TRX Pro Pack Basic + Door Anchor

As an avid gym-rat who gets a little twitchy when he misses a workout, I was looking for something I could use to get a good strength training workout while traveling on vacation or for work. The personal trainers at our gym introduced me to the TRX system and I ordered one to give it a try.

In the few short weeks I''ve owned it, I have been able to take the TRX Home Training Bundle on a camping trip, on a business trip, and to work with me for a 2-day IT system crash event.

While camping I was able to use trees and the rafters in a pavilion to support the TRX system, and found both made easy platforms for great workouts. At hotels and while trapped at work for two days, I was able to use the door mount to sneak in some workouts, and I found that platform to be stable as well.

So it seems to me you can almost always find a place to mount the TRX system, as long as you exercise a little common sense about doing so safely. And once it''s mounted securely, the TRX system is quite versatile, and allowed me to perform many exercises to get a completely taxing strength workout. The system is simple to use and well-marked for making quick changes between exercises. For the configurations that are less intuitive, the included book provides good illustrations, tips, and tricks.

The only reason I withheld a 5th star on this review is because of the way the TRX system is constructed. The materials and workmanship seem solid to me. But the product is finished in such a way that very little of the system is modular. That is to say, if you were ever to wear out a pad on one of the handles, replacing it would require a lot of craftsmanship, not just a simple swap-out. So I expect that needing to replace any component on the TRX system would likely be met with having to replace the whole kit and kaboodle. I think a modular design would allow me to be more aggressive with the unit while making me comfortable I could replace parts fairly inexpensively. (''Cause let''s face it, nearly $200 for nylon and ingenuity is pushing it anyway).

I really like TRX. It is a good work out. Some points on this product bundle:

1. The strap is very well made and worth the expense. Some commenters have said "you can run down to Home Depot and pick up X, Y and Z and build your own strap for $X." Not really. The padded handles, quick adjustability and DVD instructions cannot be replicated using a home brew replacement. If your budget is strained and you''re a good handyman, a home built piece of equipment is OK (maybe make a couple straps of fixed length to get around the adjustability issue). But if you can find the cash flow for TRX, I''d go in that direction.

2. Not a big fan of the DVD. It''s OK, but not great. If you can get in-person instruction, I''d opt for that. I learned TRX at a YMCA group class. A good instructor monitors you and gives you continuous feedback on your technique and also some motivational commentary. I get the impression the difference between a good and bad TRX workout is whether you have good technique. Even though I have TRX at home now, I will still try to make the YMCA class once a week to keep my style in line.

3. I didn''t think through the door anchor before I purchased. You need workout floor space where the door opens AWAY from you. I have a large house and not one door had suitable workout space where the door opened away from you. The places where the door opened away were cramped spaces or had furniture in the way. I''m going to have to buy the wall anchor now, which I really prefer not to mount. Oh well.

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I''ve had the TRX for a few days and have done the ''Basic workout'' multiple times now. The unit is easy to setup and made very well. I like the door mount, but have an X Mount as well which is much more practical. I would say my only complaint is the lack of video trainings that come with the unit. Although the ''Basic workout'' is great, that''s it... It''s almost $200 for these nylon straps. I think they could have included a few more workout videos.

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Please let me save you at least $100 on your next piece of exercise equipment by giving you this piece of advice: Do NOT buy this unless you enjoy wasting money.

There are several devices on the market that are infinitely superior to this or significantly less expensive -usually both. So rather than buy into the marketing hype (I despise hype) let me provide you with two less expensive, but more effective alternatives (there are more, but these are ones I''ve tried).

These include:

1). GoFit Gravity Bar Body Weight Training System With Exercise Dvd & Portable Flipbook: With it you can do everything you can do with the TRX, and more because you have the ability to add different attachments to the straps something you CANNOT do with the TRX. Additionally, the foot straps on the Gravity Bar are much more comfortable and if you don''t like them they can be replaced with something like Stroops foot straps or something more to your liking. You do have to mount the gravity bar, but you also end up with a straight bar (you can also use the handles) for pullups.

I made the mistake of purchasing the TRX some time ago, and after spending approximately $150, I promptly sold the TRX on Craigslist* and got the GoFit Gravity Bar and never regretted selling the TRX. The Gravity Bar was much easier to adjust, and as for the cost: $35-49 versus the TRX at $175. I''ll take the extra $100+ dollars over marketing hype anyday.

2). Original Suspension Exercise Strap with attached handles: This is definitely the way to go. Not only does it have the mount anywhere capability of the TRX, not only does it have the ability to put any attachments that you want on the straps, but it also comes with 2 Marv Pro handles one of the most unique and innovative strength devices on the planet. Serius Straps retail for $39 versus the TRX at $175 saving you over $100. It also gives you better options, more exercises, and of course, the unique Marv Pro handles, which alone are worth the $39 price.

Bottom line: From someone who has used the TRX, versus some of these other devices, I can say unequivocally that the TRX sells at an incredibly inflated price, and is only for people who wish to spend their money on marketing hype, rather than effectiveness.

* One other thing: If you thought of buying Fitness Anywhere''s TRX, trying it out, and then reselling it on Ebay, you can forget it. The reason you won''t see any for sale on Ebay is because the property rights lawyers at TRX force Ebay to cancel any auctions selling the TRX. So in short, you can''t sell a product you''ve bought because TRX wants to charge customers at the highest price for an inferior product.

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I hemmed and hawed for quite a spell while considering this purchase. I researched it and applied my due diligence in order to make an informed decision. I have read the good, the bad and the plain ''ole ugly regarding this device and finally took the plunge about 2 months ago. Man, am I glad I did! I am 46 and in decent shape even though I haven''t worked out in about 5 years. All my life I did free weights, gym memberships, calisthenics (from 2 tours in the military)etc. A few months ago, I started thinking "I really, *really*, need to start working out again!" But my body is pretty beat up from the years of high impact training. Not to mention, I am an amputee (right leg, above the knee)and need to work around that. Plus I was just plain old tired of the stuff I had been doing all my life...burnt out, would be the proper description. When I found out about the TRX Suspension Trainer, and the fact it was invented by Navy SEALs (I went to BUD/s twice while in the navy), I was intriqued and tempted...So I started doing some research...the result of which, is I took the plunge and am *very* happy I did! This gizmo is exactly what they say it is! The construction is solid and heavy duty: no worries about this thing breaking or giving out in the middle of a rep. The concept is clear and viable: it works! I can work around my amputation with no difficulty at all. Being able to take the device to the beach, woods, wherever and anchor it to the upper roll-bar on my Jeep is a big plus! I like a change of scenery, instead of the same old gym walls or whatever, and this is perfect! My enthusiasm for working out has returned with a vengeance! It is easy to hook up and use as well. There *are* a lot of fakes out there, though. You MUST do your research while shopping for one of these. If it seems too good a deal: it is! A lot of fakes are right here on Amazon! I bought mine from the web site because I became paranoid about recieving a counterfit version. Don''t pay attention to most of the negative reviews: they accuse those of us who leave a positive review of being "shills" when most of us are simply very enthusiastic about our purchases! And they themselves, obviously, didn''t even try out the device! Or use the program! They bought fake TRX devices and blame the inferior quality on the legitimate manufacturer? I can tell you, I am a pretty big guy and I have NO FEAR of this device breaking or injuring me! The workouts are *very* demanding and I keep a record of my individual workouts to monitor progress. I have been progressing quite nicely and enjoy when others ask me if I have been working out lately! Always a good feeling! So, to summarize: Beware of fakes, do your research, don''t be put off by nay-sayers. I got mine for about 160 bucks. Once I filled out the web form to purchase, before I clicked the "purchase now" button, I opened another browser and did a google for "TRX suspension trainer + coupon". I found a couple of sites with coupon codes and kept trying them till I found one with 25% off! So I saved a bit of money *and* made sure I got a legitimate product! Each legitimate device has a serial number that you can register at the web site. When you slide up the plastic things on the straps, there will be a hologram type label with a number on it for authenticity. So, if your thinking about it, GO FOR IT! I have no regrets and am happily working out again!

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