Our TRX Home2 System review has been several weeks in the making, so we’ve spent ample time trying out a variety of upper body, lower body and full body workouts, courtesy of the TRX app. Our aim? To find out how effective this suspension trainer is, and to see how it compares to the older TRX system we’ve been using on and off for a few years now.
But let’s backpedal a second and recap on what the Home2 System is, who it’s aimed at, and what you’re supposed to do with it. In a nutshell, the TRX Home2 System is a suspension trainer designed to boost your strength, flexibility and balance. As long as you have access to a sturdy door, beam, frame or strong tree branch (basically, any anchor that can hold your body weight), you’ll be able to use it. You don’t need prior experience either, as it’s created for beginners up.
The travel-friendly TRX Go features among our top picks for the best home gyms, so we have high expectations of the Home2 System in terms of ease of use and build quality. Let’s sling it over a door and get moving...
TRX Home2 System Suspension Trainer review: Spec, price and availability
The TRX Home2 System is available to buy now from TRX, with other suspension trainers in the brand’s range, including the flagship TRX Pro3, available from Amazon.
- Home2 System MSRP: $199.95 / £179.99
- Suitable for: Beginners / intermediate users
- Material: Nylon webbing, mesh, dense foam
- Weight: 1.5lbs
- Length adjustor type: Barrel lock
- Machine washable: Yes, in cold water
- What’s included: TRX Home2 Suspension Trainer System, door anchor, suspension anchor, mesh carry bag
TRX Home2 System Suspension Trainer review: Design
When we received our first ever TRX system a few years ago, the thing that struck us during the unboxing was how compact it was. The Home2 System is no different. It comprises the suspension trainer itself, two anchoring options (a door anchor and a suspension anchor), a mesh carry bag, an exercise poster and… that’s it.
So yeah, it’s a pretty basic package on the surface, especially compared to more exciting pieces of fitness equipment like a snazzy treadmill or spin-ready exercise bike. In fact, we’d forgive you for taking one look at the TRX Home2 System and thinking, “That will never give me a proper workout!” However, you’d be wrong, as this suspension trainer is more versatile than first impressions would have you believe.
The TRX Home2 trainer itself features two long, adjustable straps. At the top of these sits a carabiner that TRX claims has been safety-tested to hold more than 700lbs. This is impressive, considering something like the Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE has a maximum weight capacity of 300lbs. Under that lives the locking loop to prevent slipping, followed by an equalizer loop for “easy balance adjustments”.
Move further down the straps and you’ll find the bright yellow adjustment tabs for up/down adjustments. Underneath those sit two barrel locks for adjusting the length of the straps. Those yellow triangles form the top of the padded dense foam handles, which are connected in turn to the adjustable foot cradles. The X mount (purchased separately) gives you the ability to mount the Home2 to the ceiling.
Suffice to say, the TRX Home2 System is a very well-designed and efficient bit of kit. For a different approach to weight training, but something equally well-designed, read our Total Gym FIT review.
It’s those barrel locks that enable you to adjust the length of the straps - most TRX moves use one of four strap lengths:
Fully lengthened - straps lengthened as much as possible, until they dangle roughly three inches from the floor.
Mid-length - straps lengthened to the halfway mark.
Mid-calf length - when hanging down, the foot cradles sit at mid-calf height, roughly eight inches from the floor.
Fully shortened - straps shortened as much as possible.
To keep things hygienic, you can pop the Home2 System suspension trainer in your washer (cold wash only) for cleaning, then let it air dry.
The TRX Home2 System also comes with a mesh carry bag, into which you stuff the straps and anchors when you aren’t using them. And for those days when you don’t want to fire up the TRX app to follow along with video workouts, there’s a free poster displaying some of the basic TRX moves you can perform with your new suspension trainer.
TRX exercises shown on the free poster include:
- Runner stretch
- TRX squat
- Row
- Forward lunge
- Y fly
- Torso rotation
- Crossing balance lunge
- Push Up
- Side plank
- Arm Sweeps, and plenty more
On the poster you’ll also find a five-minute warm-up, a 28-minute body strength workout, split into two parts, plus a five-minute cool down sequence. These are good for beginners, and for more experienced users looking to ‘go rogue’ by building their own core strength workouts. The TRX app (see further down) is where the majority of workouts exist.
TRX Home2 System Suspension Trainer review: How to use it
So, by now you’re probably wondering: how do you use a TRX suspension trainer? It’s pretty easy… depending on how well you are able to follow step by step instructions. If you find this difficult, ask someone to help you, or watch the TRX ‘how to’ videos a few times before beginning.
The TRX Home2 System is designed to be hung directly overhead, over doors, sturdy frames and beams, or (if you’re outdoors) a sturdy tree branch or jungle gym bars. Hanging the suspension trainer like this enables you to perform a larger number of exercises, in different body positions, so you can get a full-body workout (you can also just focus on upper body one day, lower body the next, and so on).
The main thing to get right is this: the equalizer loop should hang around 6ft (1.8m) off the ground, with the bottom of the foot cradles hanging approximately 3 inches (8 cm) from the ground when fully lengthened.
The door anchor can be used with doors sturdy enough to hold your body weight. Attach the door anchor to the strap via the carabiner, then place the anchor over the door and close it. The suspension mount can be used on most other surfaces strong enough to hold you, such as trees or jungle gyms in your local park. The suspension mount attaches to the strap in the same way as the door anchor. Wrap the other end of the strap around your anchor point and fasten the other carabiner to the mount.
This handy video shows you how to set up a TRX System:
TRX Home2 System Suspension Trainer review: TRX app
Like other TRX trainers, the Home2 System is designed to be used with the TRX app, though you can definitely use it on its own. The big draw with the Home2 System is that it comes with a year’s free subscription to the TRX app, the brand’s online fitness program (you get a ‘Key to Free’ code in the box and a link to the website, where you activate your free subscription).
For the most part we like the app, though we do have some minor frustrations with it. It isn’t as slick as others we’ve used (read our Peloton Digital Membership review for a varied, user-friendly fitness app). For instance, you can’t search by fitness level, only by activity and workout duration. That said, when you click on a workout it will state the difficulty level near the top, but it would be nice to be able to search this without having to click into various workouts to find one to suit.
There’s also a Featured Coaches tab and a most popular section, and if you edit your TRX profile properly you’ll get recommended workouts, saving you the hassle of hunting down ones you might benefit from. The duration of workouts ranges from under 20 minutes to 40+ minutes, while the activities are grouped as follows:
- Suspension training
- Running
- High intensity (think interval and cardio training)
- Cycling
- Flexibility and recovery
- Functional training
The TRX app contains video workouts, with audio prompts (ideal for those with low or no vision), and these are essential to beginners who need guidance on the correct form. One thing that will slow you down if you’re new to TRX workouts is having to stop to adjust the strap length for different moves.
Over time you should become more efficient at this, but in the beginning it may take you longer than the allocated 15 seconds (or so) between each move. That’s ok, just pause the workout until the straps are in position.
You can schedule workouts via the in-app calendar, save favorite exercises in the My Workouts area, and view your exercise history. Here you’ll see your time spent working out, miles covered (if applicable), calories burned and steps taken.
Apple users can also connect to Health Data for a more “personalized experience.” While this is interesting, we’d still recommend using one of the best fitness trackers with the TRX app to get richer insight into your activity.
TRX Home2 System Suspension Trainer review: Workouts
The TRX Home2 System is a gravity-based bodyweight training kit, so your core is constantly firing with the exercises you’re performing here. Many people benefit from having at least one session with a TRX coach before getting into using the Home2 System alone, and these professional training sessions are valuable for showing you proper form (body alignment is crucial).
TRX workouts target your core, glutes, back and arms. There are plenty of hinging, rotating and pulling moves here to work your upper back, while inverted rows (and other moves) will blast your biceps. If you enjoy doing push-ups (really?), you’ll love TRX’s version, which works your core harder than standard push-ups do.
You can adjust the resistance of your TRX suspension training workouts by taking a step forwards (straightening up) or back, or by being more upright as opposed to being more parallel to the ground (harder). Via the app you can scroll through the available workouts, and if you need to stop early, or you change your mind and want to try something else, hit the stop button and return to the home screen.
Each workout has a video showing a person demonstrating each move. Still unsure of what you’re doing? Pause the workout and click the button in the bottom right hand corner of the screen for further guidance.
Here are some general fitness benefits of using a TRX System:
- Helps you strengthen a wide range of muscles
- Great for strengthening your core properly
- Increases your mobility and flexibility
- Enables you to train outdoors for increased health benefits
Should you buy the TRX Home2 System Suspension Trainer?
The biggest selling point of the TRX Home2 System, or any TRX suspension trainer really, is that it can be used pretty much anywhere, and you can pack it down into a small bag once you’ve finished working out. You can’t do that with something like the Marcy MWM-988 Multifunction Home Gym, that’s for sure.
Body strength training is transformative when done right, and TRX is the best suspension trainer company to learn and progress with. The workouts give you a thorough grounding in core strength exercises and the different aspects of body strength training in general, which can only benefit your overall fitness.
Yes there are other types of workouts (cycling, running, HIIT) available via the app, but let’s be honest: you’re looking at TRX to help you build strength, flexibility and balance, and for that the Home2 System is a stellar choice.
