No, that's actually good. The augment requirement isn't that severe, 20k xp in a particular dynamis area while the +2 armor is equipped, and by requiring trial completion, the armor can be stored WITH the augment.
As for the non-body enhancements, I think they add another tier to the merit upgrades, such as +30 duration and +3 effect on Phalanx II. If that's the case, the devs want you to go Phalanx II 5/5, Blind II 1/5, Paralyze II 1/5, Slow II 1/5, Dia III 1/5, Bio III 1/5 to make the most of it. (Augments would double duration on Dia III and Bio III that way.)