Suspension training systems, like TRX, have been around for quite a while now and it’s become very rare to walk into a gym that isn’t equipped with at least one suspension trainer. I have been using suspension training in my own personal training programs and with clients for the past 6-8 years and still use it just as much as when I first added the exercises to my repertoire.

Bodyweight training, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to build functional strength and I give it a lot of credit for my own personal strength. Suspension training is a great tool for teaching proper form and can be a great way to guide clients (especially beginners) safely into more difficult bodyweight exercises.

Skeptical about Using Suspension Training Systems (like TRX) In Online Programs?

There may be some who worry about the use of suspension systems in online training programs. Yes, there is a lot to be said about proper form, hooking the system up (if it’s not already), adjusting handle length for different exercises, and overall injury prevention, but I don’t see this as any different than any other exercises you might prescribe to online clients with your Trainerize app.

As long as you provide your clients with all the information they need to use the equipment properly, everything should be fine. With the new suspension and slider videos added to the Trainerize Exercise Library, clients will have access to exercise instructions and notes on proper form right in the palm of their hand and can reference these as needed.

I have been prescribing suspension training exercises with my online training clients for some time now and have yet to come across any difficulties with adding these exercises into programs. If you feel like some beginner clients might need some more instruction or general coaching on using a suspension system, remember you can always upload your own videos with extended explanations as needed.

NOTE: If you have yet to prescribe suspension training exercises to online training clients, it is important that you are very familiar with using it yourself first! Just as any other exercise, I don’t prescribe an exercise to a client that I am not able to do myself. It will be even more difficult to explain an exercise to a client via Trainerize messenger or Skype if you have never even performed it yourself.

3 Ways You Can Begin to Incorporate the New Suspension Training Videos Into Your Online Training Programs

With all your safety concerns addressed, you can now start adding the new suspension training and slider exercises into your online training programs using the new collection of videos.

1. Stick to Simple Exercises for Beginner Clients or Challenge Your Advanced Clients

I believe that suspension training is a great tool for fitness beginners to start building strength and learn how to engage stabilizers while working larger muscle groups. I also feel suspension training is an even better tool for challenging clients further along their fitness journey by using some advanced exercises (this is especially true for the athletes I train).

When prescribing suspension training exercises to beginners, I stick to very basic moves (back row, push up, squats, etc.) and always make sure they have the information on how to adjust straps and what length they should aim to have them at for each exercise. If they work out at a gym, in the worst case scenario, they are advised to ask one of the gym staff for help adjusting straps if they are still unsure.

2. Provide Travel Programs For Clients

A suspension trainer (the main apparatus used in this type of training) is a a great piece of equipment that is easy to travel with because it fits in a small bag and can be hooked up almost anywhere. There is a door attachment that I’ve had clients hook up in their hotel room or take down to the hotel gym to perform their workouts on out of town business trips or vacation. I’ve even had clients send me pictures of them doing their suspension workout from a beach in Maui and Mexico with their suspension trainer strapped around a palm tree! Obviously, this only works if a client wants to purchase a suspension trainer of their own, but perhaps this could be an opportunity to work out a commission deal with an online retailer that sells suspension training products and will ship directly to your client (and then you get a cut of each sale!).

3. Create Suspension-Only Workouts, Mix the Exercises into Other Workouts, or Use them with Small-Group Training

Having access to a number of suspension training exercises in Trainerize can now open up your creativity with client programming (depending on their goals of course). I like to create full-body strength workouts using only suspension training that will challenge their entire body, cardio, and core—all in a quick 30-minute workout. I also like to use suspension training for things like burn-outs after a heavier lifting exercise. For example, going from a 1 arm row (heavy) right into a suspension back row to failure. This is clearly all up to the trainer and how you incorporate suspension into programs will depend heavily on client goals, but it’s always good to have options! If you already use Trainerize to take in-person small group training clients through their workouts, you can now offer suspension training workouts to these clients or incorporate them into current programs.

There are so many different ways you can use the new suspension training exercise videos with your online training, but, however you do, I highly suggest you utilize them. If your client has never used a suspension system, I guarantee they have seen one at the gym and wished they knew how to use it. They will love you even more if you teach them how to use it!