TRX Pulls its Weight at InFit in Albertville

There are new fads in fitness all the time, and InFit/Anytime Fitness owner and longtime Patch blogger Ashley Darkenwald has seen quite a few of them. 

Most of them are good. Zumba, for example, aims to make working out in a class setting fun and exciting. Yoga, a fitness mainstay, focuses on peace and serenity while you work your core and increase your flexibility in ways you might have never imagined. 

And now, there's another one that's been around awhile, but is really catching on - TRX. 

Those three little letters indicate the latest in suspension training, and it's all the rage right now in places around the country. TRX uses the body's own weight against you in a variety of stretches, poses, push-ups and more with the assistance of straps, buckles and grids.  

"It feels like an easy workout when you're doing it. It really does. You whip off about seven different things in 30 to 40 minutes and you're not really feeling it right away. But the next morning, you realize that you've worked your body pretty well," Darkenwald said. 

The bands adjust to allow you to use as much or as little resistance as you need to "feel" the workout. And since there is no real jerking, pulling or "throwing," like you do with weights, TRX is excellent for those recovering from common injuries such as back trouble, knee and leg issues, and more. 

"We really only set the (TRX) up with you and a trainer, because if people did it on their own there's a temptation to work it too hard or too fast. This way, you're building your way back, especially if you've had an injury. You want to hurry back for that 5K or that class you used to like. You need to build up some muscle and endurance and take it slow. This can help," she said.