Community Corner
Hangin' Tough
Find out what TRX suspension training classes are all about and what fitness benefits they provide.
Considering I hadn’t exercised at all for the last six weeks (I had cancerous moles removed, and sweating was strictly forbidden during the healing process), I was more than a little nervous to try the TRX suspension training class at the grand reopening of Functional Fitness last Saturday.
When I got up Sunday morning, it felt as if someone had replaced my calves, quadriceps and triceps with stones.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
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The grand reopening served as an introduction to the merging of the Outdoor Fitness Adventure Club with the indoor studio of Functional Fitness, also known as the Outdoor Fitness Adventure Club's indoor studio.
The Outdoor Fitness Adventure Club store will be closing and moving its merchandise online, while the Functional Fitness studio will be adding more programs and classes, founder Elaine Gjonovich said. Check out the latest schedule here.
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What Is TRX Suspension Training?
Intrigued by the curious belts with stirrups hanging from pipes along the ceiling, I lured my friend and San Clemente local Jenny White () with the promise of buying her a drink at afterward if she came to class with me.
If I was going down, I was taking a friend down with me. Fortunately, she accepted my bribe.
When we arrived, I was surprised at how limited the TRX class was. (TRX stands for total body resistance exercise.)
The maximum is seven people per class, so it’s considered semiprivate training, instructor and certified personal trainer Cindy Rutland said. For our introductory class, it was four of us, plus Cindy.
The positive side to a small class is that the instructor can clearly assess everyone’s form and provide personal assistance.
This is also the downside to a small class: there is no “back of the classroom” to hide in so that the instructor can’t see how much you suck.
In the TRX class, the belts can be adjusted to three different lengths for varying exercises. The point of the class is to use your body weight as resistance when maneuvering the belts in different positions to achieve a total-body workout.
Watch Cindy guide me through some of the TRX exercises and explain how they work in the video above.
How the TRX Class Went
Cindy provided a good blend of pushing us to our limits and praising us for sticking with it.
She was more than patient with us when it came to using the ropes. That was what I was clumsiest at; I could not get the hang of adjusting them. I was glad I wasn’t alone; everyone else seemed a bit awkward with them as well.
The music was typical pop with a strong tempo similar to what you’d find in any gym or workout class. Distractions are always welcome when you’re trying not to blurt obscenities due to the amount of pain you’re experiencing.
The end of our introductory class included stretching, although I could have used more, considering how sore I was the next day. We all agreed that we could clearly see the advantages of using this class for strength training and that it had been a solid workout.
Unfortunately, as of now, it’s only offered at 8:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It costs $25 per class for nonmembers of Outdoor Fitness Adventure Club and $22.50 per class for members. A bundle of eight classes costs $160 for nonmembers and $144 for members.
If you’re looking for a creative way to strengthen, sculpt and tone your body, the TRX classes will more than meet your needs.
