and plenty of running. Over time

Before the decision is made to try out any unconventional exercise system, It's a good idea to do a little research first. The purpose of the following review is to provide some answers to frequently asked questions regarding the popular TRX Suspension Trainer exercise system.

TRX - What Is It?


The concept for TRX Suspension Training was the brainchild of a former US Navy SEAL and his teammates. These serious athletes needed a portable, versatile and effective way of staying in optimum physical condition wherever their missions may be.

The TRX Suspension Trainer is a clever exercise system that is essentially an adjustable strap suspended from a single anchor point with hand grips for the hands and incorporated stirrups for the feet. The TRX Suspension Trainer is made with industrial strength materials and redundant stitching similar to the quality found in the mountain climbing equipment industry. The TRX is constructed of high grade nylon webbing and load tested up to 1400lbs. The design includes a suspension anchor strap with a carabiner and several incorporated anchor loops making it quick and simple to suspend the TRX from any proper overhead structure such as a solid tree branch, soccer goal crossbar, monkey bars, swing set or even a vertical structure such as a tree trunk or telephone pole. Anything sturdy enough that can support your body weight and allow unrestricted movement will do. The combination of the non-slip cam buckles and pull tabs facilitate adjustments to the strap lengths making transitions between exercises rapid and fluid - good for interval and metabolic training.

Fitness Anywhere, designer and seller of the TRX, warranties it's products for one-year covering any defects in materials or workmanship. As well, TRX products have a 30-day satisfaction guarantee if you feel the product is not for you.

What Makes The TRX Special?

What makes the TRX Suspension Trainer unique among the vast majority of exercise equipment is it's versatility, portability, and effectiveness and it does all three very well. In all my years of fitness and sports training, I personally have not found a single piece of equipment that was so small and lightweight, yet allowed users to perform literally hundreds of exercises. In addition, the TRX Suspension Trainer is versatile enough to be useful for everybody from the novice to the professional athlete.

The TRX takes the conventional exercises like pushups, squats, twists, and rows (and numerous others) and makes them more effective and challenging by engaging the core area. The often neglected core area is vitally important because it provides a stable base and foundation for your body to move and function.

On the other hand, some of the same challenging exercises can be made easier by providing support and a means for proper form so beginners or even rehabilitation patients can start slow and gradually increase resistance to build strength. Simply moving the position of the feet or hands (depending on the exercise) and altering the body angle increases or decreases resistance. Moreover, narrowing ones stance can further engage the core muscles, while widening ones stance offers more stability and disengages the core area. This degree of control allows users to adapt exercise routines to their current fitness level and over time easily increase resistance to gain muscle strength, core stability, flexibility and metabolic conditioning. From the shear number and variety of different exercises and routines available, exercising with the TRX should never get dull. This is an extremely important factor for many people including myself. If exercise becomes boring and tedious, it's all that much harder to stick with it.

Is The TRX Worth The Price?

The TRX idea sounds straight forward and to begin with the almost $200 price tag doesn't seem quite justified. Still, the TRX allows users a huge variety of exercises as well as the ability to perform these exercises in numerous locations: at home, the park, while traveling, at the local rec center, etc. A simple change of scenery can add considerable life to any exercise regiment. Keeping your workouts fresh and fun is crucial. When you purchase the TRX, you not only get the straps, but you get the community as well. There are practically thousands of blogs, forums, articles, and YouTube videos in cyberspace that support the TRX system. There are training DVD's and videos for running, surfing, golf, hockey, football, rehabilitation, and many more. Furthermore, the TRX is engineered to handle the extreme and constant use found in busy fitness clubs, military gyms, and the rugged outdoors. In my opinion, the TRX is a great piece of equipment a sound investment.

Currently, I use the TRX approximately 3 to 4 times a week for about 20 to 30 minutes per session to supplement my training for triathlons as well as an assortment of other sports like squash, half marathons, and hiking. Before I was a TRX owner, my triathlon and running training was almost exclusively swimming, cycling, and plenty of running. Over time, I found the benefits and gains I once enjoyed diminishing because my body was adapting to the same type of exercise repeated over and over. Not surprisingly, I experienced the dreaded "plateau" in my training more often, I was prone to repetition type injuries, and quite frankly, I was getting bored. After experimenting with quite a few ways to mix up my training (with varied results), it was my wife who introduced me to the TRX. She had attended a TRX class at the local rec center. Debra found the TRX workouts fantastic and thought it could be the missing ingredient for my training.

The first few sessions with the TRX was an abrupt education in how seriously I had neglected my core muscles. I tired easily, but the workouts were exhilarating. Gradually, I started to gain core strength and progressed by modifying my body angle to add more resistance and experimented with some of the more challenging exercises. After a couple of months of progressive TRX use, I found my running and swimming times considerably improved not to mention my recovery time after a race. The most important benefit of all, was a restored passion to train. I didn't swim and run as much and replaced these workouts with short TRX sessions. My overall fitness and susceptibility to injury actually improved with less training. It was less training, but more effective and diverse training. Training was fun once again.

Is The TRX Safe?

Genuine TRX products are designed to exceed requirements needed for use in facilities such as busy health clubs, military bases and I've personally used the TRX at outdoor boot camps where usage is constant and demanding. As mentioned before, the TRX is thoroughly tested well beyond common weight loads. With all suspension trainers, trust in the equipment is an absolute must or the equipment will not be used. The makers of TRX products recognize this fact and it shows in the quality of the product.

Further on the topic of safety, because of its popularity, the TRX has become the target of counterfeit and knock off sellers who use inferior materials with virtually no quality control measures to cut costs and in effect produce unsafe versions. If you decide to purchase the TRX Suspension Trainer or other TRX products, purchase the product from the Fitness Anywhere site, from Amazon or one of the authorized dealers in your area. You can find a list of dealers near you at the Fitness Anywhere site.

What Are The Mounting Options?

Basically, the TRX has three mounting options. First of all, you can use the TRX by wrapping the anchor strap around any safe, weight bearing horizontal or vertical structure. This could be anything from beams, chin up bars, gym equipment, trees, goal posts, etc. With caution in mind, ensure the structure is firm and plenty strong enough to bear many times your weight. This option doesn't require any additional purchases. Secondly, any hinged door can become an anchor point using the TRX Door Anchor accessory. Personally, I use the Door Anchor accessory only when traveling. And, for this role, it works very well. Nonetheless, at home I find the areas around doors too confining for most of the exercises I prefer. Last of all, there is the TRX Xmount ceiling mount. The Xmount is a nice option if you have an area in your home specifically for your TRX, but no exposed beams or anything to wrap the anchoring strap around. The Xmount needs to be secured with lag screws to the support structure of the ceiling or wall. For some people, this may be out of their comfort zone. In which case, you will need the help of a dependable person or have the Xmount professionally installed.

Review Summary

It's quite obvious, I couldn't hit upon much wrong with the TRX. When I first heard about this system, I was a little skeptical. Even though the concept of suspension training intrigued me, I thought almost $200 dollars for "a set of straps" was pricey and I didn't feel like spending more money on something I'd probably only use for a few weeks. Thankfully, good sense won out and I bought the TRX ProPack with the Door Anchor Attachment from Fitness Anywhere and I've been enjoying the TRX ever since.

Two aspects of the TRX that I thought could have been improved was the mesh carrying bag and the foot straps. The included mesh bag could have been a bit bigger making it easier to pack away for travel. As well, I found the foot straps a little small for those times when I wear (size 12) running shoes. Nonetheless, these are minor issues and for the most part, not really problems at all.

The TRX suspension trainer is a versatile and convenient exercise system for quick effective workouts for strength training, core stability, flexibility, and metabolic training. The TRX is exceedingly portable so anybody can exercise anyplace: at home, while traveling, at the park, or at the gym.

In my opinion, the TRX can be used as a all-inclusive home gym, but where it really shines is as a valuable addition to an existing exercise regiment. The TRX Suspension Trainer keeps exercising fresh and fun! When it's fresh and fun, you're more likely to keep at it.

Thank you for you interest in this TRX Suspension Training System Review. I hope you found the information useful...

Thank you and best of luck,

The information in this article is the authors own point of view and constitutes recommendations only. The author is an actual user of the product. At the start of any new exercise regiment, consult a doctor for professional medical advice.

Darin of FitnessCulture is an avid triathlete, runner, climber, hiker, squash player. For over forty years, he's pursued his life-long passion for fitness, physical activity and exciting endeavors. In his spare time, he reviews some of his favorite fitness tools like TRX Suspension Trainer Review. "There never enough time for it all, but It's worth a try!"