The Complete Guide to Suspended Fitness Training

Ben Pratt

• Editorial: Bloomsbury Sport
• Año: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781472912299
• Edición: 1
• Categoría: Biowissenschaften
• Categoría: Sport- & Bewegungswissenschaft

The Complete Guide to Suspended Fitness Training is a comprehensive resource - packed with training ideas and how the equipment can be used to improve functional strength, stability, rehabilitation as well as sports-specific training. Includes information on:
- Types of suspension systems and attachments
- The benefits of suspended fitness training
- Safety considerations
- Upper body, lower body and core exercises progressions and variations as well as common faults
- Beginner, intermediate and advanced programmes and sessions
- Training sessions for sports This is ideal reading for anyone interested in fitness and weight training, and how get the most out of this equipment for their training programme or that of their clients.

1 A BRIEF SUSPENDED HISTORY

Suspended fitness training has its origins rooted in a number of different areas including the ancient Incan empire, the circus, German gymnastics and more recently the US Navy Seals. It really depends on how far back you’re willing to look. Certainly the concept of suspending, swinging or climbing a rope, vine or strap has been part of history for as long as modern humans have been around.

ANCIENT INCA

Some of the earliest references to physical training that may have involved being suspended from ropes to aid in conditioning and performance can be found within the ancient Incan civilisation that flourished between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. To govern his vast empire successfully it was vital that the king maintain communications across the four regions in a quick and effective manner. They developed the talents of exceptional young athletes they named the ‘Chasqui’ or speed messengers. The roads, pathways and rope bridges that wove their way through the Andes were dotted with relay stations where one Chasqui would pass a message on to another rested Chasqui who would then continue as fast as possible to the next relay station some six to nine kilometres away. The message would be passed on again and again down the relay lines until it reached the intended destination.

THE CIRCUS

Perhaps one of the most loved acts in the circus is the flying trapeze. It typically involves at least two individuals, one flyer and one catcher. They are suspended from swinging bars as they leap through the air, tumbling, twisting and catching each other to the crowd’s delight. The first flying trapeze act was performed on 12 November 1859 by a French acrobat called Jules Léotard. The dedication and commitment that must be invested in this extreme form of suspension training in order to master the skills required is perhaps one of the reasons why the flying trapeze, at more than 150 years old, continues to capture the imagination and draw the crowds into the modern-day circus.

GYMNASTICS

The earliest reference to a form of suspension training in the field of gymnastics was from a German coach called Adolf Spieß back in 1842. Spieß had developed a type of swinging apparatus that had triangular handles attached to the ends of strong ropes that he called the ‘ringeschwebel’, which literally translates as ‘rings hover’. As interest grew in this suspended gymnastic apparatus, variations began to appear with triangular handles. The first international gymnastics tournament in Antwerp in 1903 had both variants with circular and triangular forms.

NAVY SEALS

The growing interest in suspension training as a fitness discipline in the twenty-first century can be attributed to a US Navy Seal called Randy Hetrick. During his years in the military he was deployed to various locations where access to standard fitness equipment was very limited. He created his first prototype of suspension training equipment by using an old ju-jitsu belt, some parachute webbing and a metal carabiner with which to anchor it. After Hetrick left the military in 2001 he attended business school and also began developing his idea into a workable and attractive fitness product. Combined with the clever idea to ensure there was effective education to support this new exercise product, Hetrick opened its appeal and helped catapult suspension training into the mainstream fitness world. Today elite sports teams, the military, large fitness chains, small independent gyms and personal trainers in numerous countries around the globe use suspension training as one of the weapons in their arsenal of tools to optimise fitness, develop strength, sculpt and tone the body.

In more recent years several other suspended training systems have been developed that use straps, ropes and pulleys to load the body and perform exercise. This has introduced new concepts and ideas to the suspension training field as well as creating a more competitive market for equipment sales. These lightweight, versatile fitness systems are useful, portable training tools that can be used almost anywhere and in any environment. The broader appeal, accessible education and also the lower prices have opened up this mode of training to lots of people. The use of suspended training has expanded beyond the gym and is now commonly found in homes, offices and with people keeping fit when travelling or on the road.

2 SUSPENDED EQUIPMENT

The suspension training market has diversified and grown into a highly competitive product area with numerous different brands and designs of equipment vying for our attention and our money. TRX, Randy Hetrick’s original suspension training brand, is still at the forefront in terms of business size and units sold, but there are several other brands and designs that are growing their own customer base. Inkaflexx, Fitkitpro, Ztrainer, The Human Trainer, Jungle Gym XT, Milokit, Reebok Gravity Trainer, Suspended Movement Trainer, CrossCore rotational trainer and aero-Sling Elite are all brands of suspension-training equipment that have taken on TRX for a slice of the market. It is likely that as time goes by the range of equipment brands will only increase.

With so many different suspended equipment options all claiming to offer a high-quality product it is important to develop an understanding of the basic equipment designs and features as well as what is good value for money. Typical suspension equipment varies in price considerably from approximately £25 ($40–$50) at the budget end of the market to the higher-end products that typically retail at £180–£240 ($250–$350). Choosing the equipment that will suit your needs is more than simply deciding what price you would like to pay, although working within a budget is still an important factor. Knowing which additional features you seek, the durability of a product, the quality of the manufacturing and materials and the look and design are all factors that will influence your choice of suspension equipment. This section provides a useful guide to the different types of straps and unique features commonly available across the range of suspended fitness training equipment in order to make a more informed decision when purchasing your own kit.

Whatever the make or brand, typical suspension equipment tends to have a number of similar parts or features:

•An anchoring carabiner, strap or rope

•An adjustable strap or rope length that connects the anchor to the handles

•A locking buckle or mechanism to hold the strap at a desired length

•Handles at the end of the adjustable strap or rope

Most often, purchasing equipment at the budget end of the market provides these basic strap features and not much else; the higher-end products often carry additional and better quality parts and features. A review of some of the more common additional features will be made further on in the chapter. It is most important to begin with the very central component of suspended training equipment: the straps themselves.

STRAPS/WEBBING

Most suspension straps will be made from polypropylene, nylon or polyester. It may not seem particularly important to know what the basic material used to make the straps is, but this can have some bearing depending upon the intentions for use.

Polypropylene has excellent UV protection so colours will not fade in sunlight. It is not very water absorbent which gives it good protection against mildew or rot, however, it does not have good abrasion resistance and can become worn or frayed when pulled against rough surfaces. A lightweight one-inch-wide strap has a recommended working load of 90kg (200lbs), whereas a heavyweight one-inch-wide strap has a recommended working load of up to 136kg (300lbs). Polypropylene is by far the cheapest of the three common strap materials, often half the price of nylon straps, which does make it an attractive choice for brands aimed at the budget end of the market.

Nylon has excellent abrasion properties and is suitable for high levels of wear and tear, but it is highly water absorbent which makes it prone to mildew and rot and may not be the best option for regular outdoor use, especially in adverse weather. Nylon has a much softer, smoother feel and will be gentler if rubbed against the skin. A standard flat nylon one-inch-wide strap has a recommended working load of up to 450kg (1000lbs). These properties make nylon straps a common choice in the suspension strap market. Nylon is more expensive than polypropylene but does not cost as much as polyester.

Polyester has many of the benefits of polypropylene and nylon without the negatives. Polyester straps are much less water absorbent and are mildew and rot resistant as well as being highly resistant to abrasions, wear and tear, making them an excellent choice for regular outdoor use regardless of weather conditions. Polyester has a softer feel than polypropylene, but is not as smooth or soft as nylon. A polyester one-inch-wide strap has a very high working load of 565kg (1250lbs). Polyester is the most expensive of the three common strap materials, but as it has all the desirable properties without any drawbacks it is a popular choice for suspension equipment.

HARDWARE

Without the various bits of hardware that make up a suspension kit there would only be a length of webbing. The carabiner, buckle and handle convert a simple strap into a functional suspended fitness training system. As already indicated most webbing is very strong with high tension working loads. Even the lightweight one-inch-wide polypropylene strap with the lowest recommended working load of 90kg still has an actual breaking point four times greater than this at over 400kg (880lbs). One-inch-wide nylon and polyester straps have breaking points of 1350kg and 1700kg respectively. Providing the straps do not become damaged or worn it is highly unlikely that any of these straps will break during normal fitness training use. The plastic handles can have a foam or rubber backing for comfort.

The carabiners, buckles and handles need to be able to provide a sufficient level of strength and build quality to resist the loads and forces that they will be subjected to during fitness training. These smaller items tend to be where the quality comes into play. It is more common to find the linking components made from metals like stainless steel, brass or aluminium, but some products use durable plastics instead for some of these parts. The budget-end products usually have less durable metal or plastic components and many have plastic handles with little comfort, whereas the high-end products often have stronger more durable metal components with stronger, more comfortable, moulded handles. A good-quality suspension product will ensure that the buckle and carabiner are durable and have destruction loads that are matched with the breaking load of the straps so that there is no weak link in the system.

EXTRAS

There are a number of additional extras or differences in design that are included within the scope of suspension training that are worth considering when purchasing equipment.

1.Single- versus double-anchor straps: Some equipment brands have designed their suspension straps by passing the main length of webbing through a small loop which in turn is attached to the anchoring carabiner and strap. This makes it easier to attach the equipment for use as only a single-anchoring strap needs to be secured. This design means the main length of webbing is a little less stable and can slide and shift through the anchoring loop, which can be off-putting and somewhat tricky to get used to, especially for beginners who are not adept at evenly balancing their weight between the two handles. Some experts view this as an advantage that increases muscular activity, especially within the mid-section or core muscles of the body, in an effort to keep the body stable while training. It may, for beginners, be one test too far when trying to get to grips with what is already a challenging piece of equipment to master. A single-anchor point also means that the straps are always pinched together in the centre and the angle or position of the straps during use cannot be altered. This increases the likelihood that the straps may rub against the body during use because they are drawn together closer to the arms. Single anchored straps are cheaper for the manufacturer to make as they only require a single-anchoring carabiner and anchoring strap. This does not necessarily mean the savings are passed on to the consumer, in many cases it provides a small margin of extra profit to the business instead.

Some brands have opted in their design for a double-anchoring system. This means both right- and left-hand straps are completely independent with individual anchoring carabiners and straps. While this does require double the work to attach the system and secure it to a suitable anchoring point it also allows the straps to be anchored further apart to suit the width of the client, who can also change the angle of the straps during use so they are not always pinched to the centre. It also provides much greater stability for the beginner who is getting familiar with a new training dynamic. A double-anchored system allows for more advanced exercises that would be almost impossible to perform on a single-anchored-suspension system. Both systems are a similar price on the market. Considering that a double-anchor-suspension system competes on price perfectly well with a single-anchor system the cost to the consumer is not a deterrent to purchase either. The double-anchored-suspended fitness system is used for the exercise photographs in this book.

2.Foot loops: Not all suspension training systems come equipped with foot loops, but they are a common feature with the large majority of equipment brands. The foot loop, as the name implies, allows the user to suspend from the straps with their feet in the system and their hands or back fixed to the floor. This opens up a number of different exercises and it is a useful addition and wellworth including. The primary difference between the equipment designs is whether the foot strap is included as an integral loop or segment attached to the handle at all times or whether it exists as a separate loop or attachment altogether. The benefit to having the integral foot loop is that the main strap and handle do not need to separate and can be one continuous piece of webbing with a handle attached. This reduces the need to have another carabiner to attach the handle. An integral foot loop may get in the way occasionally when performing exercises that only require the handle. The rigid central handle may also get in the way and make using the foot loop more difficult, especially for those with larger feet or wearing bulky shoes. Some users may find that neither o...