Suspension Trainer Workouts: What Are The Benefits?

Are you looking for a whole new way to test your strength in the Sweat app? Kelsey Wells’ new program is bringing strength, balance and stability to the forefront with an exciting variety of suspension trainer exercises. 

Kelsey is a huge fan of including suspension trainers in her own routine and knows firsthand what a challenging, versatile and effective training style this can be for your entire body. You can complement your existing strength routine with full-body suspension workouts or follow a standalone program like Suspension Strength with Kelsey. 

What is suspension-style training? 

This style of resistance training uses a connected system of bands, handles and foot cradles (your suspension trainer) that suspend from a single anchor point to help you work against gravity and your own bodyweight. 

Don’t underestimate this lightweight, portable and inexpensive piece of equipment - these aren’t your regular bodyweight exercises. You’ll quickly find the suspension trainer will increase the difficulty of the movement by requiring more strength or balance. It might look easy but it has many of the benefits you’ll find in traditional, weight-based training - as well as some of its own unique advantages.

How does it compare to weight training?

There are so many different styles of strength training on offer. From bodyweight and zero equipment options to programs that make use of free weights such as dumbbells or gym-based strength training that will see you building strength with machines. 

Wondering how using a suspension trainer compares to working out with free weights and gym machines? It all comes down to how you prefer to train, and you might find you enjoy a mix of both in your own routine. A study that explored the benefits of suspension strength training compared with free-weight training in discus throwers suggested that both improve explosive power, while using a suspension trainer is uniquely positioned to improve dynamic balance. One style isn’t necessarily better than the other - it all comes down to how you prefer to move your body.  

What are the benefits of suspension-style training?

There are so many amazing benefits of using a suspension trainer to be enjoyed. Beyond the advantages of including any style of strength training in your routine (it can help boost your mood and physical performance), there are a few unique benefits this dynamic training style has up its sleeve.

It’s super portable

Whether you train at home, in the gym or in your local park, suspension trainers are a lightweight, portable and inexpensive piece of equipment to have on hand. As long as you’ve got something stable to hook your suspension trainer to, you’re good to go! Love working out at home? We think it’s a great piece of equipment to add to your home set-up.

Activate your core

If building core strength is one of your fitness goals or you want to give your core a new challenge, adding suspension sessions to your workout schedule could be perfect for you. You’ll quickly feel how much you need to engage your core to maintain stability during suspension movements, and research has found suspension exercises can achieve high to very high levels of core activation in muscles such as the rectus abdominis and external obliques. One piece of research looked specifically at using a suspension trainer while performing a plank, finding muscle activation increased.

Enhanced balance and stability

Speaking of stability! Kelsey centres balance and stability in her own strength routine with her Suspension Strength workouts (including moves that have you balancing on one leg, two hands or your forearms), so it should come as no surprise that studies have also demonstrated a link between suspension workouts and improvements to your balance and stability.

Improve muscular endurance

Kelsey designed her Suspension Strength workouts to include plenty of slow and controlled movements to give you maximum time under tension, encourage strength gains and muscle growth. A systematic review exploring movements performed using a suspension trainer versus their traditional counterparts found a greater level of muscle activation occurs with exercises performed in suspension such as push-ups and hamstring curls.

It’s a great option for older adults

We know how important it is to maintain strength as you age, and a study exploring the impact of suspension workouts on older adults revealed that only 12 suspension sessions over six weeks indicated a positive trend, with improvements in core stability and a decreased fall risk both noted by the researchers. The study also highlighted that suspension trainers are seen as less intimidating than free and machine weights, potentially making it a more user-friendly option for people who are unfamiliar with strength training. Another study exploring the impact on older men supported these findings, suggesting it is a convenient alternative to traditional resistance training sessions.

Strength meets suspension in the Sweat app

Kelsey Wells has brought suspension movements to the Sweat app with her brand new 6-week program, Suspension Strength. Get ready for exercises such as hamstring curls, knee tucks, pistol squats, oblique crunches and a whole lot more.

Grab your suspension trainer and a set of dumbbells and get started today!