What is TRX?
Designed by a former U.S. Navy Seal, the TRS (Total-Body Resistance Exercise) would turn each on the exercise into a challenge for your core. This is done by using two simple resources which are gravity and body weight.
Here all you would need to do is anchor the TRX straps to a secure spot. Just think of it as a weight machine, a money bar or door frame, to become somewhat creative. Based on the exercise you are doing; you would need to use your hands or feet for holding on the straps.
Here generally, a part of your body would be suspended just above the floor. Also, you would be leaning on or away from the straps for creating a good resistance and destabilization. When your balance is knocked out of the whack, it would provide you with no other options however to adjust. That would mean engaging your midsection and back. Here this even involves firing up your hips and shoulders for maintaining control over the movements.
Upper Body Exercises Using TRX
1) TRX Push-Up
Here the exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and arms. The exercise is great for beginners. In this exercise, you do it like the plain old push up. Just hook your toes through the TRX stirrups. Hence, the top of your feet would face the floor.
Now just lift your body, so that the weight would rest on the palms of your hands. Make sure to keep your core tight, try to bend elbows to the lower chest among your hands. Here you would feel your shoulders and chest working as you try to press back up to the starting position.
2) TRX Chest Press
Here the exercise would target the chest and arms. The exercise would be great for beginners. For doing this exercise just forget about lying down to this typical chest press. Try to stand facing away from the anchor along with the feet shoulder-width apart. Just grab the handles along with the overhand grip. Then try to extend your arms right in front of you at shoulder height. Here you need to lean forward so that your body would be at a slight angle.
After that, bend your elbows and lower the chest among your hands. Also, you need to engage your chest and arms as soon as you push yourself back to the starting position.
3) TRX Invented Row
This exercise targets the lats and biceps. Also, it is great for beginners and even easy to do. For doing this exercise, row, row, your way to a better physique.
First, you must lie directly underneath the TRX. After that, bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor. Here you need to reach up for grasping to the handles. Make sure your palms are facing each other, and the arms must be fully extended as soon as you lift your body a few inches off the floor.
Then keeping your elbows close to your side. Then bend your elbows to pull the torso up to the handles until the body forms a straight line from the shoulder to the knee. After that, lower and return to the starting position.
Here you need to place your biceps and work back to raise and even lower your torso. Then move slowly and with control. You can do this exercise along with straight legs, then heels grounded to the floor and make your body at a diagonal.
4) Kneeling Triceps Press
The exercise would target your triceps. In this exercise, you would be targeting the tris using the no-frills move. Also, you would have to kneel facing the anchor and try to grab the handles using the underhand grip. Then you need to stretch your arms straight out in front of you and make sure to hold them shoulder-width apart.
After that bend, your elbows to the lower of your upper body and towards the floor until your hands are on the line with your ears. This is when you will begin to feel those triceps burn. Now return to the starting position.
5) Low Row
The exercise would target your back, shoulders, abs, and biceps. Frankly, this exercise is great for beginners and the move is the key for a strong back. Here you need to grab the handles using your palms facing each other. Then you need to lean all the way back till your weight is on your heels. Make sure your arms are extended right in front of you and the body needs to form a diagonal.
After that squeeze, your shoulder blades together and keep your core tight as you are bending elbows and pulling your torso up for meeting the hands. Then lower to return to the starting position.
6) Push-Up with Pike
The exercise targets the shoulders, chests, abs, and arms. Also, the exercise is suitable for intermediate exercisers. In this exercise, you are going to do a push-up with the pike. Now each of the stellar would be on its own, and these two movements are always better as and when they are together.
First, you need to get into the suspended plank position. Then, you have to do the push-up and try to lift your hips into the pike. Here your body would look just like the upside-down V.
Your abs would be working overtime for bringing you up and out of this motion. Make sure to keep your legs straight and feet together all throughout the movement.
7) Y Fly
This exercise is great for your back and biceps. Most of the time this exercise is done by intermediate exercisers. For doing this exercise, you need to stand facing the anchor using your feet and it needs to be hip width apart. Then you need to grasp the TRX handles and try to extend your arms overhead into the Y, palms facing forward.
After that, you must lean back on your heels until the body is in the diagonal line. You need to pull your arms down right in front of you until the palm is nearly touched. By leading the hips, just pull your body back right up to the standing position. Then spread your arms back into the Y as you always do.
Here you would feel your back muscles working as you move from the ‘down’ position to the Y position. Also, your abs would help in maintaining stability throughout the movement.
8) Clock Press
The clock press exercise commonly targets the shoulders, abs, back, and biceps. This is an advanced level of exercise and can be the countdown for the super-fit upper body.
Grab the handles using the overhand grip and try to lean forward till your body is forming a diagonal line, and lace weight on your toes. After that, brace the core and try to bend your elbows. Make sure to keep them close to your body. Throughout this exercise, you would remain in this down position.
After that, you need to keep your left arm bent, extend your right arm to the side until the right elbow and wrist are in the line with the shoulder. That is when your shoulder, biceps, and back would begin to burn. You can reverse the movement for returning to the starting position. Then repeat using the left arm. Go on alternating.
9) Power Pull
The exercise targets your upper back, shoulders, abs, etc. Well, this exercise is not an easy one to do. The power pull exercise would make your body powerful especially as this move involved a rotation to fire up your obliques and abs. Besides, it even affects your upper body.
First, you would have to stand facing the anchor and that too at a wide stance. Try to hold one of the TRX handles in your left hand. That must be at chest height. Also, it needs to be right at the left elbow high and point behind your body.
After that try to extend your right arm so that it is in line with the TRX. Now as soon as you lean back, try to extend your left arm, and rotate the torso to the right side for reaching the right arm out, and slightly behind of you. Then you need to reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Lower Body Exercises Using TRX
10) Lunge
The lunge exercise targets the legs and abs. Also, it is an easy exercise to do. Sometimes the regular lunges would be a piece of cake for you. You can up the ante with this exercise.
Additionally, it would work on your lower body just like the traditional lunge. Hence, it would test your balance and stability.
For doing this exercise, you need to have to face away from the anchor point. Then you need to place your left foot in both TRX stirrups and plant your right foot firmly on the floor. After that lower into a lunge, extending your left leg behind you, without losing the bend in your knee.
Now you need to return to the starting position. Repeat the same procedure on the other leg. You will feel your lower body and abs working hard to complete the movement and stabilize your body at the same time.
11) Squat
The squat exercise is something that targets your quads, abs, hamstrings, and glutes. A great exercise for beginners and regular squat is important for building a stronger lower body.
You can add the TRX to the mix. That would help to improve your form or even to give you some stability and support. First stand facing the TRX, holding both handles in front of your waist with elbows bent by your sides. Then lower into a squat, extending arms in front of you at eye level. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
12) Hamstring Pull-In
The exercise targets your hips, glutes, thighs, etc. You can get your hamstrings in on the action. Just lie face up with arms extended by your sides. Then place heels in the stirrups and press down to secure them.
Make sure to keep the core tight. Then lift hips off the floor. Pull heels in toward hips in a smooth and controlled motion. There is no swinging here. After that, straighten your legs to return to the starting position.
13) Single-Leg Hamstring Pull-In
The exercise targets your hips, glutes, and thighs. This exercise would isolate the strength-training movement to one leg at a time. Ultimately, you get a killer variation on the regular hamstring exercise.
First, start as you would perform the hamstring pull-in. Instead of pulling both heels toward your hips at the same time, alternate legs. After that, isolate each leg and that will make this move even more challenging.
14) Curtsy Lunge
This exercise would target your glutes, quads, and calves. Having a pretty name would be one thing, but this is one though leg exercise. You must stand facing the anchor and grab the TRX handles. Keep your elbows bent by your sides. Then raise your right knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor.
Squat low, simultaneously swinging your right leg behind and across your body until you can place your right toes on the floor to the left of your left foot. Return to the starting position. You will fire up your entire lower body as you move through this movement.
Conclusion
Doing the TRX exercise would be a great way to remain in shape. Also, the exercise would be a new addition to you. Try it out at a gym or contact a trainer who teaches it. You may get hooked on this versatile portable fitness tool.
