New Fitness Trends for Parents: Dance and TRX Suspension Training

The new millennium has opened up with a crop of younger and more eager fitness enthusiasts, embracing the more traditional sports such as running and boxing, to more eclectic and integrated systems. Bigger fitness clubs, Aero Kick Boxing, the patented Hip Hop Abs as well as a plethora of “calorie burning” equipment sold on home TV shopping - yes, buy now and get 999 off, plus a free diet book - all seem to compete for our attention.
 
Right now however, save a few new additions to the norm, Individuals desire a leaner and more agile physique, and are more conscious of the overall benefits of exercise than mere aesthetics. Personalized approaches to health goals abound, resulting to the mainstreaming of boxing and mixed martial arts and the increasing popularity of team sports such as Ultimate Frisbee and even soccer’s re-entry to the foray of popular sports.  Some of you may have heard of Arenaball Philippines, or the only SEC-registered tackle American Football club in the country. Running’s resurgence has been complimented by specialized training offered by acclaimed athlete and coach Rio Dela Cruz. You can say that competitive sports in the country has garnered quite a following from these examples. As for DVD/home training, Tony Horton’s P90X system will get you into the zone with his “Bring It!” maxim factor. 
 
A couple of new approaches to total fitness have emerged.  In the field of dance and body weight training, there is the “TRX Suspension Training”, a novel yet extremely practical complete strengthening experience.

 

Click here to read about dance and TRX suspension training.

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Johnny and Marlette Besa, a couple with a great reputation in the fitness industry and parents to fifteen-year-old Laurie and six-year-old Vinnie, talk about the vogue in dance and the TRX system.  

Marlette, please enlighten our readers with the most popular trends in dance. Why are these new styles gaining ground?

 
The latest dance classes I teach are Bollywood Dance, Cardio A Go Go and Streetjazz. These are popular because they are fun, different and easy to follow. Bollywood Dance is a fusion of Bellydance, Hiphop and Folk Indian Dance. The students love combining elements from these three. Cardio A Go Go is a sensual dance that encourages letting go of inhibitions. It's a great workout and they can even bring the moves to the club.  Streetjazz is a combination of Streetdance and Basic Jazz moves. A lot of people are into fusion classes now and they really look for new things to try.

 
Johnny, what exactly is TRX suspension training?  What are its origins and what can one expect if they adhere to the program?

TRX stands for Total body Resistance Exercise, a system of adjustable straps used for what is called suspension training, developed by ex-navy SEAL Randy Hetrick as a way for his team to remain in top physical condition between missions, wherever in the world they were stationed. Eventually he partnered with Fitness Anywhere to further develop his concept, and the result was the TRX.

Suspension training is, according to the TRX website, a 'revolutionary method of leveraged bodyweight exercise.' Any beginner who tries TRX properly will be prone to agree with this, I'm sure. It is so versatile and the exercises completely scalable that nearly anyone of any age can benefit from it.  Noticeably increased core strength and the building of lean, strong and flexible muscle are a couple of benefits that can be expected from using the TRX consistently and properly.  Check out fitnessanywhere.com for more details.

 

Click here to learn more about dance and TRX suspension training.

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As opposed to more “standard” exercise such as weights and run cardio, what sets dance and TRX workouts apart?
 
Marlette: Most of the dance classes I teach are not offered in the gyms or studios. I bring the classes to the students, either to their houses or offices.  Since most of the classes are private, the sessions are flexible (like one day Streetjazz, another day Bollywood, the next day 30 minutes Cardio A Go Go and 30 minutes Powerwalking).  The students get to choose what type of dance or workout they feel like doing and in doing so, we get to hit or work out several target areas. The classes have the added benefit of enjoying the workout with the family, friends and officemates.
 
Johnny: The one thing that sets TRX apart from most other methods is that its use isn't restricted to the gym. Give me any place to anchor my TRX at least 7 feet high such as a door jamb (requires the TRX door anchor), lamppost, tree or playground structure with a space just six feet wide and 8 feet long and I'll give you a workout as challenging as any other kind to be had in any gym.
 

Can anyone participate?  Or are there any health restrictions?
 
Marlette: Yes but if they have health concerns, they should consult with their doctor first and get a clearance before joining the class. With regards to pregnant students, I have a special class for them.
 
Johnny: TRX exercises are completely scalable to accommodate users of all fitness levels. If you have working arms and legs you can do TRX, though there is a recommended maximum user weight of 350 pounds. Of course, any health concerns should be brought up during consultation with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.
 

Marlette, are there men who take up your courses? Or is this just a “girl thing?”
 
Though majority of the students are women, there are more men trying out and enjoying the classes. The sessions can be multilevel and the moves can be slightly altered. The men are encouraged to find their own version of the steps that will work best for them.  Sometimes I demonstrate another option for the men.
 

 

Click here to learn more about dance and TRX suspension training.

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Johnny, plenty of our women readers out there are concerned about becoming overtly muscular. What exactly does TRX offer to the fairer sex?
 
Firstly, it is near impossible for a hormonally balanced woman to develop huge muscles without lifting inordinate amounts of weight. TRX offers an opportunity to look leaner and stronger using only one's bodyweight and little else.  Nearly every woman I've trained with TRX has found it to be a great and effective tool for building lean, fat-burning muscle and improving posture, which makes for an immediately noticeable physical improvement.
 

As parents, how do you impart the value of fitness to your children?
 
By example. They can see how serious we are with our jobs and how important it is to be faithful to our students' exercise schedule. They can also see that we love our jobs and there's nothing else we would rather do for a living.  Sure, it's a job, it earns us our keep. But it's not work to us anymore because we really enjoy what we do.
 
We make sure that our kids are physically active, especially when school is out and they have more time for themselves. Our 15 year-old daughter runs twice a week, climbs trees, ice skates and dances ballet, jazz and modern. Our 6 year-old son has tried taekwondo and took two swimming courses last summer, and we encourage a lot of play with other kids his age. And being the mall rats that we are, we take to the mall on weekends and walk for hours! We also are planning to do ice skating as a family as regularly as we can manage.
 

Marlette Alano Besa teaches Vinyasa Yoga Plus Multilevel Class every Monday at 8 pm at A Head Start Preschool, San Rafael St., Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig. Other classes are private and by appointment only. She can be reached at 0917-520-6160, www.hipyogi.multiply.com, marlette_a@yahoo.com, and can be found on and reached via Facebook.
 
Marlette has been involved with the fitness industry for 18 years as of this writing and is a Yoga Instructor and vegetarian for 11 years.  She is also a Certified Polynesian Dance teacher of Hapa Haole Hula and Ori Tahiti for beginner, intermediate and advanced students. She started Bollywood dance in the Philippines in 2008.

Johnny Besa has been in the fitness industry since 1997, having been an assistant manager at the Clark Hatch Fitness Center before going freelance in 2001, and has been teaching TRX Suspension Training since 2008.  He can be reached at 0917-793-2263 and via email at dyanibee@yahoo.com.