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Fitness on the Cheap

I don't know why I keep picking on the poor old TRX:  it's actually a very useful piece of equipment and enthusiastically endorsed by no less of a curmudgeon (and I mean that in the best sense) than Alwyn Cosgrove--which is saying something.  I think the price tag is part of what turned me off (it's a pair of adjustable straps with handles, folks!) and--I'll cop to this--my continuing disgruntlement that they refused to send me a free one back when one of their PR guys contacted me to write about the product last year (they offered me a complimentary class at a gym about 90 minutes away from me instead; er, no thanks). 

So I'm split on this one:  great piece of equipment, very compact, absurdly versatile, cleverly marketed, that can give you great results.  What other two-pound piece of totally portable equipment allows you to perform so many terrific exercises?   

But I'm also a big proponent of fitness on the cheap, so I've resisted mightily shelling out the cash for one even while wishing I had an inexpensive way of trying all those cool moves.

Yesterday, I came up with one:

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You'll note that in the lower left-hand corner of the photo is my daughter's plastic swing which I removed from the two hanging chains in order to install my faux-TRX.  You can't make an egg without breaking omelettes, or whatever that saying is.  My daughter wailed with dismay at having lost her swing, but I told her "this is for Daddy to build his muscles!" and after several meetings with child counselors, she got over it.  Look, I'm still a good father!  I even let her try it for a moment before I kicked her off, saying "That's enough now, honey, this is for DADDY'S exercise equipment!  Go inside and watch Dora":

Img_0674_medium

You'll note that all I did was buy two cheap cable-attachment handles (the softer ones are better for putting your feet in, as Kate demonstrates) and a couple of 'beeners to affix them to the chains at whatever height I choose--not unlike the TRX's adjustable straps.  Only difference is the price tag...

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Ahhhh, a penny-pinching fitness freak's dream.  And I got a terrific workout.

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Interesting read

There is an interesting feature on John Bachar, one of the best free climbers 70s and 80s who died recently: http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14029915 .

Some quotes: “At 14 he was a weakling who could do only two pull-ups; at 16, when he made his first free ascent at Joshua Tree, he could do 27. By his mid-20s he had mastered doing pull-ups with one arm, or with 140lb of weights.”

“Unlike mountaineers, he felt no urge to conquer the rock-face. Getting to the top didn’t matter. All that counted was the grace, control and style of how he got there. The rock was his superior and, he felt, should remain as if he had never climbed it.”

by tthecat on Jul 24, 2009 5:57 AM EDT reply actions  

TRX alternative

Instead of the TRX you could always pick up the Jungle Gym by LifeLine Fitness which is pretty much the same but much cheaper – just not as pimped by the gurus.

Probably doesn’t have a lucrative affiliate program…

by DontBelieveTheHype on Jul 24, 2009 9:49 AM EDT reply actions  

Love It!

I have been considering getting a TRX system for about a month now. The biggest drawback for me was the price. I agree that the cost was a tad high considering what you get. The setup you made looks awesome and I would have never thought of doing that myself. I am going to go out this weekend and buy the materials to make one! I would like to see some ideas on how to hook it up to just about anything though (trees, posts, etc) Any ideas on that?

by startbeingfit on Jul 24, 2009 10:24 AM EDT reply actions  

Swing Exercise

Thanks for promoting my exercise method.
Karen
Creator of Swing Set Fitness
www.SwingSetFitness.com

by SwingSetFitness on Jul 27, 2009 10:31 PM EDT reply actions  

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