Make Your Body Your Machine : Fitness Anywhere

Alcohol is Bad for Your Workout!

Nathan McGee — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:19:00 GMT

I know this probably falls under the "duh" category, but it goes beyond the dangers of combining TRX Incline Presses with keg stands. Alcohol has a profound effect on your body, more than just making you feel a little tipsy (or all out sloshed drunk). Now I'm not advocating an all out beer strike, but if you are going for optimal physical conditioning or trying to trim that waistline, it is good to know the effect one drink has so you can determine if you are willing to make that sacrifice.

In this article, Joe Kita of Core Performance highlights 6 effects even moderate consumption of alcohol (one to two 12 ounce beers a day) can cause.

* * *

Sometimes we want to believe that something is good for us even when we know it’s really not. Take alcohol, for instance. All the press about how a daily nip can prevent heart disease has convinced many people that it’s beneficial overall. But as I’m learning during this month’s One Small Change experiment in which I’ve significantly reduced my alcohol intake, there’s a lot more to consider than just heart health. Athletes need to weigh the effects of alcohol on fitness and performance. And here, I’m sorry to say, the evidence is almost entirely negative.

Danielle LaFata, M.A., R.D., C.S.S.D., a performance nutritionist with Athletes’ Performance in Phoenix, Arizona, recently prepared a report listing some ways in which alcohol can thwart training and competition. Keep in mind as you read this that she’s not talking about alcoholics. Just one or two 12-ounce beers, 5 to 10 ounces of wine or 1 to 2 shots of hard liquor (mixed drinks) nightly can cause these effects, as can regularly binging on weekends. Here’s the bar menu:

1. Interferes with deep, restorative REM sleep.

While alcohol can make you sleepy initially, it should never be used as a sedative because it disrupts your sleep cycles, especially REM. This stage is particularly important to athletes because it’s when you consolidate and commit to long-term memory what you learned during the day. So if you’ve taken a golf lesson, for instance, getting good REM sleep will help ensure that your mind and muscles assimilate the new technique.

2. Wrings the body of water and nutrients.

You already know that alcohol is a potent diuretic and that without adequate fluid your system is like an engine without oil. But what you may not realize is that in all that pee are lots of water-soluble vitamins and minerals that your muscles need for balance and performance. For athletes, the dehydrating effects of alcohol carry a double punch.

3. Disrupts the muscle-building process.

Reaching for a beer to reward yourself after a hard workout is one of the dumbest things you can do if your goal is to add lean mass. Alcohol is a bully in the body. It pushes aside protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients, which muscles need for recovery and growth, as it demands to be metabolized first. It always takes precedence. This deprives your post-exercise body of what it needs most and, thereby, sabotages improvement.

4. Spikes the production of cortisol.

This is the body’s stress hormone. Think of it as the alarm that triggers a gazillion little firemen to take off through your system. The longer these guys are on the scene, the more havoc they wreak, namely impairing thinking, raising blood pressure, decreasing bone density and muscle tissue, and increasing abdominal fat.

5. Depresses the immune system.

Alcohol and, subsequently, cortisol also handcuffs our body’s T-cells, which are activated when germs, a virus or another invader enters the body. This means you’re not only more likely to get sick and lose training time if you drink, but injuries will also take longer to heal.

6. Impairs reaction time long after consumption.

It takes roughly one hour for each drink to be metabolized and leave your system. But since you’re also becoming dehydrated, losing nutrients, interfering with muscle-protein synthesis, disrupting sleep and doing everything else we mentioned, your body will be hung over long after the buzz fades and the cobwebs in your head clear. One study out of New Zealand detected negative performance effects up to 60 hours post-binge.

So what does all this mean? Have we quaffed our last Coors? As LaFata points out, it really comes down to how serious you are about seeing results from your training. If you have a big race coming up, then it’s probably smart to avoid drinking 48 hours prior. If your goal is to lose weight, pack on muscle and finally put an end to people offering you part-time Santa jobs, then it’s probably wise to stop rewarding yourself with hi-balls post-exercise. Instead, rehydrate and refuel first. Then, later that night, if you want to toast your progress, do so in moderation, if at all.

Joe Kita is a noted writer, editor, motivational speaker and teacher. He authors the blog "One Small Change" for CorePerformance.com.

2012 Olympic Hopeful Talks TRX!

Nathan McGee — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:15:00 GMT

Tyler Stewart is no stranger to endurance triathlons. Having just placed in the top ten in the recent Ford Ironman World Championship Kona, Hawaii, she is definitely on her way to being a contender in the 2012 Olympics held in London. As a San Francisco Bay Area resident, we are fortunate to have her stop by the TRX Training Center and join us for a rigorous workout. Here is what she had to say...

How did you first hear about the TRX?
I saw one hanging in my gym and thought like it looked like fun.

What excited you most about the TRX?
Once my trainer showed me all the things you could do with it, the possibilities seemed endless.

How have you incorporated the TRX into your workout routine/lifestyle?
During my racing season I use it about 2 days a week; in off season I'd say I do half my strength training on the TRX.

Where do you typically workout using your TRX?
At the gym. I'm too lazy to workout at home. ;)

What are your fitness goals?
I want to be top 3 in the world at Ironman and to represent the USA in the women's time trial in London 2012.

How do you stay motivated?
I never sit down, and I always make little goals to keep me working towards them.

What does it mean to you to be fit and why do you think it is important?
I am at the point where if i am not exercising at least 5 days a week i start to get depressed. Being fit is so much more than about weight, it's about feeling good, day in and day out and staying young and vibrant.

Be sure to check out Tyler Stewart's site to stay up to date on her progress and competitions. tyler-stewart.com

Iron(wo)man Champion Tyler Stewart Now Swimming, Running, Biking with TRX

Nathan McGee — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:55:00 GMT

Fitness Anywhere is proud to be a sponsor of 2009 Ironman Coeur d’Alene champion, Tyler Stewart as she competes in the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

"Stewart’s relationship with Fitness Anywhere grew out of her attending TRX classes at their San Francisco training facility. 'I'm limited on time and the TRX suspension trainer is one of the most efficient ways to strengthen and stretch my entire body,' Stewart said. 'Just swimming, biking and running isn’t enough anymore, you have to train strength, and I do it on the TRX.' " - xtri.com

We wish you luck Tyler Stewart!

For more information on Tyler Stewart, check out her website at tyler-stewart.com.

TRX at the First Ever UFC Gym

Fitness Anywhere — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:19:00 GMT

The first UFC Gym will be opening this fall in Concord, CA and it will be featuring the TRX among its top training equipment for the serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

A few Fitness Anywhere people were able to get a sneek peek at the large facility that not only features "Octagon Training" but a state of the art "UFC" kids gym. Stay tuned for a UFC gym near you. For more information, check out UFCGYMS.com

Clearly we need to teach this guy how to train!!

Changing the Rules of Good Nutrition

Fitness Anywhere — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Guest post by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

What are the rules of good nutrition? What types of things must you absolutely do to succeed – and what types of things must you avoid?

Seriously, take a moment and think about it.

What rules do you think you’ll need to follow if you want to eat in a healthy way – a way that will improve the way your body looks and the way it feels.

Come up with that list in your mind right now.

Now that you’ve considered these rules, I want you to take a second and think about your list. Specifically, think about where you learned these rules.

Certainly your rules have been influenced by how you were raised, no? Certainly they’ve been influenced by your experiences dining with friends and relatives – comfort foods, right? Of course, no set of nutrition rules is immune to media influences – you can’t help but be bombarded by those Got Milk ads! Your rules have probably also been influenced by what you’ve heard others say – heck, every 3rd episode of Dr. Phil is about food and dieting. And, no doubt, your nutrition rules have probably been influenced by your own past attempts at changing your body – whether you’ve been successful or unsuccessful.

I could sit here all day and list potential nutritional influences. But I’ll stop here since there are probably hundreds of ‘em and to enumerate them all would bore your socks off.

At this junction, I’d just like to go ahead and make my point. And the point is this - very few of your “Good Nutrition Rules” have been influenced by those who know anything about good nutrition – let alone about long-term success and about what it really means to eat in a healthy way! And worse yet, most of those rules have been hammered home without you even knowing it!

It’s time to change the rules.

The Triple S Criterion

Now I’ll admit it. Changing the rules – just like changing your habits – is difficult. Not only does it take a desire to change – “want to” – but it takes a strategy for change – “how to”.

The “want to” is all your own. But the “how to” is what I do best. I’ve committed my career to helping people do just this – to change their rules and change their habits – and have gotten pretty good at it. In changing these rules and habits, everything changes – the way clients eat, the way they sleep, they way they look, the way they feel when they wake up in the morning, and they way they perform in day-to-day activities or during athletic events.

Today, I’m going to teach you a good part of that system – a system based on my Triple S Criterion.

What’s the Triple S Criterion? Well, it represents a three step way of evaluating a strategy for its usefulness.

Step 1 – Simplicity:
Are the rules easy to follow?
Step 2 – Science
Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?
Step 3 – Success
Have the rules produced success in past clients?

Using this criterion, the systems developed for my clients always produce a positive result.

Think again about your nutritional rules – rules that you might be quite attached to. Which criterion did you use when determining your rules? Are your rules based on Simplicity, Science, and Success? Have your rules produced the desired effect – a lean, healthy body that you’re able to maintain; a body that you’re happy with when looking in the mirror?

If not, perhaps they could use a re-evaluation.

Dr. Berardi’s Good Nutrition Rules

Below, I’d like to present my 10 Good Nutrition Rules, rules based on the Triple S Criterion above. In doing so, I hope to accomplish 2 goals.

• First, I want to help you rethink your whole nutrition approach – providing you with a new set of nutrition rules and habits – a set that swiftly moves you in the direction of your goals.

• Secondly, I want to show specifically how the recipes, cooking tips, and strategies can integrate together to represent a complete success system, fully integrated into the basic habits of good nutrition.

So here are the 10 rules:

1) Eat every 2-3 hours - no matter what.
Are you doing this – no matter what? Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3 hours but you do need to eat 6-8 meals and snacks that conform to the other rules below.

2) Ingest complete, lean protein each time you eat.
Are you eating something this is an animal or comes from an animal – every time you feed yourself? If not, make the change. Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies – you need complete protein and need to find non-animal sources.

3) Ingest vegetables every time you eat.
That’s right, every time you eat (every 2-3 hours, right), in addition to a complete, lean protein source, you need to eat some vegetables. You can toss in a piece of fruit here and there as well. But don’t skip the veggies.

4) If want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised.
Although these often heavily processed grains are dietary staples in North America, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are North American medical staples – there’s a relationship between the two! To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after (your body best tolerates these carbohydrates after exercise). For the rest of the day, eat your lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.

5) A good percentage of your diet must come from fat. Just be sure it’s the right kind.
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health and even help you lose fat.

Your saturated fat should come from your animal products and you can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat should from flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.

6) Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juice).
In fact, all of your drinks should come from non-calorie containing beverages. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, and sodas – these are all to be removed from your daily fare. Your absolute best choices are water and green tea.

7) Focus on whole foods.
Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods. There are a few times where supplement drinks and shakes are useful. But most of the time, you’ll do best with whole, largely unprocessed foods.

8) Have 10% foods.
I know you cringed at a few of the rules above – perhaps #6 in particular. But here’s a bit of a reprieve. 10% foods are foods that don’t necessarily follow the rules above – but food’s you’re still allowed to eat (or drink) 10% of the time.

100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible.

Just make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means. For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 is about 4. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” 4 meals each week.

9) Develop food preparation strategies.
The hardest part about eating well is making sure you can follow the 8 rules above consistently. And this is where preparation comes in. You might know what to eat, but if isn’t available, you’ll blow it when it’s time for a meal.

10) Balance daily food choices with healthy variety.
Let’s face it; during the week –when you’re busy – you’re not going to be spending a ton of time whipping up gourmet meals. During these times you’re going to need a set of tasty, easy to make foods that you can eat day in and day out. However, once every day or a few times a week – you need to eat something different – something unique.

So, what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in many other articles on my own web site and elsewhere? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless.
Moreover, many people can achieve the health and the body composition they desire using the habits alone. No kidding! In fact, with some of my paying clients I spend the first few months just supervising their adherence to these 7 rules—an effective but costly way to learn them.

If you’ve reached the 90% threshold, you may need a bit more individualization beyond the habits. If so, visit my web site. Many of these little tricks can be found in my many articles published there. But before looking for them, before assuming you’re ready for individualization; make sure you’ve truly mastered the habits. Then, while keeping the habits as the consistent foundation, tweak away.

Dr. John M. Berardi completed Undergraduate studies at Lock Haven University (Health Science, Philosophy, and Psychology), Masters studies at Eastern Michigan University (Exercise Physiology), and Doctoral studies at the University of Western Ontario (Kinesiology; specialization in exercise and nutrient biochemistry).

He created the Precision Nutrition System. In this one product, He's taken his years of research and work with exercisers and athletes and distilled it into one entertaining and instructive system guaranteed to produce results.

Dr. Berardi's "Gourmet Nutrition" book is available in the Fitness Anywhere Shop or take a look at some of Fitness Anywhere's favorite recipies we have posted in our blog.

Beat the Challenge, Get Our Newest Workout Program for FREE

Fitness Anywhere — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:00:00 GMT

May is National Fitness and Sports Month! In honor of the President's fitness challenge, we have developed our own TRX Based Fitness Challenge. Complete the Challenge and be one of the first to receive our newest workout program coming this summer!

We have taken two traditional tests for agility and aerobic fitness and added unique TRX based challenges with the Fitness Anywhere flavor you have come to know and love/hate. These five tests can be performed anywhere with minimal equipment; your TRX, a stop watch and three cones (or anything to mark of short distances).

The idea is to take this test early in the month, train and eat healthy, consistently during the month, then take the test again to see your improvement.

Where you are at: The Tests

Pro Agility Test

The pro agility test for time measures acceleration, deceleration and change of direction, agility in short. This is a more advanced version of the shuttle run used in the President’s Challenge. It is best if you have someone to time you. The pro agility test, also known as the 20 yard (18.3 m) shuttle run is performed on a football or any marked field. You can also use cones placed 5 yards apart as shown below.

To perform the test you straddle the line of the middle cone and on the command “go” you sprint five yards to the cone to your right, change direction sprint ten yards to the far cone, change direction again and sprint five yards to the middle cone. The clock starts on the command “go” and stops when you reach the middle cone at the end. Record your time and compare it to the table below to see how you rank against different college athletes.

Pro Agility Test Ranking
(gauge)

Time in seconds
Percentile	Women’s volleyball	Woman’s basketball	Women’s softball	Men’s basketball	Men’s baseball	Men’s football
90	4.75	4.65	4.88	4.22	4.25	4.21
80	4.84	4.82	4.96	4.29	4.36	4.31
70	4.91	4.86	5.03	4.35	4.41	4.38
60	4.98	4.94	5.10	4.39	4.46	4.44
50	5.01	5.06	5.17	4.41	4.50	4.52
40	5.08	5.10	5.24	4.44	4.55	4.59
30	5.17	5.14	5.33	4.48	4.61	4.66
20	5.23	5.23	5.40	4.51	4.69	4.76
10	5.32	5.36	5.55	4.61	4.76	4.89

1.5 Mile (2.41 km) Run

The 1.5 mile (2.41 km) run for time to measure aerobic fitness. Use a running track or flat course with a measured distance of 1.5 miles. After a warm up, set your watch and run the distance as fast as you can. Record your time and compare it to the table below to see how you rank for your age and gender.

1.5 Mile Run Gauge

Percentile	Age in years
Men	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
90	9:09	9:30	10:16	11:18	12:20
80	10:16	10:47	11:44	12:51	13:53
70	10:47	11:34	12:34	13:45	14:53
60	11:41	12:20	13:14	14:24	15:29
50	12:18	12:51	13:53	14:55	16:07
40	12:51	13:36	14:29	15:26	16:43
30	13:22	14:08	14:56	15:57	17:14
20	14:13	14:52	15:41	16:43	18:00
10	15:10	15:52	16:28	17:29	19:15
Women	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
90	11:43	12:51	13:22	14:55	14:55
80	12:51	13:43	14:31	15:57	16:20
70	13:53	14:24	15:16	16:27	16:58
60	14:24	15:08	15:57	16:58	17:46
50	14:55	15:26	16:27	17:24	18:16
40	15:26	15:57	16:58	17:55	18:44
30	15:57	16:35	17:24	18:23	18:59
20	16:33	17:14	18:00	18:49	19:21
10	17:21	18:00	18:31	19:30	20:04

TRX Burpee + Atomic Push-up Test

Here is the FUN one! The TRX Burpee +Atomic Push-up Challenge will test your work capacity on the TRX Suspension Trainer. It uses two exercises you have seen before if you have been a TRX user and member of our community. If you are new to TRX training you will want to practice the moves before testing yourself. This is proving to be a great way to train and test your progress at the same time.

Here is how this part of the test works.

Set yourself up to do a suspended burpee by placing one foot into both foot cradles, as you would for a suspended lunge and keep that foot suspended.
Start from a standing position and do one suspended burpee, rest 10 seconds standing
Do two suspended burpees, rest 10 seconds standing
Do three suspended burpees, rest 10 seconds standing
Do four suspended burpees….

Get the idea? Continue adding one rep to each successive set. Complete as many progressions as you can with the 10 second rest. The last set you successfully complete, with good form and no resting, is your score. For example, if you can perform 8 suspended burpees with your left leg suspended but fail before completing the next set to nine – your score is 8, for the right leg. Once you have finished with one leg, rest two (2) minutes and then perform the same thing with the other leg suspended. The leg that is not suspended is the leg you are scoring.

Once you finish both legs, rest two (2) minutes and then perform the same test using the atomic push-up!

Set yourself up to do atomic push-ups by placing both feet in the foot cradles, toes down.
Do one atomic push-up, rest 10 seconds on your hands and knees
Do two atomic push-ups, rest 10 seconds on your hands and knees…
And so on until you cannot complete the next progression in the sequence

You score for the atomic push-ups is the last successful set you are able to perform.

When you are done your score sheet will look something like this;

Suspended burpees
Right leg (left leg suspended)	Left leg (right leg suspended)	Atomic push-ups
<Your score here>	<Your score here>	<Your score here>

Testing Protocol

This is a new testing protocol and we are going to use the Fitness Anywhere Community to establish some baselines and norms.

Rules to follow;

Perform the pro agility test first then rest 10 to 15 minutes and perform the 1.5 mile run.
Perform the TRX burpees + Atomic push-up challenge after you have completely recovered from the run, but no more than 3 hours later.
For the suspended burpees to count you drop down and perform a push-up on the ground then get up on one leg, hop up, extend and reach overhead with both arms.
The atomic push-ups requires you to start in a good suspended plank position on hands, lower your chest to at least two inches from the ground and return to a full push up. Placing a sponge on the ground under your chest is a good way to ensure full range. The crunch component requires bringing your knees as close to your chest as you can and lifting your hips 6 six to 8 inches up.

Feel free to post the results from all your tests to the community or send them to cfrankel@fitnessanywhere.com. All personal information will be kept confidential, we will just use your results not your names. Be sure to include the following information; date of testing, age, gender, height and weight.

Next month we will show you how the community did as a group and you will be able to see how you compare to your fellow community members.

The Challenge: Improve Your Fitness

Because fitness is a continuing pursuit, once you have tested yourself, stay on a program and improve your fitness. The TRX offers an almost limitless variety of exercises and programs. You can use a workout you develop and share with the community, the Train Like the Pros, Team Sports, Ropes and Straps: Bootcamp are also good training programs. You can also string together some of the moves Fraser has done an excellent job of explaining and demonstrating in his blogs.

Below is a suggested program to improve your strength, stamina and your performance on the Fitness Anywhere Challenge. You can always practice the TRX Suspended Burpees and TRX Atomic Push-ups to improve your score. That is what we call “teaching to the test,” which has its benefits and drawbacks. The beauty of TRX Suspension Training is the crossover benefits to sports and activities it provides as a fantastic functional training tool.

Always perform an appropriate warm up before starting the high intensity part of the workouts.

Perform each exercise for 45 seconds with no more than 30 seconds rest in-between, shorten your rest if you can handle it.

Round 1:

TRX single leg squats (each leg no rest in-between)
TRX low row – as deep as you can go
TRX atomic push-up with pike
TRX suspended side plank (each side – drop and rest briefly when needed)
2 minute rest

Round 2:

TRX crossing balance lunge (each leg no rest in-between)
TRX high torso rotation, alternating sides
TRX suspended mountain climbers
TRX suspended push-ups
2 minute rest

Round 3:

TRX suspended lunge w/ a hop
TRX powerpull (each side no rest in-between)
TRX Single leg chest press, as low as you can go
TRX suspended pendulum

For variety you can perform the workout in reverse order of rounds, perform 3 to 4 sets of each round as its own workout for the day or even add 30 to 90 second high intensity jump rope or running intervals between rounds. The important thing is to keep good form and push yourself to improve each workout.

I look forward to getting your results and compiling our statistics for next month!

To enter the TRX President’s Challenge:

Step 1: Take the test
Step 2: Find your ranking on the ‘grader’ provided and post it in the ‘Results’ forum
Step 3: Follow the program to improve your ranking
Step 4: Take the test again and post your progress in the ‘Results’ forum

Rules & Conditions:
1. The contest will begin May 7th 2009, and will run through June 7th 2009. You can begin the contest at anytime during this time.
2. Post your results (ideally with a video testimonial) in the forum by June 8th 2009.
3. The winner(s) will be chosen and contacted via email by June 15th 2009.
4. The TRX President’s Challenge is open to anyone that will accept the challenge.

The Prizes:

Anyone that increases their percentile ranking will win our exciting, unreleased workout program, which will be available this summer.

Disclaimer:

1. Please consult your physician before beginning this or any exercise competition. The instructions given in this or any other forum are not intended to be a substitute for medical counseling. This or any other exercise competition may result in injury. Any participant of these competitions assumes the risk of injury resulting from any use of equipment or performing any of the exercises shown or discussed.
2. There were many ways to select the challenge format, as there is not one standardized way. Each exercise in the test maps to a fundamental and integrated movement. If you have any ideas about how we can improve this in the future, please let us know.
3. Have fun.

TRX Suspended Lunge

Fitness Anywhere — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:26:00 GMT

This movement strengthens the musculature surrounding the knee, while also challenging balance and coordination.

The Core of Your Golf Game

Fitness Anywhere — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:44:00 GMT

Golf has become a game of high technology equipment. One often overlooked key piece of equipment is the golfer’s body.

Is it stable and strong where it needs to be?
Is it mobile and flexible where it has to be?

A golfer will always perform better and reduce the risk of injury when properly conditioned. The question is how to most effectively and efficiently train for golf.
The drive is one of the most intricate skills in all of sports. A powerful swing places a lot of force on the knees, hips, back, shoulders, elbows and wrists. The lower back is often the site of acute and chronic pain for recreational golfers and can be a career ender for professional tour players. One way to both improve performance and reduce the risk of injury is “core” training. The easiest way to think of your core is your body minus your arms and legs. From your hips to your shoulders that’s your core, your power center and your key to performance and longevity.

Golf is obviously a game that depends on rotation of the body to deliver power from the ground through the core to the club and finally the ball. Most golfers find it surprising that the lower back, or lumbar spine, is not designed for a lot of rotation. However, you continue see golf exercises that target flexibility and range of motion in the lower spine. The more effective training strategy is to build stability in the lower spine while working to optimize mobility and power in the hips and upper, or thoracic, spine.

Low back pain and injury are often a result of movement restrictions in the upper spine and hips. Once movement is limited in these regions the lower spine is forced to produce rotation in the golf swing. The result is at best reduced distance, accuracy and consistency in shots and at worst, injury. A more effective approach is to train stability in the lumbar spine and mobility in the hips and upper spine.

Core strength for golf can be effectively trained from a standing position with exercises that promote lower back stability with hip and upper back mobility. Suspension Training is uniquely suited to deliver these qualities. Movements such as the TRX Golfer’s Swing exploits reflexive core engagement for lower spine stability allowing proper hip and upper spine movements required for golf. The TRX Balance Lunge and the TRX Suspended Lunge exercises integrate single leg balance and stability with core engagement. The TRX Suspended Plank and Side Plank variations train core stability and body alignment.

TRX Suspension Training has become an essential exercise tool for the cutting edge golf performance and injury prevention for coaches, trainers and athletes at all levels. The benefits in flexibility, strength and power are seen almost immediately. Core conditioning is vital for golf and Suspension Training is vital for fast and effective core performance.