Renowned S&C coach Kevin Kearns reflects on the phenomenon of Suspension training.

Suspension training has hit the fitness world full-force. The idea is to suspend yourself with some form of cables or other strap device, letting gravity and your body weight be the resistance in your workout. Almost any position is a real killer on your core – not to mention some other muscles you did not know you had.  

Back in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Chuck Liddell introduced the TRX for MMA conditioning for his team. And when you look at suspension training for combat sports it makes perfect sense. The positions fighters get into while engaged in combat can be downright shocking. Given the fact that combat equals chaos, it makes perfect sense to train with limited stability in a free-flowing manner. There are so many micro changes that happen that the body needs to adapt and react quickly – very similar to combat in the cage.

At Burn With Kearns, all my trainers and certified instructors are huge fans of making workouts as real and functional as possible. The term ‘functional’ has been beaten to death in my field of strength and conditioning, so I want to elaborate.

Functional strength means strength that you can use. If you look at bench press motion, You are laying down supported and lifting a weight up. This is a great motion if there is a Volvo parked on your chest, or you are into bodybuilding, not so much a sport like MMA. It’s also good for muscle hypertrophy (size increase).

Here are some of my favorite suspension exercises, in one snappy workout.

WORKOUT

1: INVERTED SIT-UP

This one is real cranker on your gut. Put your arms in the AirFit in a plank position. Then roll your upper body towards your knees. Three sets of 20 will having you saying hello to your core. 

Pro Tip: Make sure your feet don’t slide on the surface.

2: GROUND 'N' POUND

This is the closest motion I have found while not actually pounding on someone. Put your arms in the AirFit up to your forearm. In a alternating motion, begin striking the ground lightly. One minute on this for three sets will make you realize what a burn feels like in your shoulders. 

3: THE GRIND

This grinds your grip! Grasp the fabric in your hands. Lean back on a 45-degree angle or greater, then slowly pull from one side to the other. This is a real fryer on your grip and your BJJ buddies won’t like you for it. 20 reps in three sets is enough on this one. 

Pro Tip: Dig your heels into the floor.