Today’s fitness landscape is filled with all sorts of odds and ends. Some, such as the stability ball and half-domed BOSU Balance Trainer, have proved their worth, as gyms worldwide now house at least one of each. Other less fortunate devices (Thigh Master, anyone?) have gone the way of leg warmers and leotards. With so many companies looking to sell you the next big thing, determining the difference between crap and credible can be all too overwhelming. But one tool that’s gaining buzz and acclaim from fitness professionals, weekend warriors and athletes alike might just be a welcome departure from tradition and the plethora of newfangled gizmos better suited for a science fiction film. The tool is the TRX Suspension Trainer, and here’s why it could be the greatest piece of equipment you’re not using.

The TRX is the brainchild of former Navy Seal Randy Hetrick who wanted to find a way to stay fit while deployed. His goal was to create a lightweight and easily transportable device that he could use anywhere. Despite humble beginnings, the TRX went through various iterations and adjustments as Hetrick recognized that his product could be applicable to users of all shapes and sizes with varying ranges of fitness. It can be secured to a door, sturdy tree limb, lamp post or other such object strong enough to withstand a person’s weight. The TRX also makes a great travel companion as it folds to about the size of a shoe and weighs a modest three pounds.

The TRX is based on a concept known as suspension training, which utilizes body weight and gravity as primary resistance.

“It can be used for strength training, mobility and balance. It can be used as an assist for the deconditioned or the elderly (Fitness Anywhere is currently partnering with the University of San Francisco to develop a TRX-based fall prevention program for older adults), or as a high performance strength tool for elite athletes,” says Fraser Quelch, director of education and programming for Fitness Anywhere.

With athletes such as the New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and San Diego Charger LaDanian Tomlinson (to name two prominent users) endorsing it, the TRX is steadily becoming one of the “must have” pieces of equipment available today.

Suspension training is rooted in functional fitness, which is a training methodology where participants emphasize movements that are based on those performed in daily life. Whether your focus is to compete in a sporting event or to improve your overall level of fitness, functional and suspension training treats the body as a whole as opposed to a bunch of smaller parts.

“All of the resistance comes from body weight, which ties closely to function – as the very nature of function is one’s ability to manipulate one’s own body in space,” says Quelch.

The TRX also requires that users learn to improve the body’s stability, which heightens function and hits the body’s core hard with every exercise.

“It is all core all the time based on the idea that the mass of the body weight is very often outside the base of support, which results in an immediate core activation to help stabilize the body,” he said.

The TRX is making its way into fitness facilities around the globe and if you are lucky enough to have access at your gym, ask one of the resident trainers to give you a demo. Setup and manipulation can be somewhat tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be swinging around like Spiderman. The TRX can also be purchased from the Fitness Anywhere Web site (www.fitnessanywhere.com), but I do suggest you give the tool a test run to determine if you like it before shelling out your hard-earned cash. Below are five sample exercises to whet your whistle.

The suspension pushup: Think pushups are only for the weak? Think again. Adding the TRX into the equation takes this basic move to a whole new level, as you have to actively contract the majority of your body in order to remain steady. It’s a chest and ab workout all in one.

Knee tucks: Begin in the pushup position and drive the knees in toward the chest while pushing your buns up toward the sky. Hold for a few seconds and return to the start position, exerting as much control as possible.

The atomic pushup: Mix one part knee tuck, one part pushup and a whole lot of sweat for this super-intense full-body exercise. Not for beginners.

Single leg squat with row: Grasp the handles and drive the elbows back so they are in line with the body. Lift one leg and slowly lower the hips toward the ground while allowing the arms to extend. Once your thighs are parallel with the ground, simultaneously pull with your arms (like a row) and use your butt muscles to push the body back into the start position.

Y: Grasp the handles and lean back so that your arms are extended in front of you. Slowly pull your arms back into a “Y” position. This is great for the often neglected back of the shoulder as well as all the muscles of the mid- and upper-back.