TRX vs. Heavy Lifting?

AlliSteff

After a lupus diagnosis in January 2013 left me just exhausted for months (with absolutely no energy to work out), I went back to the gym last August. I started slow ( I was SUPER out of shape) and slowly added things in, mostly a mix of cardio (spin and kickboxing) and weights (typically free weights).

Once I got into respectable shape, I added in a circuit training class that certainly kicks my booty, and has also been delivering results. It is an hour of TRX, Kettlebells, and medicine ball work and I cannot believe how strong I have gotten.

I really like the TRX (and think it is getting me pretty good results), but was wondering if moving to, or adding in, heavy lifting would be MORE beneficial than TRX? Or adding in 1 more day of TRX? I am really looking to still drop some fat percentage points and get stronger.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

rick_po

I think a good TRX program is just as good as a free weight program, unless you're at a very high level of strength/fitness. TRX is a lot like a bodyweight strength program, except the progressions are simpler and easier to remember, and TRX hits your stabilizers harder. Keep progressing, get to those harder angles. If you're in a gym, I assume you have anchors that let you use vertical straps - the TRX door anchors limit the angles you can get to, and aren't as good.

MityMax96

I would say add in heavy lifting with free weights.

Making compound exercises the staple of any of your workouts.

i.e.
squats
benchpress
chin/pull ups
shoulder presses
dips (weighted)
Dead lifts
barbell bent over rows

AlliSteff

So my current schedule is as follows (I tend to like classes because it pushes me to 'compete' in a way, and I find that I work much harder):

Monday: 1 hour kickboxing- this does include squats (unweighted), pushups, plank, etc
Tuesday: 45 minute spin class followed by 60 minute Circuit training class (20 min at TRX, 20 min at kettlebell, 20 min at medicine ball)
Wednesday: Off- I usually end up staying at work kind of late
Thursday: 45 minute 'Total Body Conditioning' class. It is half cardio (jump rope, running) and half free weights (I use a pair of 15 lb. weights)
Friday: Sometimes off, sometimes I do a 45 minute boot camp
Saturday: 1 hour spin class
Sunday : 45 minute spin class followed by 60 minute free weights class (typically use 12 lb weights in this class)


I was thinking of adding in another 'weight' moment Saturday morning- TRX or the heavy lifitng, but am open to combining things differently

Leadfoot_Lewis

While you can get a good workout from the TRX, I don't think it's an adequate replacement for lifting with free weights. Free weights allow for easier progression (i.e. adding weight to the bar) and use your stabilizers more than a TRX will. That being said, if you enjoy the TRX there's nothing wrong with doing both it and strength training with free weights.

MityMax96

So my current schedule is as follows (I tend to like classes because it pushes me to 'compete' in a way, and I find that I work much harder):

Monday: 1 hour kickboxing- this does include squats (unweighted), pushups, plank, etc
Tuesday: 45 minute spin class followed by 60 minute Circuit training class (20 min at TRX, 20 min at kettlebell, 20 min at medicine ball)
Wednesday: Off- I usually end up staying at work kind of late
Thursday: 45 minute 'Total Body Conditioning' class. It is half cardio (jump rope, running) and half free weights (I use a pair of 15 lb. weights)
Friday: Sometimes off, sometimes I do a 45 minute boot camp
Saturday: 1 hour spin class
Sunday : 45 minute spin class followed by 60 minute free weights class (typically use 12 lb weights in this class)


I was thinking of adding in another 'weight' moment Saturday morning- TRX or the heavy lifitng, but am open to combining things differently

I agree with what Leadfoot said.

But if you can, try to do 3 days a week using Free weights, and doing the lifts I mentioned earlier.
Look up StrongLifts 5x5
I think that would be good for you.

JCLondonUK

I do a mixture of both. Mostly heavy lifting with free weights, but then I will add in extra TRX exercises for triceps (for example, because mine are feeble and I like to give them a hard time ) or for one-legged squats etc. I also have the WOSS version of TRX at home, which I use at weekends when I don't go to the gym.

AlliSteff

Oh the one legged squat is my nemesis!

JCLondonUK

Oh the one legged squat is my nemesis!

Tell me about it!

AlliSteff

Ok, I made the move to Strong Lifts last night. Was able to do deadlifts/squats with 95 lb (using a men's olympic bar) and the presses were at 50 lb. I will try and add 2 days a week into my routine (in addition to TRX/kettlebells)

My problem- I have very small hands (my gloves are usually a women's XS when I can find them!) and am having trouble keeping a grip on the bar- just a little bit of sweat and it starts moving, and I cannot even wrap my hands around the bar. I am working on strengthening my grip, but would you suggest a liquid chalk to help out?

Thanks

MityMax96

Ok, I made the move to Strong Lifts last night. Was able to do deadlifts/squats with 95 lb (using a men's olympic bar) and the presses were at 50 lb. I will try and add 2 days a week into my routine (in addition to TRX/kettlebells)

My problem- I have very small hands (my gloves are usually a women's XS when I can find them!) and am having trouble keeping a grip on the bar- just a little bit of sweat and it starts moving, and I cannot even wrap my hands around the bar. I am working on strengthening my grip, but would you suggest a liquid chalk to help out?

Thanks

Go to a place like ****'s and grab some wrist straps.
You can wrap them around the bar.

LOL
They put stars in my word.

It should be D i c k ' s

AlliSteff

ah, ok I will order them from Amazon...the Mode ll's by me doesn't have the best selection. Would a spray chalk help, too? I wish we had a women's bar!

SpecialSundae

Ok, I made the move to Strong Lifts last night. Was able to do deadlifts/squats with 95 lb (using a men's olympic bar) and the presses were at 50 lb. I will try and add 2 days a week into my routine (in addition to TRX/kettlebells)

My problem- I have very small hands (my gloves are usually a women's XS when I can find them!) and am having trouble keeping a grip on the bar- just a little bit of sweat and it starts moving, and I cannot even wrap my hands around the bar. I am working on strengthening my grip, but would you suggest a liquid chalk to help out?

Thanks

Yes to chalk or liquid chalk. Ditch the gloves.

For grip work, just do anything involving holding heavy things. In doing farmer's walks, chin-ups (even though I suck at them), barbell holds and more deadlifts. My hands are pretty small but you get used to it and your hands get stronger.

AlliSteff

thanks! My sister calls them 'hamster hands'

contingencyplan

What this question should be asking is, is bodyweight training (since that's all TRX is) as effective as heavy lifting? The answer is it can be--depending on the goals. You CAN build a base of functional strength with bodyweight training that can arguably be as effective as heavy weight training. You can also stimulate lean mass growth/hypertrophy. Progressing via bodyweight training means moving onto variations of the exercise that are more balance-intensive, more flexibility-intensive, and more motor/coordination-intensive as well as strength-intensive, which can lead to better being able to apply your strength later on down the line.

Now, what goes on in a TRX class is another matter entirely. The TRX classes are conducted in a circuit training format, which means strength training exercises conducted in a more cardio-intensive format. You will not achieve comparable results to heavy lifting doing it this way. If you have access to a TRX and you want to use it as a complete weights replacement, that involves doing y our own thing and doing extensive research into bodyweight training.

JoRocka

Keep training the grip- it will get better- esp if you are used to gripping a nice handle like the TRX.

Like listed above- keep working grip strength- pinch plates are good too. I found heavy stiff leg deads really improved my grip- I went from struggling with double over hand at a lower weight to being able to pull 70 lbs more double over hand. it helps.

That being said- don't let your grip hold you back from training the PC- use chalk- or hook grip if you must- but keep working the deads and train the grip separate.

(I actually at the end of my sessions- de-load and go back to double over hand and pull- then stand there and count to like 8 then set down- usually 4-5 reps with the 8-10 second hold at 70% you're 1rmp is a nice training tool.

AlliSteff

The trainer at the gym also recommended just hanging from a pull up bar just to train my grip at home