shanmonster (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shanmonster) wrote2011-07-04 10:00 pm
shanmonster) wrote2011-07-04 10:00 pm
T R eXperience
Today was my first go-round with TRX suspension training. I have been anticipating this day for over a week, and the workout was just as intense as I was hoping. I left feeling like my limbs were controlled by a drunken marionette, because I'd been worked good and hard.
![[TRX]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/d1a402cb7ad0/2919457-905348/www.ourfernie.com/files/images/trx-2.jpg "[TRX]")
I think the class went a little longer than future ones will because we had to learn the ropes, so to speak. There are different positions you can set the straps to, and we had to learn the different positions you go into to do the various exercises. This really isn't very complicated, though. Certainly no more complicated than setting up any sort of basic exercise equipment.
None of the exercises we did were complicated. They were all familiar to me, except that they were augmented a bit to incorporate the straps. We did lunges, crunches, squats, pushups, pull-ups, etc. But all with suspension. The one thing that makes this very different from doing them with freeweights or on plate-weight machines is the way the suspension forces you to use your stabilizing muscles. It is fantastic for that. It's also great for working the core.
The crunch (which is done upsidedown to a regular, unsuspended crunch) was not very difficult for me to do, but I felt the burn after far fewer repetitions than when I do them regular-style, or even weighted on an incline bench. The plank, which I am very good at, and can hold for a lot longer than the usual 30 seconds or so asked for by fitness magazines, pooped me up much faster when my feet were suspended by the straps. Nice.
I expected to feel the burn. I expected to feel wobbly. What I did not expect was the hand pain. A couple of the grips and positions made my hands ache horribly. I suspect this is because of arthritis, but it could also be because my grip strength has weakened. The trainer told me my hands would become stronger in the weeks to come. I sure hope so, because otherwise, I'm not sure how I'll progress with the upper body exercises.
I found the upper body exercises hardest, partially because of the soreness in my hands, and also because my arms and shoulders have always been my weakest parts. I found the core and leg exercises the easiest, but neither rely on my hands, and my core and leg strength have always been pretty darned good.
That being said, the one-legged lunges were killer. Apparently, I exceeded my trainer's expectations (she told me, "You KILLED those lunges!"), but they sure did make my legs and feet wobbly. I also felt a lot of fascia burn, which intrigued me. Now that I'm good and familiar with my peroneal tendons, I realize that's causing a lot of the trickiness for me. I could feel every tiny micro-correction as I went through the lunges (I did well over 30 on my first try, with each leg), but afterwards, my legs felt like screaming, over-cooked noodles being shaken from above. It was great.
On Wednesday, we'll be working on squats. I expect to feel like a soggy noodle again. But it's the upper body training that intimidates me the most....
I think the class went a little longer than future ones will because we had to learn the ropes, so to speak. There are different positions you can set the straps to, and we had to learn the different positions you go into to do the various exercises. This really isn't very complicated, though. Certainly no more complicated than setting up any sort of basic exercise equipment.None of the exercises we did were complicated. They were all familiar to me, except that they were augmented a bit to incorporate the straps. We did lunges, crunches, squats, pushups, pull-ups, etc. But all with suspension. The one thing that makes this very different from doing them with freeweights or on plate-weight machines is the way the suspension forces you to use your stabilizing muscles. It is fantastic for that. It's also great for working the core.
The crunch (which is done upsidedown to a regular, unsuspended crunch) was not very difficult for me to do, but I felt the burn after far fewer repetitions than when I do them regular-style, or even weighted on an incline bench. The plank, which I am very good at, and can hold for a lot longer than the usual 30 seconds or so asked for by fitness magazines, pooped me up much faster when my feet were suspended by the straps. Nice.
I expected to feel the burn. I expected to feel wobbly. What I did not expect was the hand pain. A couple of the grips and positions made my hands ache horribly. I suspect this is because of arthritis, but it could also be because my grip strength has weakened. The trainer told me my hands would become stronger in the weeks to come. I sure hope so, because otherwise, I'm not sure how I'll progress with the upper body exercises.
I found the upper body exercises hardest, partially because of the soreness in my hands, and also because my arms and shoulders have always been my weakest parts. I found the core and leg exercises the easiest, but neither rely on my hands, and my core and leg strength have always been pretty darned good.
That being said, the one-legged lunges were killer. Apparently, I exceeded my trainer's expectations (she told me, "You KILLED those lunges!"), but they sure did make my legs and feet wobbly. I also felt a lot of fascia burn, which intrigued me. Now that I'm good and familiar with my peroneal tendons, I realize that's causing a lot of the trickiness for me. I could feel every tiny micro-correction as I went through the lunges (I did well over 30 on my first try, with each leg), but afterwards, my legs felt like screaming, over-cooked noodles being shaken from above. It was great.
On Wednesday, we'll be working on squats. I expect to feel like a soggy noodle again. But it's the upper body training that intimidates me the most....
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