How I Quit the Gym & Finally Built Muscle With a Suspension Trainer

Do you think building lean muscle requires expensive gyms and equipment?

I believed the same until ditching the gym and harnessing simple TRX suspension training techniques at home transformed my body beyond anything I’d achieved before.

In this post you will learn:

1. Exactly how I built lean muscle safely and easily using only a suspension trainer.
2. The powerful exercise technique, proven by my clients’ transformations, that anyone can do to transform their body.
3. How quickly you can expect to see noticeable results too.

First, I’m going to show you a massive mistake you must avoid that wrecked my lean muscle-building results…

Don’t have time to read the post in full? Then watch the video below to learn how I quit the gym and finally built lean muscle with a suspension trainer…

This Wrecked My Lean Muscle Building Results

Years ago, I had an unhealthy psychological reliance on gyms.

I believed I HAD TO be in a gym constantly to achieve the body I wanted and truly feel like myself.

But honestly, I hated the ego-driven culture and the hype-filled marketing surrounding it.

I got sucked into the gym-bro mentality, letting my ego run the show. I’d chase heavier weights and more reps, sacrificing form just to impress others.

Predictably, this led to injuries and imbalances….

Trying to deadlift a weight that was too heavy for me for silly ego

When I first switched to using a suspension trainer, I still carried that gym ego and the mindset of “more is always better.”

Without weights to add, I thought the only way forward was to crank out more reps, more sets, faster movements, and longer workouts.

I saw flashy videos of people jumping around doing fancy moves, so naturally, I copied them.

But after weeks of training this way, I noticed something strange: I never felt that satisfying muscle soreness afterward.

Instead of feeling stronger, I felt like I was actually losing muscle mass—exactly what I didn’t want, especially with my chicken legs!

The more suspension training workouts I did, the more muscle mass I lost!?

So I paused and asked myself…

“What’s the single biggest factor behind muscle growth?” I knew the answer, it was time under tension.

The longer a muscle stays under controlled tension, the more effectively it breaks down and rebuilds stronger.

But I was doing the exact opposite—rushing through every exercise, using momentum, gravity, and swinging motions.

Sure, I was doing lots of reps, but I was cheating my muscles out of real growth.

Here’s how I changed my approach to build lean muscle faster and more safely than I ever had before…

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The Suspension Training Transformation Approach

So, I completely changed my approach! I slowed everything right down.

Instead of rushing through reps in 1 second, I started taking a full 6 seconds per rep.

Three surprising things happened when I slowed down:

1. I wasn’t exhausted from frantic HIIT-style suspension training workouts anymore.
2. I finally experienced muscle soreness (DOMS) the next day—a clear sign my muscles were being properly challenged and growing stronger.
3. My workouts became significantly safer.

By focusing on slow, controlled movements, I wasn’t risking injury or burnout chasing high numbers. I was still mentally pushing myself, but safely and effectively.

How You Can Apply This Transformation Approach

Here’s how you can easily apply this method to your workouts for better results. For each exercise…

Step 1: Spend 2 seconds on the upward phase – The part where you are pulling yourself up.

Step 2: Hold and squeeze the muscle powerfully for a solid 2-seconds at the top

Step 3: Then take 2 seconds lowering down. That’s 6 seconds per rep.

After a few months, you can level up by slowing the lowering phase to 4 seconds, totaling 8 seconds per rep.

This negative phase is where the real muscle-building magic happens!

But slowing down your movements is only half the battle.

Next, I’ll show you a powerful technique to isolate specific muscle groups, helping you build strength faster and easier than ever before.

My transformation when I applied the following technique.

The Proven Technique To Build Lean Muscle Faster

Now, it’s never easy admitting you’ve been wrong, but looking back honestly, I was a pretty average personal trainer when I started out at the gym.

I’d done my PT course, I’d been lifting weights for a few years, I’d watched every fitness video I could find on YouTube—I thought I knew it all.

But the reality was, I was driven by ego, always chasing heavier weights to look strong.

Ironically, I was never actually satisfied with how my body looked, and I never achieved the physique I wanted.

My physique after years of using a gym – I never achieved the lean, strong and athletic body I wanted using gym.

Everything changed when I started training at home using nothing but a suspension trainer.

Suddenly, I couldn’t rely on heavier weights to feel like I was progressing. I had to figure out how to squeeze maximum results from every exercise and every rep.

Stepping away from the ego-driven gym environment forced me to admit I didn’t have all the answers.

I dropped my pride and became a student again. I turned to a world-class bodybuilder named Ben Pakulski.

I invested in all his muscle-building mastery courses, spent days studying how he executed each exercise, and eventually wiped out my savings for a mentorship with him…

I wanted to learn the most effective exercise movements for each body part, so I went to the best for mentorship

I began applying Ben’s advanced bodybuilding techniques—but instead of weights, I used my suspension trainer.

And that’s when I discovered the single most powerful lesson in my fitness journey: the difference between “movement-centric” and “muscle-centric” techniques.

If you’ve downloaded my free Handbook, “7 Skills to Build Muscle with a Suspension Trainer”, you’ve heard me talk about this…

But Let’s Dive Deeper Right Now

“Movement-centric technique” is what 99% of people do—and it’s why most people never see significant changes in their physique.

I was stuck there for years as a “gym bro.” With movement-centric training, you’re simply moving a load from point A to point B, spreading the effort across multiple muscles.

Think of running, cycling, or aerobics: they’re great for overall fitness, but no single muscle is challenged enough to create substantial muscle growth.

Movement-centric exercise technique does not build lean muscle and strength effectively

On the other hand, “muscle-centric technique” isolates the exact muscle you want to target.

Instead of letting multiple muscles share the load, you deliberately isolate the individual muscle by using slow and controlled movements with specific angles for each body area.

Then, the majority of the load goes onto that single muscle.

One muscle handling all the load under tension creates a BIG muscle-building stimulus.

Muscle-centric exercise technique builds lean muscle and strength effectively

Allowing you to build lean muscle and strength far more effectively.

If this sounds a little confusing, here’s a popular post with a video that fully explains the science and application behind ‘muscle-centric technique’ for better lean muscle and strength gain.

How You Can Apply The Muscle-Centric Suspension Trainer Exercise Technique

Now that you understand this critical difference, here’s a post that breaks down the top 35 suspension trainer exercises—and exactly how to perform each one using muscle-centric technique with video guide.

This way, you can immediately apply this powerful principle and start building lean muscle and strength effectively with all your workouts.

But before you read that, you need to know what was actually the biggest transformation.

Because what happened next completely changed my confidence and mental well-being…

This Changed My Confidence & Mental Well-Being

You see, when I used to train at the gym, I was constantly distracted by external comparisons:

“He’s lifting heavier than me,”

“He looks way better,”

“My physique is nowhere near that.”

Instead of feeling energized, I’d leave the gym deflated and frustrated.

My ego and external focus were my downfall.

Everything changed when I started training with a suspension trainer in my own space. 

Suddenly, there were no distractions—just me, my body, and the movement.

No distractions, no comparisons, no gym ego or hype.

I remembered reading about something called the “mind-muscle connection,” a powerful technique championed by legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane.

They taught that real results come when you mentally connect with the muscle you’re training.

So that’s exactly what I began doing. I closed my eyes and imagined placing my mind directly inside the muscle I was targeting.

I visualized it stretching, contracting, and squeezing powerfully with every single rep. My workouts transformed into a kind of moving meditation.

After each session, I’d feel like I’d been transported to another planet—stress and anxiety completely melted away.

Honestly, I became addicted to that feeling.

Turning Your Suspension Trainer Workouts into Moving Meditation

I craved training sessions in my own space, using my suspension trainer to experience this meditative state.

The amazing thing is, as I focused purely on this internal connection, my body transformed faster and better than it ever had in a crowded gym.

The physical changes became just a byproduct of something far deeper.

Because of this shift, my motivation and consistency soared. Best of all, it was incredibly sustainable—I could train in my garden, at a park, or even in my living room. 

Over just a couple of months, my body changed dramatically, and it continued progressing consistently, no matter where I was living or traveling…

My journey since quitting the gym back in 2016

Now, let me show you exactly how you can apply this same powerful approach in your own workouts to not only reshape your body, but also enhance your mental well-being.

Practical Application: How to Apply It

We’ll use the biceps as an example for how to apply your mind muscle connection, you can do this with me right now:

(By the way, click play on the video at the start of this post and skip to 06:27 to do this with me!)

1. Hold your arm out straight and curl it towards your shoulder like you’re doing bicep curls, feels really easy to curl, right? That’s no problem and you can go all day long with ease.
2. However, if you use your mind-muscle connection you focus on the bicep muscle and you squeeze it super hard with your arm kept straight.
3. Squeeze it even harder…
4. And even harder…
5. And now begin to bend your arm really slowly but keep squeezing the bicep muscle super hard.
6. Keep focusing on your bicep muscle and squeeze super hard as you curl up.
7. Now SQUEEZE EVEN HARDER at the top and hold that squeeze.
8. Now straighten your arm out slowly as you continue to squeeze…

Now, how did that feel?

Because you mindfully connected to the muscle, squeezing super hard throughout the whole range of motion, it was a lot harder!

You can apply this mind-muscle technique to every exercise for your body. Focus on placing your mind inside the muscle. visualise it stretching and squeezing powerfully.

Next Steps: 35 Best TRX Exercises & How To Do Them

The thing is, now you understand the technique and mindful focus, you need to know how to do it for every exercise because if you don’t, it doesn’t matter how many workouts you do, you’ll struggle to change your body.

So read and watch this post next where I’ll show you how to do 35 of the best suspension trainer exercises using muscle-centric technique and your mind muscle connection…

So you can build lean muscle and transform your body faster and easier from every workout!

Your Suspension Training Body Transformation Coach,
Coach Adam
Founder of Fitness Freedom Athletes