TRX / Suspension / sling strength training

BFwillie_g

Barefooters
May 17, 2010
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Kulmbach, Germany
Any opinions? My gym moved to a bigger building and they installed one of these things. I tried one exercise today, for the stomach, and was pretty danged impressed!

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Barefoot Badass:


And the OMFG!!! category:

 
Some of those exercises are things people have been doing with cables or free weights for ages, with the advantage that you can do more or less than your body weight. Some of the others are awesome though. I've been doing the last few in the first video (pike, pendulum, and crunch) using a strap hooked up to my cable machine, and it's great. I'll try a few of the other ones too. Thanks for sharing.
 
We use the straps for body weight work. Disclosure: my "gym" is a friend's garage where he ( a police dept trainer) tortures our circle of friends. Pikes, modified pull-ups, flies and whatever else he can think of to throw at us. It's great for our group because its scalable to whoever shows up on a given night. I don't know how "quality" it is as a workout/strength builder, but it at least adds variety to the workout. I do think it works the 'core (sorry Lee...)' in that you really depend on yourself for stabilization through many of the exercises.
 
Eh, seems boring. Get into kettlebells if you want something different. Total body toning plus it works the cardio.
Kettlebells, who are you kidding?
It's all about stability balls.
No wait.
It's all about plank exercises.
No wait.
It's all about Tabata intervals.
No wait.
It's all about club bells.
No wait.
It's all about elastic bands.
Um, hmmn.
Follow your bliss. It's all good!!!
Personally, I'll see your kettlebell, and raise you a dumbbell :smug:
 
A buddy of mine used something similiar to this except he was hanging off the ground. with chains. And hooks. Through his skin. Otherwise, same thing.

And again...Mr. Yuk! :yuck:
 
Kettlebells, who are you kidding?
It's all about stability balls.
No wait.
It's all about plank exercises.
No wait.
It's all about Tabata intervals.
No wait.
It's all about elastic bands.
Um, hmmn.
Follow your bliss. It's all good!!!
Personally, I'll see your kettlebell, and raise you a dumbbell :smug:

Is this my cue to assert that I 'just work out' and 'listen to my body' for optimal cross training benefit?

'Cuz I'll do it.
 
We have a couple of these at home. One is anchored to a door and I used it pretty regularly for upper body, mostly because I haven't done any leg ST for a while, other than biking. One daughter takes hers outside and hooks it up to a tree branch so she can work out in the fresh air. I particularly like how safe it feels compared to free weights or even kettle bells, both for my joints (something about the tension versus a free swinging object?) and for my toes (can't drop yourself on yourself too easily....and neither can anyone else's miscalculation impact me. :nailbiting: ). Just adjust angles and lengths to increase effort with very fine control.:)
 
Just ordered this:
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006V6D6I0/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will be good for reverse flies (with my cable system I can only do one arm at a time), pull overs (I think), walk-up handstands (I hope I'm still able!), and pendulum, pikes, & crunches (the strap I've been using isn't really designed for this purpose). Won't be enough weight and/or stable enough platform for a lot of the other stuff I do with free weights, and/or the angle would be wrong to optimally work the targeted muscles/joints.

Hopefully I can work up to some of the more advanced exercises in that last 'OMFG' video Willie posted.

I see these all as great 'finishing' exercises at the end of my strength training routines, which is how I use most of this sort of thing, like my stability ball, ankle weights, some body weight stuff like hindu-push-ups/dive-bombers, lighter dumbbell exercises, and so on. I like to start with heavy weights at a relaxed pace, and then finish with lower weights or BW and higher intensity--a sort of slacker's HIIT. For folks not interested in heavier weights though, I think these sorts of equipment/exercises are a great way to get in a decent st workout with minimal set-up.

Anyway, thanks Willie. This thread, and the fact that I can get a basic system for $30, has pushed me over the edge, into GAS territory (btw, I once had eight guitars, four basses, and I still have all my effects and pedals!)
 
Those wouldn't really work for the leg stuff I intend to do, which is going to be more than half of my use for the straps.
I would not by the actual trx, I really don't like the cushioned grip and it is way overpriced.
Yah, the gear I just ordered is $22, another $7 something for shipping. It would be hard to dyi it for much cheaper than that, and it would take more time. Not sure how I'll feel about the cushioned grip. I suppose it depends on how hard it is. But I'm only going to do a few things on it, so even if it's kind of cushy, it'll be OK, or I can replace it with some pipe. Don't know if I'd want to deal with it for a whole workout though. I agree about the trx. I saw on Amazon some of that stuff is over $200, but it's mostly for the DVDs, right? Seems foolhardy to pay for DVD instructional video, even for beginners, when there's so much free stuff available on the 'net to give you ideas.

How's your new bar working out btw?

Is this my cue to assert that I 'just work out' and 'listen to my body' for optimal cross training benefit?

'Cuz I'll do it.
I wonder if parkour qualifies as a 'just work out' approach.
 
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Its working great, its like an entirely different deadlift. Much more squatish. I can finally do shrugs again too.

I agree the price is insane, I think the actual attachment is close to $100 form what I remember. The trx grips are excessivley squishy and it feels like the plastic piece is going to break in half whenever I use them. I also don't like the single ceiling attachment. I should say though I really only use these things for push-ups, dips, rows and generic stuff.

What leg stuff? Can't you just use the straps?