Not long ago, you may have been at the club, pushing out a few sets on the seated leg press. Not far away, another member counted out their barbell squats.
A few meters away, you might have seen a personal trainer and their client hard at work on something resembling grass at a football field, with plenty of space for free movement.
What used to seem like an exclusive area has gone mainstream. Now any member can jump onto the Turf Zone with their kettlebell and start swinging, or slam a medicine ball down with authority. Since it’s relatively new to many, there may be questions about how to use it.
The Turf Zone is perfect for bodyweight workouts, which are much easier to accomplish when you’re not surrounded by weight machines. Level 5 Personal Trainer and Fitness Manager, Kim Jory has a theory about why working out on turf is popular. She believes it makes people feel more motivated, like an elite athlete. There’s also a shift toward more bodyweight exercises that build functional strength.
“A lot of people are getting more into the idea of functional training; doing more athletic, real-world movements versus sitting on the machine and having it stabilize their body for them.”
While many still favour the support of a weight machine, there is certainly growing interest in bodyweight exercise to improve balance, flexibility and strength.
Some of the most popular activities on the Turf Zone include TRX suspension training, weighted sled training, battle ropes, medicine ball workouts, bear crawls, and walking lunges. The Turf Zone offers the space and the right equipment, plus you feel like a professional athlete training for a race or a game.
By incorporating the Turf Zone into your weight training routine, you can try new more dynamic and compound movements that work multiple muscle groups, instead of just one area of the body on the strength training machines. Not only that, but the added cushioning is easier on your joints.
Now’s the time to channel your inner athlete and dare to tread on the turf. Be sure to get some help from a fitness professional to learn how to use the machines properly to maximize your workout and avoid injuries. Before long, you’ll be a Turf Zone warrior.