There are several exercises that can be performed using the TRX straps. These exercises range from beginner to very advance. Most exercises have modifications or progressions that can be performed to place the exercise at the appropriate level. These progressions should be learned and perfected before moving on to some of the more difficult exercises. Listed below are three beginner moves with three progressions to increase the difficulty.
TRX Row
Progression #1 – Facing the anchor point, extend the arms to a straight position allowing the body to lower back. Place one foot back and put some weight into this foot. We call this off-set foot position. This foot will help to push throughout the upward phase of the exercise if the back and arms are not strong enough to successfully pull the body through full range of motion. The foot will also help slow your body on the way down. You can challenge yourself by seeing how much weight you actually need in the back foot. Keeping the core tight, drop your shoulders and pull your elbows back trying to engage your shoulder blades. Exhale on the way up. Also, make sure you control the movement throughout the entire exercise. The key is to keep tension on the straps during the movement.
Progression #2 – For the 2nd progression, stand with your feet together instead of having the off-set foot position. This removes the stability added by that back foot and forces the core to engage more to keep the body in the correct position. The movement is still the same. Remember: if the exercise feels like there is not enough weight take a step forward.
Progression #3 – For the 3rd progression, lift one foot off the ground and keep it in the air throughout the movement. Make sure you are strong in the core. As soon as you lift the foot, the core muscles will be trying to keep that side of the body up. Make sure you switch legs after 10 repetitions.
TRX Chest Press
Progression #1 – Standing away from the anchor point, bring the hands directly under the shoulders, keeping the straps roughly 2 inches off of the arms. The straps should not touch the arms throughout this exercise. If they do, the weight is too much and a step forward should be taken and recheck your form. For this progression we will use the off-set foot position, placing one foot in front of us. Making sure the back is straight, open your arms to slightly wider than shoulder width, bend the elbows, and lower the body. A stretch will be felt in the chest muscles. As you bring the body forward, allow the front foot to take some of the weight. You can also use this foot to push back to standing. Keep the elbows high, exhale, and press yourself back to a standing position, remembering to keep tension on the straps at all times.
Progression #2 – For the 2nd progression, stand with your feet together instead of having the off-set foot position. This removes the stability added by that back foot and forces the core to engage more to keep the body in the correct position. The movement is still the same. Remember: if the exercise feels like there is not enough weight take a step forward.
Progression #3 – For the 3rd progression, lift one foot off the ground and keep it in the air throughout the movement. Make sure you are strong in the core. As soon as you lift the foot, the core muscles will be trying to keep that side of the body up. Make sure you switch legs after 10 repetitions.
*With both the TRX Row and the TRX Chest Press, ankle placement or stance is your preference. Some people have better ankle mobility than others. I normally use the Chest Press exercise as an opportunity to stretch my calves by seeing how long I can keep my heels down. At some point the heels will come up as you lower yourself down and that is ok. Just make sure you keep your core fully engaged, maintaining the plank position.*
TRX Lunge
Progression #1 – Facing the anchor point with your elbows under your shoulders, reach one leg back making a connection with the ball of your foot. Keeping your chest up, engage the core and drop the back knee towards the ground. As you breathe out, press through the heel of the front leg to return to a standing position. You can test your balance by following through with a knee drive, not allowing the foot to touch the ground before performing another repetition.
Progression #2 – For the 2nd progression of this exercise, do not allow the back foot to touch the ground in the back. Instead, hover the foot as you lower into the lunge position. Be sure to fully engage the core to prevent the hips from dropping. Try to keep the hands relaxed at all times; the straps are there for balance, not life support.
Progression #3 – The 3rd progression to this exercise hovers the foot in the back and adds a jump at the end instead of simply standing. Be sure you keep the weight in the front foot and you still press out of the heel as you stand up and brace yourself as you land.
These three exercises are a great compliment to any current workout routine. Since each exercise has 3 levels of progressions they can be performed by any skill level. If you are interested in trying these exercises please feel free to contact Personal Fitness Trainer Thomas Eagen (teagen@sacdt.com) to schedule a free 30minute demonstration.
There are multiple benefits to stretching while using the TRX. You will be able to move through greater range of motion which will deepen the stretch, making it more beneficial. You will also be able to use your own body weight to “lean” into the stretch. This is a great cool down for the end of your workout since you will have to use the muscles that were just worked to assist with the stretching.
Lat Stretch Facing the TRX anchor point, with your arms straight, reach your hips back keeping the spine straight. Relax and head and neck, allowing the head to drop between the shoulders. Keep your weight in your heels and take a few deep breaths. You will feel this all down the back and underneath the armpits.
Chest Stretch Turning away from the TRX anchor point, keeping the arms at shoulder height and the palms facing out, walk forward until the stretch is felt in the upper chest muscles. Be sure to keep the upper neck muscles disengaged and the shoulders stay down. Once the stretch is felt you can take a small step backwards and lean your weight in to deepen the stretch. This allows gravity to assist.
Shoulder Stretch From the chest stretch you can move directly into the shoulder stretch. Keeping the same angle, move the arms up so they are close to your ears. Again, keep the upper neck muscles disengaged and focus on your breathing and relaxing. You can also walk back some to let gravity help pull more.
Hip Flexor With your arms out wide in the chest stretch, standing up straight, reach one foot far behind you (like a lunge). Ground yourself through the heel of the front foot and move your body forward. The stretch will be felt in the front of the thigh behind you. Keep the spine tall and the chest big.
Side-body/ Intercostal/ TFL/ IT Band/ Lat Standing with the side of your body facing the anchor point, take the outside leg and place it behind you. Take your hands and put them on top of your head keeping the chest open and elbows pointing out. Maintaining this position, drop the hip out away from the anchor point. Avoid any kind of rotation and allow yourself to deepen into the stretch. This stretch will open up the muscles in between your rips, the muscles of your hip, and the IT band that runs the full length of your leg (GREAT FOR RUNNERS!)
Hamstring and Calf Standing straight, facing the anchor point, place one foot forward with the heel down and toes up. Keeping the spine tall reach the hips back and lower down. You can also point the toe (like a ballet dancer) which will stretch more of the belly of the hamstring. If your hamstrings are fairly flexible, this stretch may not be felt as intensely as the other stretches.
Piriformis Standing up straight facing the anchor point, pick up one leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the opposite leg. Keeping the spine tall, reach the hips back. The stretch will be felt through the hips of the bent leg. Avoid any kind of forward bend.
Recently Fitness Anywhere highlighted the Seattle Athletic Club Downtown’s commitment to diversifying workout options for our members.
Located one block north of the historic fish markets in Seattle, Washington, the Seattle Athletic Club (SAC) opened in 1982 and quickly became downtown Seattle’s premier health and fitness destination. Under the direction of internationally renowned squash pro Yusuf Khan, the club drew squash enthusiasts from across the region and is still recognized today for its superior squash program. In addition to squash, the club offers athletic training in a variety of other areas including court sports, MMA, triathlon, golf and youth training, and on the group exercise side, their robust curriculum boosts programs like BODYCOMBAT, BODYPUMP, BOSU Blast, Endurance Cycle, Power Sculpt, Sports Conditioning and Zumba.
SAC prides itself on staying ahead of the curve when it comes to industry trends. They pay close attention to clients’ demands and interests for new classes and equipment, which keeps the club evolving with the industry. One such client request was TRX Suspension Training, which SAC introduced in March 2009. Members lapped up this latest offering.
“After my first TRX training, I was hooked!” says member Cathy Garrison. “In a 45 minute workout, TRX strengthened my core muscles to the point of fatigue and at the same time provided an amazing cardio workout. TRX has stepped up my fitness level.”
Currently, three instructors at SAC have taken a TRX Suspension Training Course, which has proved invaluable to them as they continue to incorporate the TRX into their clients’ workouts on a daily basis. “The TRX adds more diversified training for our members. More tools in the tool box helps the members reach their goals,” says personal trainer Katrina Yniguez (performing the TRX Pike above).
The SAC trainers perform circuits with the TRX and other equipment such as kettlebells, jump ropes, BOSU, medicine balls, agility ladders, cones, hurdles, etc. Because the trainers have different areas of expertise, they each work with a unique demographic on the TRX, from young athletes to clients in their mid 30s to 50s to seniors. Regardless their skill level or goal, all clientele have achieved noticeable results from TRX Suspension Training.
Member Margie Duckstead frequently recommends TRX to her fitness-minded friends, citing it as one of her favorite ways to strength train. “I feel less likely to get injured than I do with certain free weights and equipment,” says Duckstead. “It provides great results and is enjoyable in the process.”
From its initial launch, the TRX class offering at SAC has evolved in multiple ways: increased frequency from three days a week to five days and now including one-on-one training sessions; increased visibility to a higher traffic area at the club; and improved anchoring with the TRX MultiMount, which allows up to 10 people to train at once.
Seattle Athletic Club stays committed to continuing to offer members ever-evolving and improved fitness programs and equipment, and the versatility, effectiveness and fun afforded by the TRX Suspension Trainer goes hand-in-hand with this mission.
Personal Fitness Trainer Katrina Yniguez demonstrates the TRX Burpie. The TRX Suspension trainer is a great tool that provides you with a total body workout using your own body weight.
If you are looking to join the movement and begin training with the TRX Suspension trainer today, contact Katrina Yniguez for more information on how to get started.
Personal Fitness Trainer Katrina Yniguez demonstrates the TRX Atomic Push Up. The TRX is a great training tool that provides you with a total body workout using your own body weight.
Begin your TRX training today, contact Katrina for more information on how to get started.
First of all let’s start off with what the TRX system is. TRX was originally designed by a Navy Seal who needed to be able to stay in shape with limited space and something small enough for sea bags. Since then, TRX has made its way into the fitness industry and is used by many pro sports teams, coaches, and top trainers around the world.
Simply put, TRX is a type of training that uses gravity and your own body weight to build strength, power, balance, coordination, flexibility, core and joint stability, all while preventing injuries, and increasing bone density. There are many advantages of using the TRX system.
Regardless of your training goals the TRX can help! For starters, you can minimize your training time by working your entire body switching from one exercise to the next in just seconds. The best part is every exercise engages your core. You may think that your core is just your abdominals, however, it is more than that! Your core includes the pelvis, abs, glutes, back, and chest muscles.
It is your core that provides your body with stability, balance and flexibility. Everything you do in your life starts with your core, whether it is bending over to pick up the pen you dropped on the floor, washing your car, playing basketball with your kids, or participating in an Ironman. A strong and stable core is important to help prevent injuries, not just in your low back but throughout your entire body. Just think of how developing good core strength and stability will not only enhance your performance, but your way of life too!
Another advantage to TRX is that you use your own body weight to adjust your personal fitness level simply by walking closer or further away from the anchor point. This keeps you constantly challenging your body through every exercise, minimizing wasted time switching weights.
By using the TRX you can build muscle strength and size, challenging your body in a way it has not been challenged. TRX can strengthen all the stabilizing muscles around the joints needed to support a heavier weight, something that is not achieved by taking your body through a seated machine workout. This gives you more strength and power for your regular routines in the weight room, as well as giving you a strong foundation with less chance of injury. TRX is a great tool for plyometric type training as well, for an added increase in your power output.
TRX also helps in the fight against bone loss. The exercises on the TRX can be low impact while having the benefits of weight bearing exercises. You can add in a weight vest to make it even more challenging. The TRX helps you get in some ranges of motion you may not have been able to achieve before offering support while recruiting more muscles.
Are you looking for a cardio workout to lose weight and build muscle endurance? The TRX will fire multiple muscles, which increases the heart rate, burning more calories than sitting or standing through a “traditional” exercise. TRX can keep you constantly moving from one exercise to the next in a circuit-like manner. This strengthens your heart as well as increases muscular endurance.
Why should we train on the TRX over traditional styles of training?
Traditional styles of training are performed in what we call Sagital plane of motion meaning moving forward, backward, push or pulling types of exercises, typically while seated. An example would be a seated chest press, a seated cable row, or a leg press, none of which challenge the core the way we need for our daily activities. Do we always move in our daily routine only forward, backward, and supported? The answer is NO! We move left, right, forward, backward, diagonally and twisting and bending. Don’t you think we should train our bodies the same way? This is exactly why the TRX helps prevent injuries, while developing a strong and stable core. By moving in multi-plane exercises, you are training your body for daily activities and reducing chances of injury.
What are some of the exercises I can do to enhance my performance?
Like any new exercise program or introduction to new equipment you will always start with the basics until you have mastered form and technique. This will help you recruit the appropriate muscles and help prevent injuries. Here are some of the basic exercises that you would start off with when you first get going on the TRX: Chest Press, Row, Lunge, Squat, Plank, Tucks, Pike, Side Lunge, Oblique Twist, Back Extension.
Who is TRX training for?
As you see, the TRX system is very versatile for everyone: young, old, pro-athlete, recreational athlete, stay at home mom, body builder – no matter what your goals are or what your fitness level is, TRX is for you! Get started in a one on one program with a trainer or a group class today and take your physique to the next level!
To begin a TRX training program please contact Personal Fitness Trainer Katrina Yniguez, 206-443-1111 x289.
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