TRX Suspension Trainer Review…by Josh Schlottman

So I had been personal training for about a year now, I was still in college and wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with my life.  I was doing the “old school” style of training and by that I mean I was going through the Muscle and Fitness magazines and pulling out all the Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding workouts.  I only wish I knew then what I know now and had gotten a TRX Suspension Trainer when I first started training.

I only initially planned to do personal training on the side while I got my degree and literally had to be TALKED into going to this fitness convention called IDEA.  But after I plunked down the $300 or so bucks to go and traveled down to southern California, I had an awakening.  I saw this yellow and black thing that people where using to do all this crazy bodyweight suspension training stuff with.

At first I didn’t even know how to wrap my head around it, I was used to pounding out heavy weights with barbells and machines…this sounded like it was some new form of pilates or something.  Which was in NO WAY up my alley. (more…)

I know we all get a little busy and flat out don’t have the time to workout…but does this mean we should never workout?

This is the problem I want to solve with my 4 minute fat loss tabata workout.

What you say Josh!?

Tabatas are basically this really cool and fast way to get an awesome fat loss workout in just about 4 minutes and have more results than you would if you spent an hour running on the treadmill.

And I’m not making this guy up, he was a real researcher in Japan and made a HUGE contribution to the fat loss world when he introduced tabatas into our repertoires.

The Tabata Protocol, which it’s officially referred to was used by the Japanese speed skating teams and they found that those who used this training program actually increased their aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, meaning they could quickly increase how hard and how long they could skate.

Tabatas are also a great for conditioning as well.  If you’re playing sports or if you’re into MMA then doing the Tabata Protocol will be a fast and efficient way for you to take your game to the next level.  But one thing I have to stress, even though they only take 4-minutes to complete they are performed with MAXIMUM all-out effort.  This isn’t the time to grab your juicebox and take a nap.

But to be honest and up-front with you, you’re also going to have to have some consistent diet changes if you plan on losing actual weight, you can’t out-train a bad diet and even though you’re becoming better conditioned through tabatas, it’ll be hard to see the scale go down when you’re slamming Taco Bell at night.

That being said, if you haven’t worked out since Alf was on TV then I suggest progressing your way up until you can handle these Tabata Protocols because they’re no joke.  The idea is simple enough that a 10 year old can do them but if you’re out of shape like a 4-sided triangle then you’re going to find yourself hanging on to dear life.

Dr. Tabata was a fat loss Godfather

One more excuse I’m going to knock from your list is having to go to the gym or needing a giant Boflex to do your workouts.  Well this 4 minute tabata workout uses only your bodyweight and will have you losing fat fast.  I’ve always been a huge fan of the bodyweight-only type of training, and if you don’t have any injuries to deal with, then it’ll totally be a great way to burn fat and build muscle.

So how does this whole tabata thing work you may ask?  Well it’s basically a 4-exercise circuit and you perform 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest.  After you complete all 4 exercises you then repeat it one more time.  Simple enough?

I’ve also included various level progressions for you hardcore guys out there who need that extra push.  You can also do this 4 minute tabata workout at the end of your regular workout for an awesome metabolic finisher that will put you over the edge.  Just keep a puke bucket nearby if you can’t take the HEAT.

And if you’re heart rate isn’t racing by the time you finish this fast 4-minute workout then let me know and I’ll literally do 100 pushups for wasting your time.  Do we have a deal?

Enjoy the bodyweight tabata workout and let me know if you make it through!

Maybe I’ve given cardio a bad rap. Doing the long steady-state cardio work has been the “popular” choice of exercise since forever.

I remember waking up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons only to see some funky 80s jazzercise program on TV while I was switching channels.

I also remember when I would go on long runs before my resistance training or before a basketball game because I thought it would help me get fitter faster.

And if you’re doing cardio instead of sitting on the couch eating potato chips then more power to you.

But if you’re trying to lose fat as fast as possible then doing cardio isn’t going to get you there anytime soon.  The scientific research just doesn’t support it.  And the dozens and dozens of my real world clients would tell you the same.

This doesn’t mean that I’m going to completely throw cardio out the window and tell it to not say hello or drop by coffee.

If you’re an endurance runner or a planning to run a marathon then you better be doing the long cardio runs.  You’d be an idiot not to.

If you’re trying to burn fat and look hot again then you’ll want to do interval training and metabolic resistance training instead.

So where does cardio fall if you want to lose fat?

Once you have finished your metabolic resistance training session or your high intensity interval training session then you’re going to want to drop down to the next level.

The optimal time to burn fat while doing cardio is going to be 5 minutes after you finish your metabolic resistance training or your HIIT training.

This is the time when your body is going to dump your triglycerides into your bloodstream and it’s going to set you up for the perfect time to do some cardio to actually burn fat for a change.

Although this is only right after you finish doing your other, higher priority types of training.

Another time that will help you get the fat burning results from cardio is immediately in the morning on a near empty stomach.  A lot of people go right into cardio on an empty stomach but researchers have found that having a little something in your body for energy will help you train harder than on an empty stomach.

Yep the rumors are true, you’ll burn more fat by doing cardio first thing in the morning and I’m talking FIRST thing in the morning.

So if you have more time on your hands then cardio does have it’s place in your fat loss training program, but if you’re pressed for time then I would totally focus on your metabolic resistance training and HIIT training…and then if you have some more time + energy then fill it with cardio.

So I got the new iPhone 4 on the day it launched last month and have to say it’s one of the coolest things out there.  And yes I do experience some of the antenna issues that everybody’s talking about.

But I did also buy one of Apples Bumpers for the iPhone 4 and the issues don’t seem to be as bad.  Hopefully Apple will give us an update soon.

I use the iPhone for a lot of things and one of those things is health and fitness…they have some pretty awesome apps to help organize and motivate you to pushing your goals.

Some people like writing things down on paper and keeping track that way but honestly I like it a lot more when I can write down what I want initially on paper and then use my iPhone apps to keep track of my progress.

I mean I’m carrying the thing around with me most of the time anyway and I hate having to hold on to little pieces of paper all the time, but hey that’s just me.

I’m also the kind of iPhone user who doesn’t want to pay $20 bucks for an app so most of these are either free or pretty darn inexpensive.  (God knows how much you pay for the iPhone!)

So here’s my list of my favorite iPhone apps for health and fitness…

#1  DailyBurn

The DailyBurn app is one that I’m always using and really recommend it to just about all of my clients.  Even if you don’t have the iPhone you can use the web-based program for free, which gives it many awesome points.  The most important feature on the DailyBurn iPhone app is that you can put in your daily nutrition and see the breakdown of macronutrients in your diet.  I’ve looked a long time to find a program that does this and DailyBurn does it really well.  You can also record your workouts, add motivational stuff, make workout friends and a bunch of other great stuff to take your fitness game to the next level.  Click here to get the DailyBurn App.

#2  iWorkout Muse

iWorkout Muse is a an incredible app for interval training so you can literally just set it and forget it.  I’ve used the old school form of Workout Muse before but the biggest complaint is that I couldn’t make custom intervals and had to listen to the awful copyright-free music.  But with the iWorkout Muse you can use your own music from a playlist and create whatever custom interval times you want.  I use this app daily!  Click here to get the iWorkout Muse app.

#3  RunKeeper Pro

OK, this app is terrific if you’re an outdoor runner and it does all the stuff that fancy and expensive GPS monitors do.  When I was training for my marathon about a year and a half ago I bought this really expensive GPS tracking watch that I used a lot when I was training, but not so much any more.  I wish this $10 app was around instead!  If you’re not up for paying the $10 for it then there’s a lite version of it that’s free.  Click here to get the RunKeeper Pro app.

#4  DailyBurn FoodScanner

I know I already talked about the DailyBurn app but this is another app by the same company that takes things to the next level and actually lets you use the built-in iPhone camera to scan foods and see the nutrients that are inside them.  You can quickly see the full nutrition contents so if you’re at the store you can just take a quick pic and see everything that’s inside it.  You can also of course sync everything with your DailyBurn account so you don’t have to go through the hassle of switching apps.  Click here to get the DailyBurn FoodScanner app.

#5  Durkin

Todd Durkin is one of the biggest personal trainers on the planet.  He owns and operates Fitness Quest 10 down in San Diego and trains a bunch of professional athletes as well as everyday Joe’s.  He’s a motivational speaker and also head of the Under Armour Performance Council and gives away a lot of free health tips on his iPhone app.  It’s free and I would easily pay for access to all the information on this iPhone app.  Click here to get the Durkin app.

That’s it guys, let me know what you would like to see on the TrainerJosh.com app!