Three of my college friends stayed with me in my tiny condo over the weekend. It wasn't an environment conducive to making healthy choices (hello champagne and baked brie), but my friend Katie and I managed to sneak in a workout on Saturday morning. She had tried a TRX workout a few weeks ago and loved it, so she searched the DC area for a class we could attend.
Crunch gym in Chevy Chase offers a Saturday morning TRX class and a free one-day guest pass to anyone who signs up on their website. With literally nothing to lose, we decided to check it out.
Within hours of signing up on the website we were contacted by a membership representative at the gym. He sent multiple emails, which had us worried that we would be pressured to purchase memberships when we showed up. We decided to get to the gym early, as we'd been told they would give us a tour.
Um, not so much.
We arrived at the gym about 40 minutes before the TRX class, and without the gym tour (or accompanying hard sell) we were told about, we had a chance to get some cardio and gossip in. I usually work out alone, so it was a treat to have someone to talk to as I pedaled along.
We made our way to the group fitness room 5 minutes before the class began and most spots were already taken. I hadn't looked up anything beforehand about TRX, so I had no idea what to expect. I wish I could have seen the look on my face when Katie brought over straps to clip to a hook on the ceiling. She had to do it for me!
TRX is a suspension-based workout that uses your body's weight and resistance to build strength. In most gyms you clip a set of straps to a ceiling and use them to do a wide range of different exercises. There's a large margin for error and incorrect form with these exercises, so it's important to have someone show you what to do. A crowded class isn't the best environment to try this equipment for the first time, especially with an instructor that isn't paying much attention to people's form. Unfortunately, that's what we had on Saturday.
Luckily, I was able to self-correct by looking at the instructor and other people's forms and using the mirror. Katie was working out next to me and gave me some good feedback. Unfortunately, it wasn't much of a workout. I left with more energy than I came with, and wasn't sore at all on Sunday. Katie told me it wasn't as good as the first class she took - the exercises we did weren't as challenging and the music and instructor weren't as good. I'll take her word for it, but I'm not sold. I would try the equipment on my own or with a trainer, but I don't think I'll be trying a TRX class again.
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