Thanks Navy SEAL’s!

The recent Navy SEAL rescue effort that involved the killing of Pirates and saving Captain Richard Phillips off the coast of Somalia is an incredible testament to the capability of our Navy SEAL teams. My personal interaction with Navy SEAL’s has left me with a deep admiration for their ability to push themselves beyond normal human limits. SEAL’s are an inspiration to me when it comes to fitness, teamwork, preparation and overcoming challenges.

I played volleyball in college with a former Navy SEAL, worked to promote the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge in Los Angeles and am an avid user of the TRX Suspension Trainer – a lightweight, portable functional fitness tool for the entire body that was originally created in Navy SEAL teams by Randy Hetrick, former squadron commander in SEAL teams and current CEO of Fitness Anywhere. What’s also impressive about Randy and his invention is that he recieved his MBA from Stanford after his military tenure and used that time to continuously refine his concept for TRX so that it would be a viable fitness product offering for people of all ages and fitness abilities – Mission Accomplished Randy!!!

Thanks Navy SEAL’s for being among the best our U.S. military has to offer…and for kicking ass – you rock!

A Trainer-Athlete’s Use for TRX / Suspension Training

If you’re a fitness trainer, the TRX System should be a permanent fixture in your functional training tool-box to use with clients of all ages and abilities. If you’re an athlete, Suspension Training with TRX should be in your arsenal of conditioning and training methods for improving performance and reducing risk of injury. Since I happen to be both a trainer and an athlete, I wanted to share why I get as much use out of my TRX System as I do with my blackberry…however my TRX (the same one I’ve been using for 3 years) won’t be obsolete in 6 months!

When I’m on the road during the week (and some weekends) I simply bring my TRX with me. It weighs less than 2 lbs and folds into the size of a shoe – so it’s incredibly portable. Furthermore, TRX anchors to virtually any sturdy overhead structure (beam, gym equipment, tree, pole, fence, door, etc.) enabling me to bring my “home-gym” on the road where I can train clients at the local health club, their home/office; or outdoors in a local park or sports field. Imagine the flexibility you could have with training clients if you had your own TRX System!

Due to my road-weary lifestyle, I don’t have the luxury of training clients on a long-term basis. Therefore my goal is often times to introduce, train and educate clients on how they can use the TRX System on their own to achieve their fitness goals. While I still think it’s important for people to work with a personal trainer if they have the means, I’ve found that people really like to take control of their own fitness efforts, on their own time and in their own training sanctuary – wherever that might be (home, outside, hotel-room, etc.). I’ll support an individuals efforts by showing them how to safely perfom Suspension Training exercises (i.e. squats, presses, rows, planks and curls) at basic levels and how to progress in difficulty within each exercise profile as their exercise competency (form, balance, coodination) and strength to weight ratio improves over time.

It gives me great satisfaction to see someone get excited about exercise enough to WANT to learn how to take fitness into their own hands. While I’ll always encourage someone to work with a certified trainer, I’d also encourage people to learn more about living a healthy lifestyle and put that knowledge to use by making good choices. Having a fit body will help you live a long and productive life with increased vitality and more freedom from discomfort and disease.

As a competitive athlete, I consistently train with TRX to improve my athleticism, conditioning and sport-specific performance in beach volleyball. My (variable) resistance is my own bodyweight (205 lbs) working against gravity – which is plenty. TRX allows me to make exercises as easy or difficult as I want them to be…and I tend to work just beyond my comfort zone in order to see incrimental and progressive gains through consistant efforts.

In sport, as in life, there are always going to be people out there that are bigger, faster and stonger than we are. Similarly, with TRX, there are always going to be exercise movements that will make us bigger, faster and stonger than before – regardless of how good of shape we’re currently in.  What’s the message here? We must always strive to become better versions of ourselves. Afterall, that’s what our competition is doing! The TRX System is a single fitness tool that can accompany any athlete on their path to becoming the best they can be. If you’re a recreational athlete or compete in sports, working out with TRX will:

• Increase strength, balance and coordination through the entire kinetic chain
• Improve athleticism and kinesthetic sense
• Improve posture
• Strengthen muscles of the core for spinal stabilization (a precursor to athletic movement)
• Improve sport-specific performance through performing sport-specific movements
• Reduce risk of injury through closed-kinetic-chain exercises performed in multiple planes of motion

Even if you’re a weekend warrior, using TRX regularly during the week will improve how you feel and your overall performance in your sport of choice. Give it a try and share TRX with your teammates! Once you do, come back to this Blog and leave a comment to share your experience with myself and others.

Thanks for reading and please don’t hesitate to leave a comment with any thoughts or concerns you may have on using the TRX System – either as a trainer or athlete (or both). Also, I’ll be adding video content in the weeks to come so come back soon for exercise guidance that will take your game to the next level!