TRX Rip Trainer Review
What do you think of the TRX RIP Trainer? Here’s a link to it: http://www.trxtraining.com/products/trx-rip-trainer-basic-kit
Personally I made my own rip trainer by using a piece of pvc pipe purchased at home depot, got two end caps, drilled a hole in each, then put an eyelet hook thru tightened a nut with some thread sealant, and i loop a resistance band purchased at elitefts.com to one end of something (this is the anchor) and the other end gets hooked to the eyelet hook with a carabiner. Works just like the try rip trainer and cost about $15 bucks to make. I love it!
I got to use it at IDEA this summer during one workout and one workshop. I like it and I can see how it complements their TRX trainer. With the TRX, you can do some stability in the transverse plane but it’s hard to rotate in it because of the fixed anchor at the top. The Rip trainer is all about transverse plane movement. So I think the two round each other out well.
That said, a Rip trainer can be made for a lot less. If you’re familiar with the Twist products, they have Smart Toners and Smart Sticks. The Smart Toner is a fabric-covered resistance cord. The smart stick’s a stick that holds the cord. They’re cheap. Simply attach one end of the Smart Toner to one end of the Smart Stick and you’ve got yourself a Rip Trainer for about 1/4 the price.
Also, look into Stroops. They were the original maker of the system that TRX purchased and renamed Rip Trainer. Stroops still sells the bar and the “slastics” (elastic resistance cords with caribiner clips on the ends), again for less than TRX.
Personally, in my small group classes, I use the CrossCore (pulley instead of fixed anchor at top = more functional product), and the Twist smart toners and smart sticks. And then I use a Stroop bar clipped to my CrossCore for some other funky transverse plane exercises.
I love using the TRX Suspension Training. I was thinking of purchasing
the TRX Rip Training. I have my concerns regarding the value of the Rip trainer. Many of the exercises use rotation movements that I currently do with cables, or medicine balls. Not sure its worth the price. Any thoughts
would be appreciated.
Loading a twisting movement will always carry risk http://softtissuecenter.com/articles/documents/Twisting_spine.doc