How to Get Started With Body Weight Suspension Training

Of course your first step is to purchase a pair of suspension straps. So far, the best straps I have found are the TRX by fitnessanywhere.com and the straps at Monkey bar Gym.com. Like dumbbells, a simple strap set up might have some slight design differences but for the most part it's just a simple piece of equipment that will work well no matter who you buy from. Both will provide a quality workout for you.

While you are waiting for your straps to arrive it's time to get started on step two which is to strengthen your basic core stability. With nearly every suspension exercise requiring some core stabilization, the safe and effective use of the straps will heavily depend on your strong core. I recommend using a basic Yoga or Pilate's Plank where you essentially hold a push up position for an extended period of time. Your goal is to practice the plank position daily without letting you back sag downwards. Once you can hold a plank for a minute you are ready for anything that suspension training has to offer.

The third step is to watch and review any instructional material that comes with the straps. Because many of the basic exercises can be very different from using conventional free weights and weight machines it's very important to know the details of the exercises before you start using the system.

The forth step is to set up your system and spend a week simply playing around on it. By playing around I mean that you should take it easy for a few days, just getting used to the exercises and figuring out the personal details like where to place your feet, how wide your hands should be and so on. It's best to learn this kind of stuff without cranking up the intensity too high to avoid injury and frustration.

The fifth and final step is to take the 6 or 7 more basic exercises and put them together into a program. With so many different exercises available through suspension training it can be very easy to get distracted and to try to do everything all at once. As with many things, quality is more important than quantity so pick just a hand full of the most basic moves and start working to master them over the next month or two. This will help keep your workouts focused, brief, fun and effective.

On a side note I recommend your exercise selections involve all of your major muscle groups and have a pretty good balance of movement. So for every pushing motion your have a pulling motion and vise verse. This will help you avoid muscle imbalance that can lead to injury.

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