It stands for Total Body Resistance Exercise. Some are now referring to the method as “Vertical Pilates.” It was developed by a Navy SEAL and improves agility and strength for athletic performance. It is a method of leveraging body weight with suspension straps hung from the ceiling. Other benefits include core strength, power, flexibility, balance and enables you to work at your level by adjusting your body position. There is no added resistance or weight, just you against yourself and your body weight.

I first discovered TRX at Control Pilates in the Dominican Republic where I taught. The class was fun, upbeat and called my Powerhouse into action. You cannot help but use your core in these most challenging positions and exercises. What I didn’t like was that I was sore for several days after. But that just means I need to do it more, right?

Recently I have had the opportunity to re-discover TRX and a nearby studio called Forza. It has been great to try 3 different teachers and experience the different training styles. They combined with Pilates, Yoga and they even have a 30/30 class where you do 30 minutes of CycleOps and 30 minutes of TRX. After doing 3 days in one week, I was sorer than ever! Yet I’m still going to go back for more.