Hand support exercise

Principles of suspension fitness

It is important that the suspension fitness instructor has a clear understanding of the underlying principles of this training method, in order to apply them when planning, teaching and evaluating a session. We will need to consider when to use the exercises from this manual depending on many factors, such as environment, client goals and client ability in addition to identifying how these exercises should sit alongside other equipment and training approaches.

Objectives

By the end of the section you should be able to:  identify the benefits of suspension fitness  compare suspension fitness to other, more traditional training methods  explain how suspension fitness exercises relate to the muscular strength and endurance continuum  identify the potential flexibility and motor skill benefits associated with performing regular suspension fitness workouts  discuss how the concept of ‘functional training’ sits alongside other training approaches and our clients’ goals.

What is suspension fitness?

It is essentially a training method that combines bodyweight and some strongly secured cords to produce a multitude of exercises.

How does it work?

Throughout our lives we happily carry around with us a mass that many of us would struggle to push, pull or lift. Usually we are blissfully unaware of how we are required to move and control our bodyweight when we perform everyday tasks. Suspension fitness takes our bodyweight and, through the manipulation of angles, levers, lengths and pivot points, puts it to work.

Bodyweight exercises can be tough, can’t they?

Those of us who have ever performed a ‘pull-up’ will know that lifting our bodyweight is hard going. Pulling your entire bodyweight up directly against gravity means you are attempting to lift a 100% of yourself. What if that was 50%, or only 25%? Could we do it now? Suspension fitness allows you to remain in contact with the floor as you use your bodyweight to work the muscles of both the upper and lower body. Imagine a client firmly holding onto a rope attached to a wall, leaning back slightly and then pulling themselves forwards, to return to an upright position. In this simple example, the amount of work performed by the pulling muscles will depend upon the amount of lean chosen and the bodyweight of the person. Suspension fitness can work in the same way; angling yourself against gravity and then using it to