Can you gain muscle with a TRX? My painful process to achieve just that (it was worth it)

It’s been a painful process that was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

I receive messages with regards to the frustrations of fat loss and struggles with lean muscle growth…

It might be easy to look at imagery of me, like the below, and think:

• “Adam has never had to deal with stubborn fat”
• “He must gain muscle easy”
• “He uses steroids”

…And I don’t blame you for thinking that. They are exactly the same things I used to think, even 100% believe, looking at other people within the fitness realm.

For some fitness folk, all three may be the true case. But not me.

I’m not blessed and to immediately address the steroids thought – I get major healthy anxiety about using a microwave let alone putting steroids into my body.

I have not, nor will I ever, use steroids.

In fact, at one point in my 20s, I had health anxiety so bad over the tiniest of things that I had 12 sessions of therapy to help. As it restricted my life so much.

THE SILVER LINING…

it’s because I’ve always been obsessed with nutrition for muscle growth, health, and longevity and thus endlessly research, test and implement to find what works.

You may know my backstory but if you don’t, in short…

When I was younger (I’m 35 now), I used to be obsessed with being in a gym. I believed health and fitness only existed inside of them. I correlated being in a gym with being ‘me’.

I couldn’t be away from one and had to be in close vicinity to one at all times. So much so that I would put it before friends, family and social events.

PSYCHOLOGICALLY IT WAS HUGELY RESTRICTING.

Physically I was never happy because I was always externally focused. Not internally. Not on how my body feels, how it moves.

I would lift with ego, constantly get injured and most often leave frustrated.

The ‘gym bro’ environment, aggressive nature, expense and busyness chipped away.

Alongside the gym obsession was the ‘trying to lose fat’ obsession:

• I’ve dieted so hard and relentlessly that I’ve screwed my hormones up, destroying my sex drive, having huge mood swings and still thinking I was doing it right
• I’ve lost years of hard-earned muscle pushing my body too hard and restricting it to the point of major starvation. Still, I thought I was doing it right.
• I’ve spent 4 months dieting to then yo-yo straight back up in 3 weeks of uncontrollable binging to beyond the fat level I was before the diet
• I’ve tried every ‘natural fat loss supplement’ out there and believed all the marketing hype wasting ££££s
• I would swing from trying to gain muscle to suddenly trying to lose fat. Ultimately spinning plates and wondering why I never progressed.
• I’ve sacrificed friends, family, and a social life trying to lose fat

Why did I do this?

Because people in the gym were doing it.

Because that’s what magazines leaned towards because that’s what influencers hinted at because it’s what I read on google.

I had 10 years of this pain, relentlessly failing. That’s when something happened that would change everything…

I GOT OUT OF THE GYM!!!!!!

For various reasons… I grabbed a backpack and a TRX and went to the Latin Americas for what was meant to be 8 months. In total, it ended up being almost 3 years.

AND THAT’S WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED…

My ‘safety net’ of a gym was gone.

So, I researched deeper, studied further, applied better, failed more, tested EVEN more, and learned from mentors who taught me about the mind and body connection.

I chose to use accessible, functional tools that allowed greater ranges of motion to transform the body anywhere (suspension training and resistance bands).

That’s when my physique and mental health results leapt in a positive direction. It felt so free. It felt like fitness freedom. And I’ve never looked back.

“Adam, why the hell are you telling me this????”

Because I want you to know:

• It’s ok to fail to try to achieve your fitness goals
• it’s ok not to know
• it’s ok for it to take a long time…
• It took me over 10 years, AND I’ve lived and breathed this stuff

I want to pass on all my learnings and knowledge to you, to help you achieve your specific fitness goals with a TRX suspension trainer or resistance band, anywhere…

That’s why I created the TRX Fitness Freedom Programs

THE POINT OF THIS POST IS TO SAY:

…you will get there. I did and you can too.

You won’t need to go through the pain as I did because I’ll tell you what works and what doesn’t.

However, it will take time and experimentation to get to know YOUR body, but YOU WILL get there and it’s totally worth it.

My favourite mantra to repeat when meditating and to say to myself in times of failure or stalling is OMMS

OBSTACLES
MAKE
ME
STRONGER

Every failure is an obstacle to learn and grow from.

You can gain muscle with a TRX. My process was painful but it was worth it. Yours doesn’t have to be because I’m here to help

Have an awesome week!

Adam “the relentless failer” TRX Traveller