TRX Bands Offers Portable, Total-Body Workout

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When you think of total body workouts, you probably think of all that big, bulky gear you find in a gym -- equipment you couldn't possibly cart along with you when headed outdoors or out of town.

But there are a few things you can try that would fit inside a gym bag and still leave room for your workout clothes.

For instance, the TRX Suspension Training System is one such small, lightweight system.

"That's going to allow you to get a workout whether you're working on flexiblity, balance, core strength or endurance in a limited amount of space," said Tom Lybeck, fitness director of Steele Fitness. "You control the resistance it's going to provide by just your body weight."

The system uses long bands that you hold onto as they are suspended.

Lybeck demonstrated by placing his feet at different intervals to determine the degree of difficulty -- further in leads to greater difficulty.

"The key to using them is making sure that you're moving from exercise to exercise, not allowing yourself too much of a rest," said Lybeck. "(But) you always want to make sure you're giving yourself time to recover to move to the next exercise. That's the beauty of this piece is that you can move from one to the next without much changing. You don't have to switch weights or move to another piece of equipment. This does it all for you."

Lybeck said the bands are truly ideal for just about everyone because they provide variety as well as flexibility.