I am not a fitness addict. If you ask me whether I honestly like to work out, I’ll probably burst out laughing and say no. But what I do like is how I feel after a workout – rejuvenated, fresh, and productive. And (this is important), a lessening feeling of guilt. Oftentimes I’d wake up in the morning on a public holiday or the weekend, and if I have no plans for the day, I’d remind myself to get my ass out there and do something. But usually I’d just snort, tell that inner voice to shut up and snuggle back under the covers.

However I do try to do at least two cardio classes a week, and when possible I go jogging. I missed yoga for a while but I’m trying to put that back into my schedule. These classes are of course normally at the end of the day, so I don’t have to leave my warm bed at what I’d deem the ungodly hour, which is anything before 9am on an off-day.

I used to join a gym but I stopped a few a years ago when it became more of a drag. To be very honest, there are many gym classes I don’t like, mainly because the instructors are not engaged in the class – they merely stand in front and shout out instructions while they demonstrate the moves. And doing weights became mindlessly boring after a while. I wasn’t looking to bulk up… I only wanted to stay fit and trim. There was no more motivation to go, so I stopped going.

Nowadays with my schedule packed with tuition classes, it’s difficult to find time to exercise. And honestly, because I’m so exhausted and drained, I’d look for any excuse to not go and exercise. Hence, in order to force some form of discipline, I make myself sign up for classes because that forces me to commit at least once a week for that class. And when possible, I look for new classes to try out, even if I can’t commit long-term. The problem is, given my hectic schedule, most of the classes I would like to try out all fall on the same day or time: Friday, Saturday or Sunday!

So, with the school holidays happening now, I took the opportunity to try out a new class: the TRX Suspension Training.

CHi Fitness offered a package that sounded fantastic recently on Groupon. Groupon is a website which features promotions and discounts that are offered by participating merchants on various products and services, including but not limited to food, clothes, shoes, spa, and yes, fitness classes. Groupon is one of the first of many up-and-coming websites – and these deals are VERY worth it if you are looking for these particular products or services. Heaven knows, I’ve bought so many deals myself – I’ve purchased deals for hair services, manicure/pedicure, feminine waxing, shoes, T-shirts… the list goes on. The discounts are honestly fantastic! Take this package I bought from CHi Fitness – I paid RM30 for one month unlimited access to TRX and Jukari Fit To Flex classes! It’s worth RM295. But even putting how much it’s worth aside, can you beat RM30?? That’s how much normally ONE fitness class would cost – and they’re offering unlimited access!

There’s a catch, of course. There is limited space for each class – only 14 for each TRX class, and 15 for the Jukari class, because the classes use straps. This wasn’t made clear on the promotion page; I only found out when I called up to redeem the voucher and to book myself a spot. And they don’t have that many classes. In fact, even when they were promoting the package on the website, the classes were not listed on the site nor the page which featured the deal; it was after many people enquired that they updated the details with the class schedule. This package was only good for the branch at PJ Trade Centre – which, fortunately for me, is very near my home. A total of 283 people bought the package – and clearly, there are not enough classes. There were only 3 TRX classes and 1 Jukari Fit To Flex class weekly; but when I checked with the counter after I left the gym tonight, they’re adding more classes in order to cope with the number of people who bought the package.

Anyway, I bought the package after I checked the schedule, when I found that I could attend at least one of the classes (I figured that even if I can’t make any other class, it would be OK as long as I attend ONE class because the amount I paid already covers the cost of one class, to me). And silly silly me, I didn’t read up on TRX or Jukari Fit To Flex. I knew that they would be tough, but I didn’t know how tough.

Tonight I went for my first TRX class. The instructor was a former instructor at Fitness First, and we both recognised each other instantly, even though I’ve never really taken her classes back then. This lady is one tough fit cookie – she made everything look effortless, and she barked orders at us to keep us working at it. And she did walk around to try to make us execute the moves correctly, although I noticed she “gave chance” to a lot of us beginners.

The class had seven beginners and four regulars, and she divided us accordingly. She gave the beginners simpler moves, and the regulars much tougher versions of the same moves. Some of the “beginners” were not really beginners; one lady was very fit and she could cope quite well, which made me think that she has either been attending TRX classes elsewhere prior to this, or she must have been doing other forms of exercise all along. The rest of us struggled, so much so that two girls dropped out halfway through the class.

As for me, I stayed till the end of the class but I was nearly dead by then…

It was a good experience though! But as to whether I’ll be going again for another class… well, it depends on whether I can get a spot in a class in the next few weeks before the month is up. And as to whether I can make myself pick up the phone to book a spot.

So what is TRX Suspension Training? I’m not an expert, so I’d better not say anything that could mess up your perception of it.

Here’s the best video that explains it.

Basically, you use the suspension straps for support, and you’re using your body weight as resistance for every exercise. The people in the video make it look easy – and honestly, it isn’t! Using your own body weight is very different from using the floor, or using weights. However if you’re used to working out, you’d probably be able to adjust fairly quickly because it’s a matter of using the right muscles and maintaining the right posture. Balance should not be difficult to achieve because the straps provide support.

If you want to give this a try, I would say … GO!! GIVE IT A TRY!! It honestly is an excellent full body workout. I am not here to promote any gym (ironically, this includes CHi Fitness – I’ve only mentioned the gym here because they were the ones who offered the promotion), so I am not providing a list of gyms for you to try this at. Plus, truthfully, I don’t know which other gyms offer it, but if you really want to give it a try, I’m sure you can run an online search to find out.

If you would like more information about the workout, this blog provides excellent information about TRX Suspension Training.