I’ve recently attended and qualified as a certified TRX Instructor with FASTER Health and Performance. If you check out my youtube channel you’ll see I’ve been working with TRX for a while so why attend a course now and why didn’t I qualify before?
I’m not too sure when the first TRX UK course was launched but I know that when I first became aware of TRX there were no courses available in the UK. So I got hold of one, started to teach myself and went from there. With a hectic work, tutoring and family schedule, it’s always hard to find a free weekend. So I’m delighted I have finally got round to attending the certification.
Firstly, for anyone who doesn’t know what TRX is where have you been hiding for the past three years?! Seriously though TRX is suspension training and uses bodyweight and differing angles to create a whole range of exercises. TRX is suitable for a wide range of clients with different fitness goals, from de-conditioned beginners to advanced exercisers and athletes. AC Milan, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea are all known to train and work with TRX. It is also a very useful training tool to rehabilitate from injury and can be used for special populations such as the elderly.
The beauty of TRX is it weighs less than 2kg, is easily transportable and can used just about anywhere. This is how I fell in love with TRX in the first place and whenever I’m away from home I take it with me so I can carry on training; try taking a kettlebell on an airplane and see how far you get! TRX is also part of the new group of functional training tools to have hit the fitness industry in the past decade. The term ‘functional’ has definitely been used and abused though and all kinds of weird exercises on things that wobble have been mislabelled functional. However, in the case of TRX and using bodyweight to increase resistance and exercise intensity there is direct application both for everyday activities and more sports specific training.
The instructor course started with an overview of the history and development of TRX. Created originally by a former Navy Seal the TRX was designed as a lightweight training tool to be used anywhere. Utilising bodyweight it replaces the need for a rack of weights and, as well as improving strength, develops balance, flexibility and core stability. With an increased understanding of the original concept we then looked at the component parts of the TRX including the correct set up and safe attachment.
The course then moved on to the practical use of the TRX and we ran through a range of exercises, progressions, regressions and modifications to test the most able athletes through to special populations. Throughout the day we had an opportunity to practise teaching technique on each other and this is always beneficial in highlighting correct teaching points and identifies common errors. During the day our experienced tutor was able to develop and extend our knowledge and application of TRX training. Once we had mastered a range of exercises we completed a fast and furious 15 minute circuit. This really served to highlight how TRX can deliver a total body workout for time poor clients just about anywhere.
Whilst we let our lunch digest we broke off into smaller groups to brainstorm and develop a TRX based training session for different client profiles. Each group presented and explained the programmes they had developed and this served to underline how TRX can be utilised in targeting differing training needs and goals. It is always stimulating to bounce around ideas with a group of like-minded trainers and this was a very beneficial part of the day.
To round up, I was very pleased I attended this certification. It would be a little arrogant of me to assume I could teach myself the correct and extensive application and use of any training tool without some hands-on training. This certification and course is well structured, led by an experienced and knowledgeable tutor and will give trainers the confidence and technical understanding to deliver TRX training based sessions to a wide range of clients. The accompanying manual gives detailed information on everything covered in the course and is a useful reminder of all the exercises.
Tags: TRX
