Fitness Gear Review: TRX Strong System

What is it? 

The TRX Strong System is an all-in-one suspension training system that is powered by your bodyweight to help strengthen your body, sculpt your muscles and burn fat. It is the best portable pieces of exercises equipment on the market that you can use anywhere you go. 

What you get:

Inside the box you’ll find:

• TRX Strong System Suspension Trainer
• TRX door anchor
• TRX suspension anchor
• Key card (8 digital workouts)
• Workout poster
• Mesh carry bag

Review:

TRX has a variety of systems available and all at different price points. There are subtle and big differences between each system. For instance, TRX Strong System, as we are viewing here, has the following details compared to its counterparts: 

• Black with gray stripe 1.25″ nylon 6 webbing with TRX logo woven in
• Foam handles
• Adjustable foot cradle
• Carabiner is aluminum alloy
• Barrel Lock Adjuster 

You’ll find other TRX systems will have non-adjustable foot cradles or cam lock adjusters instead. When purchasing a TRX, make sure you get exactly what you want. If you don’t know what you want we’ll give you our suggestions here shortly. 

The TRX Strong System is made very well. The straps are thick and durable. The foam handles are comfortable. The foot cradle is not padded but it is still comfortable and effective. Each TRX comes with a door anchor, if you have never used one before, they work great. They are incredibly strong, durable and will not damage your door. We have used the TRX Strong System at home, at the park and in the gym. The versatility and portability of the TRX system is one of the greatest things about them. 

You can perform a laundry list of exercises for the entire body on any of the TRX systems. From squats and rows to arms and abs, the TRX can hit the entire body. We have used a TRX in a gazillion different ways — from personal use to clients, to traveling locally or internationally. We consider them to be a must own to anyone with an ounce of interest in fitness. As we mentioned above, not all TRX systems are built the same. We have our preferences and suggestions that we want to offer to you. 

Suggestions: 

When it comes to a TRX, you have plenty of options to choose from. While we do like the TRX Strong System, we think it’s worth upgrading from the Strong System or Home2 System to the TRX Pro4 or TRX Tactical and here is why.

Compared to the cheaper versions, the Pro4 is made much better. The lock adjusters (which allow you to shorten or lengthen the straps) are made better and much smoother. The Pro4 also comes with padded, adjustable foot cradles, which, after much use, we prefer and recommend. Another recommendation we prefer and consider a must is the upgrade to the rubber handles. We found that from a comfort and durability standpoint, the rubber handles are worth their weight in gold. This option alone is worth the difference in price. Below we’ve shared a side-by-side picture of the foam handles versus the rubber handles so that you can decide for yourself. We also like the upgraded carabiner clip which is heavier and made a little better. 

Although we love all of the TRX systems, we do think spending the extra money to get the Pro4 or the TRX Tactical is the better purchase. You can purchase a nice TRX Strong System or Home2 for between $170 and $200 or you can spend $250 and get a much improved, more comfortable and more durable TRX system. For $50 more, we think it’s a no brainer. 

Training with a TRX:

As a side note, as much as we love everything about the TRX, we do not recommend making them the focal point of your workouts. They are great for quick workouts, traveling and using along side other training programs like weight lifting. The TRX advertisements where you see jacked models working out with a TRX did not get that way using the TRX. Because the TRX is designed around suspension and bodyweight, it has its limitations as to how strong or muscular you can get from it. However, using a TRX opens up a lot of great exercises that you can add to your toolbox. Using it along with lifting weights is a great recipe for body transformation. If the TRX is all you have then go crush it. You’ll get some pretty good results and your body will thank you.