A New Way to Feel the Burn
A new workout. It’s apparently all the rage — TRX Suspension Training. No, you don’t hang from the rafters, but you work with two straps attached to a bar suspended from the ceiling, and you use your own body weight to provide resistance training. That means part of you will remain grounded, and part of you will work harder than you ever thought possible. I’m told that it was invented by a Navy Seal who needed a workout you could do inside, (he was in a safe house), and push-ups, sit-ups and squats only go so far.
Beginner moves. I got a chance to work out with trainer Austin Crook at Ballard’s Olympic Athletic Club. We first planted our feet, grabbed the handles, and pulled forward, using bodyweight as resistance. I felt like I was warming up for water-skiing, and if I had on a ski, all I had to do was yell, “Hit it.” Thirty seconds of reps and I could feel the burn. Not that I’m in bad shape, but I do similar mat exercises, and never feel my muscles start to quiver like they did during this workout.
We tried other moves that stretch out the shoulders (they actually felt good considering all the time I spend at my computer in likely ‘poor’ posture), and then moved onto the mat on my hands and knees. Austin put my feet in the cradles (the TRX trainer said never call them ‘stirrups’ with female clients), and I proceeded to do a ‘plank,’ move into the pike position, back to plank, and then even tried a move called ‘mountain climbing.’ Ouch!! Enough. Austin probably thinks I’m a wimp, and even though we were talking about Olympic athletes, lord knows, I’m not even close.
Works the ‘core.’ We finished with more moves that work the core, the abs, and the obliques. Austin promises that during classes, newbies will start with only 30 seconds of TRX moves, and then mix it up with moves ‘off’ the bar. I told him that was so he wouldn’t have to pick up the entire class off the mats from a prone position. It’s good to try something new, and I plan to try a class, maybe after some Advil and a good night’s sleep to let my muscles recover.
