The long version starts back in early 2008 with my introduction to suspension exercise in the form of gymnastic ring training. I purchased a pair of Xtreme Rings from Gymnastics Bodies, and I loved them so much that I ended up buying three more pairs of Xtreme Rings so that I could incorporate basic suspended bodyweight exercises into my boot camp.

It wasn’t long before I realized that gymnastics rings are a huge pain in the ass to use for anything other than gymnastics exercises, so I decided to get rid of my rings and replace them with suspension systems that were more appropriate for the style of training I was using them for. I researched the TRX back then, but determined that the people at TRX were a complete assholes, so I bought 15 sets of Vegas Pro Straps.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that the Vegas Pro Straps were a complete waste of money (awful design, awful quality, zero programming), and I ended up biting the bullet and buying 15 TRX systems even though I didn’t particularly care for TRX as a company at the time.

The TRXs were a great piece of gear at my boot camp. Ultra portable, super quick and simple to setup, adjust, and take down, and very high quality. I even took the TRX Suspension Training class back in the summer of 2008.

In early 2009, I determined that even though I really liked the TRX product, my passionate dislike for the people I had to deal with at TRX caused me to make the decision to sell all of my TRXs and find a different suspension system to use at my boot camp, in my YouTube videos, and to promote on my websites.

Over the past few years, as part of my quest to find a viable alternative to the TRX, I’ve tested pretty much every suspension system on the market. None of them have worked out particularly well. The closest I ever got to finding a replacement for the TRX was the Rip:60. It’s a decent product, but it’s not very portable (heavy and bulbous design), and the foot slings are a huge pain in the ass to use. Also, the Rip:60 is the lowest converting fitness equipment product I’ve ever promoted (second lowest is the GoFit Gravity Straps), and I can’t consistently recommend a product that clearly no one (or at least none of my audience) wants to buy.

The most recent product I have been recommending is the Human Trainer, but two things caused me to decide not to continue to promote that product. First, my design preference is ultra simplicity, and the TRX feature I love the most is that it’s one single piece of equipment (two pieces of you include the door anchor). The Human Trainer is eight pieces, or fourteen pieces, depending on which system you buy. I really hate that. It really feels like a cluttered mess, particularly when trying to pack everything into a bag. Also, the Human Trainer recently went out of stock, and isn’t expected to come back in stock for eight to ten weeks (that’s right, two to two and a half months). I was beyond infuriated recently when one of the affiliate products I consistently recommend went out of stock for a couple of weeks, so having one of my affiliate products go out of stock for over two months is a deal breaker for me.

So I officially give up trying to find a viable alternative to the TRX Suspension Trainer, and I’ve decided to put my intense hatred for the TRX company aside and go back to recommending the TRX as the best piece of suspension gear to use for suspended bodyweight exercise. I still hate every last person I’ve ever dealt with at TRX, but I’ve decided that my intense hatred for those people is not enough reason to continue what is beginning to feel like a lost cause in finding a viable TRX alternative.

Note that in the original email the person sent me, one of the things he wrote was “I hate the TRX brand with a passion, so if you can avoid recommending them to me, please do.” I figured I’d mention that here just to give context to why I wrote “Now for the recommendation you said you were hoping not to get” prior to recommending the TRX to him.

Yeah, I really don’t care for rotational suspension systems for all of the reasons mentioned in my TRX vs. CrossCore blog post. So for my own purposes, I feel that rotational suspension systems are pretty pointless, and I’d rather use a regular suspension system. If I want to train rotational movements (which I often do), I will use resistance bands, and sometimes bands plus dowel training (i.e. similar to TRX Rip Trainer).

With that being said, the main reason why I would still encourage you to pickup a CrossCore180 is if you think you will get the most enjoyment out of rotational suspension gym training. I strongly believe that the best style of exercise for each individual is the type of exercise that they enjoy. So if you feel that you will enjoy the added instability of a rotational suspension system, and the added challenge of trying to balance on the pulley system, I would strongly encourage you to pickup a CrossCore180.

For me, I thought I would enjoy the added instability and challenge involved with the CrossCore180, but I found the pulley system to be awkward and frankly a pain in the ass. Performing exercises on it felt more like some kind of circus balancing act than an actual workout. The first few times I used the CrossCore180, I loved it. But I quickly got sick of it and went back to regular suspended bodyweight exercise, and I haven’t done any pulley training in well over a year, and probably won’t ever use those types of suspension systems again.

So enjoyment would be the the only potential reason I could think of for why you might choose to buy a CrossCore180 (i.e. if you believe that you will get the most enjoyment out of that type of suspension system, then go for it).

Now for the recommendation you said you were hoping not to get (i.e. a TRX recommendation). To answer your question about whether I’d still recommend a TRX over CrossCore180 to someone who already has a conventional dual-anchor suspension system, my answer is yes, definitely and wholeheartedly (full disclosure: I passionately hate the people at TRX).

Since the TRX is a single-anchor design, with handles on both ends of the same strap, with that strap going through a single loop, the TRX forces you to engage your core more than dual-anchor systems do. The TRX will give you feedback if you’re cheating with your dominant side because although the TRX doesn’t allow full rotation, it does allow the straps to slide a few inches either way, so if you’re not keeping equal weight on both handles, the system will slide on you. In my opinion, it’s the perfect amount of strap movement to challenge you to engage your core while allowing you to push/pull with maximum force (something that’s lost on the rotational pulley systems).

So my ultimate recommendation to you will depend on what it is that you want. If you want the piece of equipment that you will enjoy the most, I say choose the CrossCore180 *IF* you believe that the CrossCore180 is the system that you will enjoy the most (I can’t answer that question for you).

If you want my recommendation for the best suspension gym that will give you the most effective workouts and challenge you more than your dual-anchor suspension system, I recommend that you purchase a TRX.

After about a year of using the War Machine and other pulley suspension gyms, while also continuing to use traditional suspension gyms, I no longer feel that pulley suspension gyms will ever gain any real traction as a must-have piece of exercise equipment, and if pulley trainers are even around in a few years, they’ll just be considered a fringe piece of equipment that allows you to perform a handful of fun and interesting exercises that complement an otherwise complete exercise program that uses more versatile and effective equipment.

The reason I originally felt that pulley trainers were going to become the de facto standard in suspension gym systems is that pulley trainers allow you to perform all of the same bilateral exercises that you can do on a traditional suspension gym (or so I thought), plus a bunch of unilateral and rotational exercises that are impossible to do on traditional suspension gyms. My thinking at the time was why would anyone bother spending money on a traditional suspension gym that only allows bilateral exercises (for the most part) when they can buy a pulley suspension gym that allows bilateral, unilateral, and rotational exercises.

Here’s what caused me to completely change my opinion on pulley suspension gyms. The majority of the most effective suspension gym exercises are tried and true bilateral movements such as chest press, chest fly, inverted row, jackknives, pikes, hamstring curls, reverse fly, Y raise, etc. Yes, I’m leaving out some great unilateral suspension gym exercises like single leg squats, lunges, mountain climbers, hamstring runners, etc, but with the exception of single-leg squats and lunges, it’s safe to say that the majority of killer suspension gym exercises are bilateral. Performing those bilateral exercises on traditional suspension gyms is awesome and the reason why suspension gym training has been one of the most popular exercise trends over the past several years. Performing those awesome bilateral exercises on pulley trainers is a huge pain in the ass.

In other words, when I originally thought that pulley trainers would allow you to perform all of the same exercises that you can perform with traditional suspension gyms, I was somewhat mistaken. I say “somewhat mistaken” because yes it’s technically possible to perform those bilateral exercises on pulley trainers, but the slip-n-slide pulley action makes it impossible to generate much force out of the movement since you’re required to focus so much on just balancing the pulley and preventing yourself from falling on your ass. Yes, performing those exercise on a pulley is tough, but force pretty much goes completely out the window and it just turns into a balancing act that might be somewhat useful for a circus performer.

So effective bilateral exercises are out of the question on pulley trainers, which leaves unilateral and rotational exercises as the only compelling reason to buy a pulley trainer. The problem I’ve found with those exercises is that there’s pretty much only four worth mentioning: single-arm presses, single-arm presses with rotation, single-arm rows, and single-arm rows with rotation. Cool exercises, but not exactly worthy of declaring pulley training a new category of exercise, and for most people, definitely not worthy of purchasing a dedicated piece of equipment for.

So if you’re in the market for a suspension gym, and you’ve narrowed your search down to the TRX Suspension Trainer and the War Machine/CrossCore180, and you want some help deciding between the two, as much as it pains me to say since I despise everyone at TRX, you should absolutely positively choose the TRX Suspension Trainer over the War Machine/CrossCore180. I actually can’t think of any reason at all for a first-time suspension gym buyer to choose a pulley trainer over a traditional suspension gym.

If you buy a TRX Suspension Trainer and later decide that you want to do some unilateral and rotational suspension gym exercises, and you don’t mind spending anywhere from $100 to $250 for a pulley trainer that will basically only allow you to perform four useful exercises, then at that point you can look into picking up a War Machine/CrossCore180, or one of the many other pulley trainers that are available. But if you’re just purchasing one suspension system, and you need to make a decision between the TRX Suspension Trainer and War Machine/CrossCore180, the answer is simple: choose the TRX Suspension Trainer.

The key detail about how the guy in the video is performing that exercise, and the reason the single-anchor design of the TRX comes in handy here, is that the guy in the video has the straps running under his forearms and then up past the elbow joints to the single anchor point. That shortens the lever on is arms by about half, making the exercise demonstrated in the video only about half as difficult as a full iron cross (essentially doing what this iron cross trainer does).

The main advantages of single-anchor suspension gyms like the TRX is that setup and adjustment is usually easier than dual-anchor suspension gyms. The single-anchor TRX can be attached to upright anchors such as trees, posts, etc (i.e. doesn’t require a horizontal bar, such as most dual-anchor suspension gyms), and it’s also simpler to adjust than most dual-anchor suspension gyms since the TRX straps doesn’t require micro-adjustment to make the handles level.

Add the aluminum cross exercise to the list of advantages to using a single-anchor TRX. If you want to work on building up your strength to perform a full iron cross, and you don’t want to spend a hundred and fifty bucks on an iron cross trainer, just use the TRX and shorten the levers as demonstrated in the aluminum cross video.

That could cause some confusion among anyone who’s into functional exercise equipment, as Dave Schmitz from Resistance Band Training has been using the initialism “RBT” for over half a decade to brand his line of resistance band products.

Other than the identical initialism, there is nothing similar about CrossCore’s RBT and Dave Schmitz’s RBT. CrossCore’s RBT is inelastic pulley suspension gym training, and Dave Schmitz’s RBT is elastic continuous loop resistance band training. But I still figured it was worthwhile to explain the difference between the two, since I regularly mention both products on this website.

So whenever I mention RBT in the context of pulley suspension gyms, I’m talking about CrossCore’s Rotational Bodyweight Training system. And whenever I mention RBT in the context of continuous loop resistance bands, I’m talking about Dave Schmitz’s Resistance Band Training system.

I intensely despise every single person I’ve ever dealt with at Fitness Anywhere, but I’ve got to admit that their latest product redesign is superb.

Cam buckles can be a huge pain in the ass. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, and even when they do work, they have questionable durability because of the moving parts. Huge pain in the ass.

The new design of the TRX that uses d-rings instead of cam buckles is ingenious.

Product Summary: The GoFit Gravity Straps are made of nylon straps that feature well-designed adjustment markers that allow you to quickly and easily adjust the straps using the cam buckles that are attached to the integrated door anchors. The Gravity Straps feature a split design which is ideal for mounting the straps in a configuration that allows for optimal range of motion when performing pressing exercises such as chest press, chest fly, and triceps extensions.

The Good:

• Sewn on adjustment markers are the highest quality and most accurate markers I’ve ever seen on any suspension gym.
• Handles feature rubber grips that make them extremely comfortable and durable.
• Anchors feature soft nylon sleeves that do an outstanding job protecting the door by preventing any hard pieces (stoppers, cam buckles) from coming into direct contact with the door.
• Foot slings are the most comfortable foot slings I’ve ever used on any suspension gym.
• Workout manual includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts with detailed photos and descriptions for each exercise.
• Price is positively unbelievable, making this by far the best value of any exercise product I’ve ever purchased.

The Bad:

• Handles and foot slings are separate pieces, unlike many competitor products that feature combination grips and foot slings.
• The bundled workout DVD is pretty awful. It’s not so much a workout as it is a mishmash of poorly demonstrated exercises. Strangely, the series of exercises shown on the DVD is different from the workouts in the manual.
• GoFit customer service is pretty horrible, so you’re in for a world of frustration if you end up needing any customer service support from the jackasses at GoFit.

The Verdict: The GoFit Gravity Straps are a great product and the price is unbeatable. Although the DVD is awful, and GoFit customer service is pretty horrible, the Gravity Straps (i.e. the equipment, not the bundled content) is the best back-for-your-buck suspension system currently on the market. Just be prepared to pull some hair out if you end up having any problems with the product and you need to contact GoFit customer service.

Click Here To Order GoFit Gravity Straps

More Photos:

The author didn’t waste any time posting inaccurate information. From the first paragraph:

Originally hooked to overhead bars and tree limbs, variations on the theme add doorjamb attachments and a pulley.

Wrong, the original suspension gym is the door mounted Jam Gym. It was invented by Dosho Shifferaw (the guy that invented the Bowflex), and it preceded the TRX Suspension Trainer (which many people incorrectly regard as the original suspension gym).

The author failed to clearly point out that the SKLZ Power Strapz (awful name) require you to open and close the door every time you want to adjust them (i.e. huge, royal, pain in the ass).

He inaccurately described how the pin and pulley system on the CrossCore180 works. Inserting the pin does not convert the device into a regular suspension gym — far from it. Sure, it locks the pulley, but the rope still easily slides across the locked pulley, allowing full rotation at all times.

The “door attachment” on the CrossCore180 is a not exactly a door attachment. It’s just a steel buckle. Might have been useful to clearly point that out, instead of vaguely suggesting that CrossCore should have included a “softer door attachment device”.

And how on earth can the author criticize the Gravity Straps by saying they “lack the simpler, quick-change design of the Power Strapz”. Huh? The Power Straps that require you to open and close the bloody door even time you need to adjust them? For the record, the Gravity Straps include cam buckles and strap markers for quick and easy adjustment without fiddling with the door.

Also, the author uses the Fitness Anywhere trademark “Suspension Training” to broadly refer to all suspended bodyweight exercise. I’m sure Fitness Anywhere really appreciates one of largest newspapers in America genericizing their trademark like that.

Anyway, terrible review, but still nice to see suspension gyms getting mentioned in the LA Times.