and I am interested to discover just how effective the training is in creating a wider range of movement for my running. I like the sound of decreasing my time without even adding to my fitness levels!
More info: www.trxtraining.com
