TRX Suspension Trainer - A Review!

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…."- Matthew 6:19-20

I recently purchased the TRX Suspension Trainer for my home gym after reading about it for the last year and seeing how it effectively works the entire body - including the core. There's a reason they dubbed it "all core, all the time."
What is the TRX Suspension Trainer?
The TRX Suspension Trainer is the original bodyweight-based portable training tool that builds strength, balance, flexibility and core stability for people of all fitness levels. It contains 12 feet of nylon-webbed straps, anchors and handles that can be used in a variety of places and provide a full-body workout using one's own bodyweight.

The TRX was designed by Randy Hetric, a former Navy SEAL, to keep his unit in top shape when deployed. He used it effectively in places where no weights were available and in small spaces such as in ships and submarines. He used materials from a parachute to rig a system that allowed him and his unit to train using their bodyweight. From this initial design, he created the TRX Suspension system now being used and sold.

The entire unit weighs less than two pounds and fits into a stuffsack the size of a lunch bag. While it looks deceptively simple, the TRX is crafted from heavy-duty nylon webbing with built-in handles and an ingenious pair of quick-release strap adjusters to produce a rugged, extremely practical piece of equipment. It attaches to anything from a tree to a hotel-room door (using a door anchor) and provides a total-body, core-intensive workout.

TRX Suspension Training is a new category of exercise for athletes of all abilities that leverages one’s own bodyweight and gravity to develop strength, balance, flexibility and joint stability simultaneously while encouraging multiplanar training that mimics real life movement. It's for that reason that I decided to purchase the TRX.

After looking through all the products, I decided to purchase the Essentials Bundle as it contained the TRX Suspension Trainer Professional, the door anchor and four excellent training DVD's (Flexibility, Strength, All Body Xpress and Cardio Circuit). I also purchased the X-mount so I could install it on my garage ceiling.

Once I placed my order, I received a UPS tracking number and eagerly tracked it until it arrived (only a few days later). When I opened the package, I was extremely impressed with the quality of the TRX Suspension Trainer and all the DVD's and workout manuals - it also smelled like a new pair of athletic shoes.

Fitness Anywhere has done an incredible job of putting together a durable and high-quality product that will last for many years and provide an excellent way to train at home or on the road.

The straps, handles and buckles are of the highest quality. The TRX is easy to adjust and can be used nearly anywhere (door, tree limb, pole, jungle gym or playground, etc.).

There is a slight learning curve when first using the TRX and luckily, the DVD's quickly show how to adjust the system and how to use it in single-handle mode or for various exercises. Check out this video to see it in action:




So far, I've only had it set up for a little more than a week and have used it a few times. For my first workout, I followed the All Body Xpress DVD and in less than 30 minutes I was dripping in sweat and had a thorough full-body workout - I was in love!

As simple as the exercises looked, I could tell that they worked. I wanted more. I'm now using the TRX twice a week as a metabolic conditioning workout. I'm also performing two full-body strength workouts and playing ultimate frisbee on Sunday's.

I plan on following this routine for the next eight weeks to see how effective the TRX is for fat loss and conditioning while maintaining or gaining strength.

My schedule looks like this:

Monday - Full-body strength workout (squats, benches, lunges, rows, back extensions, DB overhead presses and hanging leg raises)

Tuesday - TRX Metabolic Workout A

Wednesday - OFF (mid-week bible study)

Thursday - Full-body strength workout (deadlifts, standing barbell overhead presses, step-ups, chins, glute-ham raises, dips and ab rollouts)

Friday - TRX Metabolic Workout B

Saturday - OFF or light activity

Sunday - Ultimate Frisbee

I'll post the results of the above schedule in a few months.

For anyone who has considered purchasing equipment to train at home, I highly recommend the TRX Suspension Trainer. It's affordable, convenient, easy to use, takes up very little space and can be anchored to a door (with the door mount) or mounted to a wall or ceiling (with the X-mount) and taken on the road when traveling.

The TRX truly provides a full-body workout that will help increase strength, conditioning, balance, flexibility, fat loss and joint stability.

The Truth About Wii Fit and Weight Loss!

"You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?" - Galatians 5:7

The Wii Fit has gained popularity in the past year with the hope that it may help people lose weight. The fitness gaming system might be able to keep players in shape as it offers many types of activities - from running to pushups to yoga - but not if they don't play it.

Although more than 1.5 million homes have a Wii Fit, it has become little more than an exercise fad that will most likely come and go (just like all the fitness gadgets and gizmos they sell on late-night television).

According to this article, few people use it consistently for more than a month.

"I don't know a single person who has bought the game who uses it routinely after a month," said Brian Crecente, managing editor of the popular gaming blog Kotaku. He also stressed that getting results from the game requires dedication and real physical exertion.

Although the Wii Fit is a great marketing tool and a clever way to appeal to gamers that may not exercise, it takes more than a game to change people's habits. It takes hard work. And although the Wii Fit may be fun at first, the novelty eventually wears off and the hard work no longer seems fun.

I, personally, may not believe that the Wii Fit will make much of a difference in weight loss or getting people into shape. But it's better than no exercise at all if used consistently with a high level of effort.

If you're going to use the Wii Fit - great! It would be great to see if it makes a difference in our nation's obesity epidemic. Time will tell if it fades away like other fitness fads or if it actually makes a positive impact (as mentioned in the article about the study that will be released later this year).

Whether you decide to use the Wii Fit or another type of sport or activity for exercise, be sure to at least include 2-3 days of resistance training each week to help build muscle, strength and increase your metabolism.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, strength is very important for increased conditioning and a higher quality of life - especially as you age. I'm not sure of all the Wii Fit's capabilities, but it may not have as many resistance training options that you could get with dumbbells, barbells, odd objects or bodyweight exercises.

Just don't forget that making better choices nutritionally will be the key to your success (along with a strong support system and hard training).

Christian Athlete Fitness Training - Home Gym!

"Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, (his speech should be) like the oracles of God; if anyone serves, (his service should be) from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:10-11

As I've mentioned before, I have a home gym that I set up to train myself and others. I began building my own home gym in July 2004 because I no longer wanted to train at another gym or fitness center, and I wanted to train using methods that were not always accepted in some fitness centers (Olympic lifts, heavy deadlifts, athletic-based training, etc.).

I started my home gym with a very basic but effective set up that included a Body Solid Power Rack, flat bench, 300lb Olympic Barbell set, a weight tree (to hold and organize the Olympic weight plates), two 4'x6' rubber mats from a feed store, some 2'x2' interlocking rubber mats along with a few pieces of equipment I already had on hand including a dragging sled, a 16kg kettlebell, jump rope, medicine balls and a few other small pieces of equipment. I purchased most of my equipment from Play-It-Again Sports for less than $600!

At the time, I lived on the second floor of a luxury apartment community. Luckily, I never had any problems training for the next 8 months despite the fact that I performed heavy deadlifts, squats, bench presses and other lifts. I was always careful to set the weights down carefully as to not disturb my neighbors, and I never received any complaints.

During this time, I made some great progress. I was able to focus on many basic exercises and work on increasing my strength and size.

Over time, I continued to add more equipment to my home gym including a lat/row attachment for my power rack, a 40lb X-vest, the Ironmaster Super Bench and Adjustable dumbbells and attachments, sandbags, various bands, boards, kettlebells, etc. I had also moved a couple times so I was able to expand my home gym and keep it in a garage (see photo of me squatting below).

Or on the first floor of another luxury apartment community (see photo below).

Last December, I moved into my new home and set up the gym and all the equipment I had purchased during the last four years in an organized and efficient manner. Since I have so much more equipment now than when I first started, I needed nearly half the garage to organize everything and give me the required space to perform a variety of exercises. The extra space also allows me to train 2-3 people at one time.

I'm very pleased with the equipment I've purchased, as I have been able to add plenty of variety to my workouts. I'm also able to use a variety of training methods that get results while using a very small amount of space (I have less than 200 square feet for all of my equipment). And I'm still able to fit my car in the garage along with everything else that is on another shelf or hanging on the opposite wall (house and yard tools and supplies).

Although it can be very hot training in the garage during the summer, I enjoy it because I'm able to get some fresh air while technically training outside. Luckily, I have two fans that I use on high speed to help keep the heat from becoming overwhelming, but that doesn't stop me from being completely drenched in sweat after the end of a training session or after dragging the sled, pushing the car, performing heavy farmer's walks (see below) or sprints outside on the street.

I enjoy training at home and having the opportunity to train others. I look forward to opening my own training facility one day so I can offer semi-private and group training to many more people and help them meet their health and fitness goals.

Christian Athlete Fitness Training offers strength, conditioning, fat loss, nutrition and health tips without all the nonsense. My goal is to help others succeed with their training and nutrition to get the results they desire. I also train people at my private garage gym to help them lose fat, build muscle and become athletic, strong, fast, fit and mentally tough using results-proven intense training programs.

Dara Torres Overcomes Age With Exercise!

"God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect."

- Psalm 18:32

At 41, former University of Florida swimmer Dara Torres has qualified for her fifth Olympics - despite taking several years off, giving birth just two years ago and undergoing two surgeries within the past eight months.

Many people are amazed at this feat (or screaming "performance enhancers"), but exercise experts say Dara's success at least partly reflects advances in training - and that many of us could come closer to similar achievements than we think.

Sure, we can't forget about genetics and other advantages such as opportunity, motivation and incentive to train hard. But besides genetics, those advantages are not impossible for anyone to achieve.

It shows us what we can do. It's just that most people won't push themselves to do what Dara has done. Instead, I hear people in their 30s, 40s, 50s (and some in their 20s) who make excuses for the fact that they've gained weight, lost strength or no longer have the athletic physique they once had in high school or college.

Rather than doing something about it, they act and respond in a way that is self-defeating and shows that they don't have the motivation, desire, dedication, discipline or work ethic to make changes (or they suffer from "paralysis by analysis" and spend more time thinking or debating rather than doing).

For athletes at any level, a gradual decline in endurance and speed occurs in the 30s and 40s, roughly half a percent a year, even with continued training. However, strength can be gained and maintained well beyond the 30s, 40s and 50s (look at Jack Lalanne!). Not everyone will make it to the Olympics, but with plenty of hard work, a proper nutritional plan and a few of the traits mentioned previously, a lot of improvement can take place. Healthy people can significantly improve their athletic performance with the kinds of exercises Dara does.

So how does Dara do it? Her training regimen includes a lot of resistance training. This includes free weights, bodyweight exercises, weight machines and other tools to strengthen her entire body in addition to skill specific training (swimming, in this case). Dara's intense resistance training program has helped her achieve the best shape of her life, allowing her to beat competitors half her age.

Resistance training works. The key is to follow a customized training program built for your individual needs while avoiding overtraining and taking time to warm-up and cool down.

So what are you waiting for?


Here's a good article about Dara's recent accomplishments - Click here!

Warp Speed Fat Loss - Day 1 of 28

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31

Stacey and I officially started the Warp Speed Fat Loss program today. We packed all our meals and snacks for the day on Sunday evening. Although the meals are fairly low carb throughout the week, Monday was our higher carb day due to the intense training in the evening.

We were both amazed that the meals were so filling, as they looked as though we would be starving in between meals after seeing it on paper. I'm sure some of the other days will be tougher as they will have less carbs. Also, we will need to make some adjustments this week to make sure we are following the correct meal plan according to our size and goals. We may be consuming too many calories.

Today's strength workout was definitely a bit different than what I had been doing the last few weeks, but it was good. There are three strength workouts per week combined with heavy circuits and intervals (Mon, Wed, Fri) and there are three high intensity interval training sessions combined with steady-state moderate/high aerobic training (Tues, Thurs, Sat). This is Monday's workout for the duration of the program - CLICK ME!

Starting with heavy squats definitely made some of the other exercises more painful, as our legs were feeling like Jello halfway through the first circuit. It went fairly well throughout, and we were both sweating. There is a learning curve with some of the exercises, but by the time we repeat this workout, we should be on our A-game. The good thing is that we only have to repeat this workout three more times. And now we are down to 27 days.

Tomorrow is a high intensity interval training day combined with some moderate/high intensity steady-state aerobic training to help burn up some fat. We also have a normal carb day which means less carbs than today, but it shouldn't be too bad as protein is kept high along with plenty of healthy fats.

I'll post how things progress in the next few days.

Strength versus Conditioning

"If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small."

- Proverbs 24:10

I was recently emailing back and forth with a friend discussing his conditioning needs and workouts.

Due to a huge amount of stress in his life from various issues along with recent illness, he found himself at a point where he hadn't been training as much and was feeling out of shape and deconditioned. I addressed some of those other stresses and issues in his life and then began to discuss his training and current levels of fitness.

He showed me a plan of how he was going to improve his conditioning over the next several weeks with walking, burpees, interval training and strongman conditioning. After giving him some suggestions on how to progress, I noticed that he never mentioned his resistance (weight) training program during this time. After further inquiry, I realized that he had decided not to focus on resistance training until after he increased his conditioning.

I felt that this was a huge mistake, and I encouraged him to focus on his strength before his conditioning, as it makes no sense in trying to become more fit without becoming stronger first. He would only be a more fit version of his "weaker" self which in the end would not result in much improvement with his conditioning.

Not only that, but resistance training is a form of conditioning. Resistance training not only strengths the muscles, tendons and ligaments, but it also strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system. Resistance training with short rest periods or performed using supersets, tri-sets, circuits, complexes and hybrids can also be used specifically for conditioning purposes while strengthening the body.

Alwyn Cosgrove wrote a wonderful article about conditioning for mixed martial artists (MMA) where he said this:

Before we get into the actual exercise prescription, I should point out that I still believe that maximal strength levels should be achieved prior to endurance or energy system development. My theory is this: when we are talking about endurance – we are talking about power endurance or speed endurance or strength endurance. If we haven’t built up appreciable levels of power, speed or strength, then what the hell are we trying to endure? A low level of power? A low level of speed?

Conditioning coach Mike Boyle once pointed out that “It is significantly easier to get an explosive athlete ‘in shape’, than it is to make an ‘in shape’ athlete explosive. The first will take weeks the second may take years.”

This was exactly the point I was trying to make in my conversation, and it reinforces my belief that strength is the most important quality to build with your training. I also mentioned this in a previous blog.

Unfortunately, many people who begin training to lose fat or to "get in shape" tend to start from the opposite direction. They may start with steady-state aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, biking, etc.) and then work toward interval training and resistance training. When this approached is followed, it usually results in little to no progress and frustration. However, if someone were to begin with resistance training they would make more progress in strength and overall conditioning. This is also mentioned in Alwyn Cosgrove's article and blog about the Hierarchy of Fat Loss.

Whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, increase strength, or become more fit or healthy, always begin with resistance training to accomplish your goals. Get stronger first, and everything else will fall into place. But don't forget that the number one step you should take is: NUTRITION. Everything starts with a proper nutritional program. Be sure to read my previous blog posts for tips on how to improve your nutritional plan.

Get on a good resistance training program such as Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne, Muscle Gaining Secrets by Jason Ferruggia, No-Nonsense Muscle Building by Vince DelMonte or Real Man Fitness by Zach Even-Esh.

Welcome! PLEASE READ FIRST!

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31

Thank you for stopping by to check out my new blog - Christian Athlete Fitness Training. I am a Christian, and I have had a passion for health and fitness since I was 14. I am interested in being strong, fit, lean and athletic.

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to use my passion in a purposeful and meaningful way to help others. I have been searching for my purpose all my life with no clear idea of what I was created to do, but it has become more and more clear to me just recently. This blog and the posts are not intended to teach you scripture (although I will reference things from the bible if they apply) or suggest that you become a Christian. This is purely a way for me to use my passion and talent to help others. That is one of God's purposes for all of us - to help others.

My goal is to provide a variety of strength, conditioning, fat loss, fitness, nutrition and health tips that cuts through all the nonsense and differing views of all the "internet gurus" who have never lifted a weight or followed the practices they preach. This will be based on my research and, most importantly, real-world experience from the many years I have trained myself and seen what works and what doesn't.

This blog is intended for everyone - Christians and Non-Christians. I hope that you will gain valuable information for your physical (and spiritual) needs through this blog. Although I may quote scripture at times, I will not push "religion" on you or make you feel guilty for not being Christian or any of that other nonsense that we have all experienced. Trust me, it's hard enough for me to stay on the right path (I mess up many times every day), so I will not condemn, judge or belittle you in any way regarding your belief system - However, I'll let it be known that my patience does wear thin from people "not getting it" when it comes to strength, fitness and health. But I will use this blog and my experience training others to become more patient.

I started this blog to give you the information you need to meet your strength, fitness, nutritional and health goals in a simple way. I said simple not easy. Doing these things requires hard work on your part. But you will reap the benefits of what you put in and hopefully live a long and happy life because of it. Feel free to contact me with questions and be sure to sign up to join my blog. Let's get started!