Traditional Pilates studios have various pieces of Pilates equipment. Almost always you will find a reformer, cadillac, foot chair, mats, rings and possibly a ladder barrel, tower, pedi-pull and spine corrector. These are the mainstays of any Pilates studio. But these days, you might see some new equipment making their way into a studio and the TRX is one of them.
Suspension training is all the rage. Created for training military personnel in the field, it requires very little space, is not expensive and delivers a workout unlike any other. In this day of core strengthening workouts, TRX suspension training stands supreme.
The TRX looks like two straps hanging from the ceiling. Attachment is easy since the TRX can be suspended from just about anything like a door frame or from a tree in the park. The client holds their own body weight against the movement of the straps. They perform various exercises like rows, squats, planks and pikes. The core work comes in the trying to stabilize the two straps. Think men's gymnastics rings. It's the same idea of work. TRX works abs, back, shoulders, arms and lower body. In other words, it's a total body workout.
So why do I think it is a perfect match for Pilates? For all those very reasons. The similarities between the two workouts are many including working the whole body, not it's parts, balance, developing core strength and the ability to know where your body is in space. TRX suspension training is a perfect compliment to any Pilates workout.
But not every Pilates practitioner would agree. Pilates purists would find it unnecessary to add in anything extra to their already challenging Pilates workout. But I believe strongly that Joseph Pilates would have embraced it. He was innovative, clever, and progressive. Chances are he would have invented suspension training all on his own had he lived long enough.
Times change. Needs change. The need to continue to progress and learn new ways of moving and working our bodies is imperative for our constant improvement. Adding in suspension training into your Pilates workouts enhances what you are already doing. It does not replace it. Merely makes it better.
So don't miss out on a chance to improve skill and strength. TRX suspension training is a new and important addition to any workout, but I guarantee that you will see it popping up in gyms, health clubs and yes, Pilates studios. And we'll all be better off for it.