Now a days, there are so many different training tools, it is so difficult to figure out what tools you truly should be using! One of those tools is the suspension trainer. This training tool has really grown in popularity, especially around the functional fitness and rehabilitation camps. However, this does not mean that it does not serve a purpose for every other camp out there. Whether you are a seasoned exerciser or a newbie, here are 3 reasons that you should be adding this tool to your training plan now.
What is a Suspension Trainer?
So, before I dive into the reasons why this piece of equipment shouldn’t be overlooked, I want to ensure that we are on the same page. Suspension trainers are essentially a piece of nylon rope attached to a fixed anchor point with handles on each end. The most popular company out there is TRX, but there are many other companies out there with very similar products. The suspension trainer works by using your own bodyweight against gravity. The closer your feet are to anchor point (or the smaller the angle between you and the floor) the harder the exercise will be, the further your feet are from the anchor point (or the greater the angle between you and the floor) the easier the exercise will be. Here is a quick demonstration if you are not familiar.
It Helps Improve Mobility and Overall Joint Health
When you use a suspension trainer, it does one thing that free weights cannot match, it allows you to train through the entire range of motion of an exercise while allowing you to control the intensity of the movement. Lets take for example, the chest press. When doing a dumbbell bench press, you are limited to your range of motion due to the weight, as well as the load that you are lifting. When you counter that with a Suspension Chest Press, you will notice that you can take your joint through a much greater range of motion, all while maintaining similar intensities to that of its dumbbell counterpart. Anecdotally, I have prescribed this for my clients and they have shared how much their mobility has improved since starting using that piece of equipment.
Every movement trains your core
A huge area of concern I hear from clients is how they deal with loads of low back pain. This is where the suspension trainer comes in handy. When using this piece of equipment, every exercise becomes a core exercise. When you utilize this training tool, you are working with an unstable surface compared to using the floor or the bench. When this comes into play, your body has to work to organize and maintain a good position in order to execute the exercise in a pain-free manner. For those that complain of a weak core, switching from doing a bench press to doing a suspension chest press can leave you feeling surprisingly sore in the core from having to hold your body in a good position during each set.
It is just as effective as weight training when it comes to gaining muscle size and strength
This one is more for the novice exerciser, but can be applied to anyone. Research shows that using a suspension trainer can garner similar responses from muscle tissue as using traditional weights. In order to continue to make progress in both muscular size and strength there has to be a way to add intensity to an exercise, with suspension trainers, the more acute the angle between you and the floor, the higher the difficulty of the exercise. This acts the same way as adding an extra 5 pounds to that barbell or dumbbell. Now, some things still need to be followed, such as training close to failure and training through the entire range of motion of an exercise. As long as those things are held constant, the gains made from using a suspension trainer mimic those of dumbbells and barbells.
Closing thoughts
I am not here trying to tell you to switch up and scrap other tools of the trade and only use a suspension trainer for your training sessions. What I am trying to say is that even though these nylon ropes seem inferior, they pack a lot of value into a very small package. If used appropriately, adding this into your training program can help save your joints from the constant bombardment free weights and train your core, all while making similar gains in muscular strength and size.
Ryegate Strength 