This past weekend Randy Hetrick and the rest of his fine crew at TRX hosted the first ever TRX trainer Summit in Long Beach, California. This event featured Randy the creator and CEO of the TRX, Fraser Quelch TRX head of training and development, Chris "angry grandpa" Frankel TRX head of human performance, Dan McDonogh TRX senior manager of group training and development, and last but certaintly not least Pete Holman creator of the Rip trainer. Pete is one of the highest energy people I've ever met. This was a high energy, hands on weekend that allowed you to listen and learn to how suspension training has evolved. These guys are the masterminds behind the whole suspension movement. And it was in a small setting, 200 trainers, so interaction with these guys was at a high. I always enjoy weekends like these. This will go down as one of my favorites.
Each day started with a high energy butt-kicking workout. I always love being the student, and not the teacher for a change. What I consistently get back from events like this one is having someone correct & "coach me up". I was explaining it to my wife as a similar experience to when I was getting my RKC certification for kettlebells. I thought I knew how to perform swings, snatches, get-ups, etc. You can learn a lot from Youtube, books, & DVDs. But nothing is like hands on. But what made this weekend special is that this is the team that created the training gear. I've gone to workshops and listened to legends like Dan John speak on Olympic lifting. But with all due repsect, Mr. Dan John didn't create the barbell. It was awesome to have Pete give me a tip on performing the drag with Rip trainer, and Chris to share his cues for an active plank. Some people don't take well to criticism & coaching, but I welcome it... as long as it's constructive. And this weekend was all constructive.
Another cool takeaway was the tribal vibe that they have going on. I liken this to the kettlebell world. I can be training someone or myself in the gym using kettlebells, and if there is someone close by whom also trains with "bells" they will gravitate towards me. This is usually followed by brief eye contact, and then a comment like "aren't they great". We'll both nod and then move on. And in the suspension world either you're all in or not. And what was refreshing was that Chris Frankel, who is the movement mastermind behind much of their programming, was using similar lingo as to what I heard from Brett Jones at the RKC. I have experienced great strength coaches contradict one another at workshops in the past. And this can be confusing. This is where you go into deep thought and think about who's theory you agree with, or sometimes who you simply like better. Chris made it very clear day one that "Movement is the foundation of everything". If you know anything about kettlebells, it's all about moving better and getting stronger.
Similar to Dragon Door, TRX is more than a distributor of gear. They want to become a resource for training and education. And this is cool. I think that they understand that if you want people to optimize their product, you need to provide quality education and support. This is a growing trend with Perform Better, Dragon Door, and now TRX. And as we draw closer to the opening of our fat loss & strength classes-The Torch Workout, which will feature kettlebells, sandbags & TRX, I felt the timing of the summit couldn't be better. I was able to sharpen my training sword, pick up some inspiration, and break bread with some of the industries best.
If you're interested in more information about our Torch classes coming to Las Vegas this fall please e-mail me at Doug@janddfitness.com or (702) 892-0400.