Yoga on ropes: what happened when I tried the new TRX fitness craze

TRX training looks both mad and exciting. The trapeze-like design reminds me of a children’s playground, filled with bumble-bee coloured straps to swing around on. The idea is that you suspend yourself from these straps and do a range of exercises designed to improve your strength, balance and flexibility.

Simple? Maybe. I’ve only ever used TRX straps as part of a circuits class before, so I’m keen to find out whether an entire hour of bodyweight challenges are varied enough for those – like myself – used to fitness classes that rely on more than just one piece of equipment.

Dr Frances H Mikuriya, founder and director of the brand new TRX fitness studio on Kensington High Street, Body Machine (and also the TRX master trainer taking my class), is full of peppy energy – despite the fact she’s come directly from teaching a spin class. “Everyone grab a strap,” she says, signalling at the yellow and black TRX suspension trainers hanging from the ceiling. “We’re going to do a quick warm up.”

We start with a series of tricep presses, where you basically have to trust gravity and lean forwards, creating a long angle with your body. You then extend your arms in front of you, then bend them to a 90-degree angle, before pushing yourself back to the starting position.

From there, things only get harder. Lunges, jumping squats and bicep curls all make an appearance. She even gets us to try a one-legged squat – where you basically balance on one leg and keep the other straight out in front of you as you use the TRX handles for support and lower yourself as close to the ground as possible, without falling over. It’s fast-paced, and the only time we break to catch our breath is when Dr Mikuriya pauses to explain the next exercise. It doesn’t take long for the lactic acid to start building (and burning) in my quads.

I try not to clock watch and time simmers past faster than I thought it might (probably due to the multiple variations and exercises), so when we’re told to place our feet in the stirrups and get into a plank position, my legs are shaking so much Dr Mikuriya has to forcibly hold them still. It’s like yoga on ropes – and it's hard.

The biggest difference between this class and other trendy boutique gyms is the space. The studios and gym classes I tend to go to are basically distorted nightclubs for fit people: immersive underground spaces with loud electronic music and lowlights, where tequila and stilettos are replaced with protein shakes and Lycra. The nightclubby ethos of fitness is loved by many – but to others, it can seem a tad intimidating at best; frankly terrifying at worst.

So, it's a nice change to be at Body Machine, where neon lights and darkness have been replaced by 3-metre high windows and natural light. “The architectural design of the space echoes our training method,” explains Dr Mikuriya, who’s not only the founder of Body Machine but also a trained architect. “We focus on performance-based training that achieves optimal results, without fads or gimmicks. It is my vision for the future of fitness. The space is intentionally built with no unnecessary ornamentation: pure functional elements combined with the best machines – our TRX straps, Schwinn ACTM power bikes and PT equipment.”

Before our session, I wondered how much a gym-based workout with a TRX strap would be worth the money. After all, the TRX is a take-anywhere piece of fitness gear (one of the cast members on the latest E4 television series Shipwrecked actually brought a TRX trainer as their ‘luxury item’, proving it’s even useful on a deserted island). My workout at Body Machine quickly showed me the virtue of doing it with with a specialist trainer: Dr Mikuriya knew how to push me so that I got the most from my exertion. Things like squeezing the core, posture and changing the length of the straps are best explained by an expert.

TRX training is perfect for those wanting to try something new – though I'd caution against a complete fitness newbie throwing themselves into this one. In order to get the most out of a TRX, it’s probably worth working on a basic bodyweight squat before you start jumping around with a rope in tow.