Randy Hetrick, the founder and CEO of TRX®, shares his insight on functional training.
CS: How did being a Navy Seal influence the development of TRX?
RH: Fourteen years as a SEALs commando definitely influenced me and made me want to develop a company that was focused on physical and tactical training. My time leading the SEALs gave me a lot of business training.
If I had to give just one example, it would be the value of leading from the front — leading by example. I use that every single day in my business now. I’m always striving to have my teams see me executing the things they watch me do — delivering the kinds of behavior and disciplines that I do. That is what I hope my team emulates.
CS: Was allowing a person to train functionally a goal of yours from the start?
RH: Absolutely! Our mission at TRX is to democratize world-class training. This means making the same tools and know-how, which serve the most elite athletes, available to anyone, anywhere. By doing that, of course we expect to influence the population’s general wellness, a portion of which is obese and another portion whose functionality [are] declining as a result of aging. We want to contribute to an overall good sense of wellness throughout life.
CS: Why is it important members train functionally?
RH: Functional training means more than just looking and feeling better. It changes your life. Whether you are going for a new personal record on a lift or in a 10K, or you are just going to pick up your kid, increasing your ability to move through the world will have a profound positive impact on your life. Functional training has the ability to change the focus of someone’s workout from something they have to do to justify eating an extra slice of pizza, over to something they want to do because it makes them a more complete human being.
CS: What are your favorite “functional” moves to do with the TRX® Suspension Trainer?
RH: The half-kneeling, hip-flexor stretch, the Power Pull and of course, burpees.
