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KATE CRACKNELL » JOURNALIST » SPA BUSINESS
KEPT IN SUSPENSE
Whoever would have thought that just hanging around could be so good for your health?
OK, fair to say there’s rather more to suspension training than that, as I discovered for myself when I tried out some of the off erings currently on the market – it’s actually a pretty tough workout. But it’s certainly the hanging aspect that injects the nov- elty factor into the sessions, as well as opening the door to a wide variety of unusual exercises and movements that simply wouldn’t be possible on traditional gym equipment. All in all, it’s easy to see how the
popularity of this training method is growing so rapidly: it’s diff erent, it’s fun and, if my aching muscles the following day were anything to go by, it also yields results. So, what systems are available and what do spa and fi tness operators thinking of signing up need to consider?
With suspension training taking the health and fi tness sector by storm, we outline the benefi ts of this technique and try out some of the classes currently available
STRAP SYSTEMS T
he simplest, cheapest and most common form of suspension training are
the strap-based systems – where straps are fi xed to an anchor, but can move freely to challenge the user to move their bodyweight around an unstable point. One of the most well-known
THE LOW-DOWN: TRX
brands is TRX, which launched in 2005 and is available world- wide. Wendy de Knoop, who focuses on sales and marketing for Escape Fitness, the European distributors says: “The TRX® Suspension Trainer™ is a highly portable performance training tool that lev- erages gravity and the user’s bodyweight to enable hundreds of exercises for every fi tness
space required: Quick to set up and take down, the TRX system can be attached to any secure overhead anchoring point (wall, tennis court fence, beam, post etc), so no permanent training area is required. However, freestanding frames designed to facilitate group training of up to 24 people are available. cost: £150 (us$236, €169) per TRX. Door anchors cost £23 (us$36, €26) each; frames start at £990 (us$1,550, €1,100). training: One-day course delivered by a TRX master trainer. A course group training sessions is also available.
goal, simultaneously building strength, bal- ance, fl exibility and core stability. T at’s all you need: the TRX and your own body. “In real life, our bodies move to the side,
backwards, forwards and diagonally. Shouldn’t we train the same way? Unlike traditional weight training that tends to be linear and follow one plane of movement, suspension training encourages multi-planar training that mimics real life movement. T is will bring a muscular balance to your body, increasing performance and preventing injuries.” In the US, TRX has not only been installed
TRX is one of the best known strap systems 70 Read Spa Business online
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in health clubs but is also being used by the military and professional athletes. Yet sus- pension training caters for all levels of fi tness even deconditioned users, those seeking rehabilitation or less-able bodied people. It can also be used in one-to-one or small group training session and circuit training classes. De Knoop adds: “It also attracts men who have traditionally shunned group fi t- ness classes. Clubs are reporting almost 50/50 men and women in their TRX classes.
SPA BUSINESS 4 2010 ©Cybertrek 2010
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