Nick Harris-Fry
Thursday, August 16, 2018 – 19:51
If you?ve visited a gym in the past couple of years you will almost certainly have come across a set of ropes with handles dangling from the ceiling. Most of us will have walked straight on by, unsure of what exactly to do with those ropes and fearful of making a fool of ourselves by attempting to use them.
However, once you do give suspension training a try you quickly realise that not only is it fairly simple to understand, it?s a very good option for improving your fitness in a variety of ways. It?s primarily a type of strength training, with the constant instability created by the ropes constantly challenging muscles all over the body, but you can also use a suspension trainer for yoga or Pilates, and even HIIT sessions.
Assuming you have a sturdy ceiling, door or bar to hang it from, a suspension trainer makes for a great home workout option too. If you?re looking to purchase your own you might immediately think of a TRX training system because TRX has become synonymous with suspension training. However, TRX is not the only option available and it?s certainly not the cheapest, though you do have to be wary of quality when putting your entire bodyweight in the hands of ropes suspended from your ceiling.
Here are five of the best suspension trainers to consider.
TRX Training Basic Kit + Door Anchor
TRX is the biggest name in suspension training and if you have been using ropes in the gym the chances are it?s been a TRX set, so if you want to bring that experience home this kit is your best bet. As well as the TRX straps you get a suspension and a door anchor, plus a 35-page workout guide. There is a pricier TRX Pro kit available but that?s intended for commercial use so unless you?re setting up a gym, save your money with this consumer set.
Buy on Amazon | £129.95
Domyos Training 100 Cross Training Strap
This suspension trainer is such a bargain it immediately draws our suspicions, but Domyos tested it with a 234g load on every part of the system to ensure its durability for home use, which gives you more than 100kg of leeway above the suggested max user weight of 130kg. The simple kit consists of two straps, one with handles for you to exercise with and another to anchor it in a variety of ways. There is also a guide included with 15 exercises to try.
Buy from Decathlon | £14.99
RIP:60 Training Kit
The suspension trainer itself is just part of the appeal of this kit, which also comes with 11-workout DVDs covering 60 days of increasingly tough workouts to help ensure you get the most out of the ropes.
Buy from Argos | £99.99
TRX Training Go
Part of the appeal of suspension training is that it can be used anywhere you can find a sturdy spot to attach it to. If you are planning on exploring anchor points the world over, the TRX Go kit?s lighter weight should aid that endeavour. The kit comes with an adaptable anchor point and two 20-minute HIIT workouts to try.
Buy on Amazon | £79.95
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Milo Kit Suspension Training System
Most home suspension kits use one strap with two handles but this kit has two straps that each has its own anchor point (both door and bar anchors for each strap are included in the kit), so the stress of your bodyweight doesn?t go through one anchor.
Buy from UK Gym Equipment | £155
