Fit enough to hang around

Here’s a good way to boost your exercise regime, at home or in the gym, by keeping yourself in suspense, literally.

Suspension training is a growing fitness trend, suitable for all levels from beginners to athletes, and good for posture and sports training. So how does it work?

The basic requirements are simple – two adjustable sturdy nylon straps, a pulley system and stirrups/handles for the feet or hands – and most gyms now offer some form of suspension training set-up.

Tough workout
It might look easy, but don't be fooled. It can be a tough workout, and with just a tweak of the straps and your body position, you'll soon be working hard, and letting basic gravity do the rest.

Suspension kit manufacturers such as TRX and Rip:60 say more than 300 strengthening and toning moves – from knee-tucks to push-ups and planks – can be performed in a dangling or semi-supported position to tighten the body core.

You can get the kit for use at home or it’s available with coaching sessions at gyms around the country.

A typical class would be one organised by trainer Paul Dunne, who runs low-pressure sessions in his garage-style gym just outside Lahinch in Co Clare.

“When I started out in the summer I didn’t know what to make of the suspension gear at first, it looked like some kind of weird contraption,” smiles Siobhán McNulty, a working mother of two from Lahinch.

But she is now one of the growing number of people keen to hang around for exercise. "I'm toning up, and I'm down two dress sizes," says McNulty, who is in her 30s, and tried other fitness regimes previously. "I'm 5ft 2 inches (155cm) and was a good size 14 before I started. I did long runs, walking and horse-riding, but it didn't reduce my weight," she told The Irish Times.

“With suspension training, I find I’m more toned. My trousers even fell down the other night without a belt, I was delighted. And my body is working better all round.”

McNulty says she enjoys the shorter and more intense style of workout used for suspension training. But shorter doesn't mean easier, and the ginger-topped Dunne keeps a gimlet eye on his classes, making sure everyone gets the maximum benefit from the sessions, which are good value at about €7 a time.

Range of exercises
A typical routine has you placing your feet or hands in the stirrups suspended from the straps. You can then do a range of exercises, pitting your body weight against gravity to get a workout that soon tightens up your core muscles and improves your posture. Fans even claim it helps your left/right brain functions.

“Suspension training has the benefits of body-weight exercise but gives the assistance of the straps for compound exercises that people often find difficult initially, such as squats, lunges, rows and chest-presses,” says Dunne, head of LifeFit in Ennistymon.

He hops up to demonstrate, and with both feet and hands held mid-air by the straps, he knocks out a stacatto series of 40 push-ups – a feat much harder than it looks.

The training is suitable for all fitness levels, from beginners and older people to the super-strong. “Plenty of macho types and local surfers come in saying they can do 100 push-ups, or bench-press 200 pounds. But when I put their feet and hands in the straps, so they have to use their whole body and core, they often fall flat after just a few repetitions,” grins Dunne, who sometimes includes jumping-jack exercises or sprints to lift the cardio quota in his classes where the class trains on mats meant for milking cows, and enjoy picture-postcard green views of Clare.

But you don’t have to attend classes or the gym. The benefits of suspension training include the fact that the kit is portable, weighing less than a kilo, and easily packs into a bag so you can use it at home.

And it works. Unlike with heavy weights, you use your own body-mass, and having the straps as support helps you achieve more. For example, you can hold on to the handles and do one-legged squats with your bum going all the way down to the floor. Take away the straps and most of us wouldn’t manage the same move or we’d fall flat on our tails.

In America, suspension training – created by former US Navy Seal Randy Hetrick – has been a fitness sensation and is used by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts.

Big demand
The trend is now being reflected here, say industry experts. "We're seeing a big demand for this style of training from fitness instructors," says Patrick O'Hanlon, chief executive of the Fitness Academy, a national organisation that runs courses for exercise professionals.

But take care. Critics say the instability of some suspension straps can cause injury to those who aren’t fit and flexible, and there are many varieties of kits on the market, varying in quality.

However, fitness coaches such as Dunne say suspension training leads to gains in strength, increases lean muscle and burns up fat. And it boosts your metabolism so you’re still burning calories for hours after training. Now that’s my kind of exercise.

Email pauldunnept@gmail.com; tel: 087-6165096; or check your local gym for suspension training classes