TRX Bands Review: Our Take on the Home Suspension Trainer

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The TRX Suspension Trainer has gotten quite a bit of hype recently, though is it all it’s chalked up to be? Today, we’re going to explore the ins and outs of the TRX Suspension Trainer, specifically the Home2 system, to determine whether or not it holds up in terms of design, performance and effectiveness.

What Is the TRX Suspension Trainer?

The TRX Suspension Trainer was created and developed by Randy Hetrick, a squadron commander for the Navy Seals. He came up with the idea for the Suspension Trainer when he was on deployment, his first prototype consisting of some parachute webbing and a belt.

In its full form, this unique Suspension Trainer system is known for its distinct yellow straps and is used by pro athletes, military members and at-home fitness lovers worldwide.

While this little set of resistance bands might seem simple at first glance, it’s a solid piece of fitness equipment for targeting various muscle groups using nothing but your body weight for resistance.

There are a few different versions to choose from depending on your budget and style. The TRX Home2 System is best for beginners–or anyone looking to improve their fitness abilities–whereas the TRX Pro4 System is best suited for avid TRX users and professional athletes. In this review, we’ll focus on the TRX Home2 System—it includes everything you need to get started using the suspension bands and a six year warranty.

How Does the TRX Suspension Trainer Work?

Getting your Suspension Trainer set up and ready to use is wildly easy. While some people choose to permanently install theirs on their ceilings, you can also use an over-the-door anchor for a more temporary solution.

This is one of the reasons why this little unit is so beneficial for renters or those who don’t want to mess with the integrity of their interior.

To install, simply hang the weighted anchor over one of the doors in your home and shut it tightly. While many people recommend using a door that locks, I’ve found that doors without locks work perfectly fine too. Of course, for safe measure, give it a few solid tugs to make sure everything is secure.

Using TRX Straps

Suspension training is the name of the game with this TRX training system. All you need are the straps and your own body weight to get your heart rate up.

To adjust the difficulty of your workout and switch into different positions, simply adjust the length of your straps.

Let’s say you want to get a good bicep workout in. First, take a TRX band in each hand and lean back while facing your door. Next, slowly curl in your arms like you’re doing a bicep curl, except the dumbbell is your entire body.

Want to target triceps?

Grab your straps, face away from the door, and lean forward with the straps over your head. Next, pull yourself up and down slowly while feeling your triceps doing work.

Of course, the TRX Straps are good for lower body workouts too. Simply use your straps for stability as you squat or lunge. The beauty of having this additional stability is that you’ll be able to dig deeper and enjoy a fuller range of motion to activate your muscles better.

Note that these are just a few examples of strength training you can do with the TRX Straps. We’ll get into how you can perform a full-body workout with this system in just a bit.

The Benefits of Suspension Training In Your Home Gym

Great for core conditioning

One of the main advantages of suspension training is that you can work out just about every part of your body. However, one particular part of your body that suspension training is great for is your core.

This kind of system promotes better alignment during your workouts, which transition with you into your sleeping and working hours. Better alignment means better circulation and a healthier nervous system overall.

Takes regular workouts a step further

Think of one of the simplest exercises you know, such as a push-up. Then, apply that push-up to your suspension trainer. All of a sudden, that simple push-up turns into a workout that is far more complex.

Not only will you work your chest and triceps as you would with a regular push-up, but you’ll also have to stay in control of your body, balancing on the straps as you move up and down. This small manipulation of an otherwise simple workout can do wonders for pushing your training abilities further.

Burn fat

Because suspension training engages several core muscle groups with every movement, you can burn more calories with fewer workouts and in less time.

Nothing can burn fat and optimize your cardiovascular health quite like full-body movements. When performing a split routine, obtaining a higher heart rate can be more difficult. While you certainly might build muscle with a traditional split routine, it can be more challenging to burn fat.

TRX Suspension Trainers vs. Resistance Bands

While many things differentiate suspension trainers and resistance bands, we’re going to look at a few of the most important differentiating characteristics.

Resistance

Resistance bands come in a wide variety of resistance levels. You can often find sets that go anywhere from 10 to 200 pounds. From powerlifters to senior citizens, traditional resistance bands can be very useful.

The TRX System, on the other hand, uses your body weight as the resistance. The more muscle you gain, the harder your workouts will get.

Anchoring

While you can find separate anchoring mechanisms to anchor your resistance bands, most sets don’t come with any way to anchor them. Without anchor points, you get total flexibility and range of motion, though it also limits the types of exercises you can do.

The TRX System comes with an anchor point built-in, which you can attach with a carabiner-style clip at a solid point. While this system can limit your range of motion in some ways, there are many exercises that are better suited to the TRX Suspension Trainer than a resistance band, such as pull-ups.

Note that when anchored properly, the TRX System is also much safer than your average set of resistance bands.

Progressive overload

Both resistance bands and the TRX Suspension Trainers provide progressive overload, which is one of the most critical aspects of building muscle. Progressive overload is when you gradually increase the resistance of your workouts, forcing your body to adapt, which, in turn, promotes muscle growth.

Resistance bands come in a wide range of capacities, allowing you to utilize progressive overload by switching to higher capacities. You can also use multiple resistance bands for a workout, creating even higher resistance levels, even if you don’t have high-resistance bands.

With the TRX System, you must adjust your body position to take advantage of progressive overload. Of course, since it uses bodyweight, there are some limitations.

One of the unique ways around these limitations I’ve found is wearing a weighted vest.

Training purpose

Resistance bands and TRX Suspension Trainers are made with two different purposes in mind.

Resistance bands are great for a number of things, including:

• Warmups
• Muscle hypertrophy
• Physical therapy

Many people buy resistance exercise bands because they are cheap and portable. You can start out with a low-resistance band to get the blood flowing before targeting specific areas where you want to see growth and definition.

The TRX System is great for targeting the entire body, strengthening the core and training with compound movements. In the long run, the TRX System will improve your overall performance better, as it promotes more functional movements.

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TRX Exercises

There are plenty of great exercises you can perform with this all-in-one suspension. Here are some of my favorites:

Clock press

While holding the straps in your hand, lean all the way forward so that your body is almost parallel to the floor. Then, while holding your right arm to your chest, extend your left arm away from your body in an outward fly motion.

Return to the start and repeat the motion with your other arm.

As you get used to this move, you can begin switching from left to right faster and faster.

Low row

While lying below the handles of your TRS straps, grab hold of them and raise your body. While pulling yourself up, focus on drawing your shoulders back while feeling the majority of the work in your lats.

Single-leg squat

Hold the handles of your TRX straps in an upright position and lean backward while raising your right leg. Then sink deep and squat on your left leg while keeping your core tight to prevent yourself from falling off balance.

Come back up and repeat for 10-12 reps before moving on to your other leg.

This is a great exercise for targeting your quads and glutes.

Related Post: The Best Resistance Bands for Your Glutes

Side-plank

While lying on your right side, place your feet in the straps and lift yourself up on your elbow. Extend your left arm towards the ceiling and push your hip off the floor.

Hold this position for a few seconds before coming back down.

After 15-20 reps, switch to the other side and repeat.

This is a great exercise for dialing in model-like abs.

How to Install a TRX Suspension Trainer System

One great thing about the TRX Suspension System is that there are many methods for installing it.

Here are some of the most popular installation methods.

TRX XMount

The X-Mount is made with durable steel and creates a discreet mounting point that you can anchor just about anywhere.

Door anchor

The TRX Door Anchor is an ultra-practical TRX installation tool that allows you to get a workout wherever there’s a door. Plus, it won’t damage the paint on your door or the door itself. The door anchor is included with each different type of TRX Suspension Trainers.

Anchor carabiner

If you like working out outdoors, the anchor carabiner will be your best friend. With this unique installation tool, you can hang your suspension straps on poles, bars, hooks, or just about anything that can support your weight! 

Who Suspension Training Is Best For

Suspension training is great for people who are looking to train their full bodies and take advantage of progressive overload or cardio training from the comfort of their own homes.

With suspension training, you can train on the go and at your own pace, performing a wide range of exercises with a single piece of intuitive equipment. It’s excellent for both beginners and pros.

Lastly, if you find yourself on the go a lot, note the TRX Suspension Trainer is an excellent fitness product for traveling.

Related Post: The Best Suspension Trainers

Who Suspension Training Is Not Best For

Suspension training is not for those prone to injuries, as it can do unpleasant damage to your body if you don't know how to use it properly. I highly recommend having some form of training experience before using a suspension training device like the TRX.

What We Like About TRX Bands

Simple setup and use

People often see equipment like this and think there’s going to be some steep learning curve that’ll stop them from getting the workout they truly deserve.

However, after just a few minutes with the TRX, I can confidently say that I was all set up and breaking a sweat. Instinctual moves I’ve been doing all my life, such as planks and lunges, all of a sudden felt like they were better targeted. Right off the bat, I was hooked and wanted more.

Ultra-portable

Most of us live in homes or apartments that don’t have room for bulky cardio machines or dumbbell racks. The great thing about the TRX Suspension Training system is that you can fold it up and stick it in a drawer whenever you’re done using it.

The system comes with a drawstring bag that is lightweight and made of durable mesh. I’ve even thought about potentially throwing this thing in my suitcase next time I’m going on vacation and won’t have a gym.

Great for outdoor use

You can just as easily use your TRX Suspension Trainer outdoors, which is great when you want to take advantage of sunny weather. Simply hook it to some monkey bars at your local park or latch it around a thick tree branch.

More and more people are beginning to realize the benefits of bodyweight training, so it’s not uncommon to see people in parks or at the beach using this type of equipment.

Quick workouts

The system is so simple to use that you have no excuses to skip workouts.

Can’t make it to the gym that day?

All you need to do is toss your suspension anchor over the door and hit a few core moves to develop the muscle group you’re focusing on.

I’ve used it for cardio on cold and rainy days when I can’t go for a run or hit the beach.

Discover some of the best training shoes for your cardio and strength-training workouts. 

What We Don’t Like About TRX Bands

Non-intuitive app

For beginners who aren’t used to using these types of resistance training bands, it might feel obvious to think the TRX app, which you get a free one-year membership for with your purchase, would help you with learning all of these new workouts.

Unfortunately, the app is not the most beginner-friendly fitness app out there. It’s difficult to navigate and hard to find workouts or sessions based on experience level. The majority of the recommended classes on the app have “intermediate” and “advanced” labels.

Now, with that said, there are plenty of free videos on YouTube with people using the TRX System. However, it feels like TRX missed out on a major opportunity by not spending more time on developing the apps for newbies, as there are much better fitness apps out there.

Final Thoughts: Should You Get the TRX Suspension Training System?

While I would never have thought that bouncing up and down off of a couple of bright yellow straps hanging off my hallway door would have provided me with a fulfilling workout, I now wish I would’ve tried it sooner.

The TRX Suspension Trainer is available on Amazon and has thousands of great reviews, so it’s clear that I’m not the only one who thinks highly of this simple yet unique fitness contraption. It’s certainly up there with some of the best home gym equipment on the market.

Whether the gyms are packed, or you don’t have time in your schedule to hit your local fitness club, you can get a total-body home workout using the TRX Suspension System.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.