Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today we’ll keep going with our TRX Workshop series. This is part two of three, so be on the lookout for the last entry in the series! You can also read part one here: https://customfitness.biz/2017/12/29/trx-workshop-series-part-1-custom-fitness-amarillo-personal-trainers/
If you have any questions about today’s blog, then please give us a call at (806) 322-3188
Lunge
Targets: Legs and abs
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: If regular lunges have become a piece of cake, up the ante with this move. Not only does it work your lower body like a traditional lunge, but it’ll also lead to better balance and stability. Facing away from the anchor point, place your left foot in both TRX straps, and plant your right foot firmly on the ground. Lower down into a lunge, extending the left leg behind you, without losing the bend in your knee. Return to starting position and repeat on the other leg. You’ll feel your lower body and abs working hard throughout this movement—both to actually complete the movement and to stabilize your body.
Squat
Targets: Abs, quads, glutes, hamstrings
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: Regular squats are essential to build a strong lower body. Add a TRX to the mix to help improve your form, or even give you some stability and support (if you need it). Start off by holding both handles in front of your waist, elbows bent by sides. Lower down into a squat, extending arms in front of you at eye level. Push yourself back up to start.
Hamstring Pull-In/Hamstring Curl
Targets: Thighs, glutes, hips
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: Get your hammies in on the action! Lie faceup with arms extended by sides. Place heels in the cradles and press down to secure them. Keeping your core tight, lift hips off the floor. Pull your heels in toward hips in a smooth and controlled motion (there’s no swinging here!). Straighten legs back to the starting position
Curtsy Lunge/Crossing Balance Lunge
Targets: Quads, glutes, calves
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: It might have a pretty name, but this move is one tough leg exercise. Face the anchor and grab the TRX handles, keeping elbows bent by your sides. Raise your right knee until 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 ground to the left of left foot. Return to start. You’ll fire up your entire lower body as you move through this movement.
Lateral Lunge
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, adductors
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: Don’t limit your lunges to the typical backward and forward variety. The side movement engages your hip adductors, which help your glutes and quads move properly. Stand facing the anchor, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a TRX handle in each hand in front of your waist, elbows bent by your sides. Plant right leg firmly in the ground and take a big step to the side with left leg, bending left knee as you lower your body into a side lunge. Push back to start and repeat on the other leg.
Curtsy Lunge to Lateral Lunge
Targets: Quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings, adductors
Difficulty: Advanced
How to: Challenging on their own, these two moves make an even more powerful pair. Perform the curtsy lunge, immediately followed by the lateral lunge. Now’s the time to multitask your way to fitness!
Single-Leg Plié
Targets: Quads, glutes, calves
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: This move’s a whole lot like the curtsy lunge, but with an added bonus: A knee-up movement that really makes you feel the burn throughout your legs. Start by facing the anchor. Hold the TRX out in front of you, palms facing. Bend your elbows and position them by your sides. Bring right knee up in front of you, until upper leg is at a 90-degree angle. Lower down into a squat, bringingright leg back behind left, without letting right leg touch the ground. Reverse the movement and return to the knee-up position.
Reverse Mountain Climber
Targets: Triceps, abs, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings
Level: Intermediate
How to: Thought regular mountain climbers were tough? Try flipping your body and use your arms to hold yourself up from behind, engaging your entire body as you push through the movement. Sit underneath the TRX and hook your heels into the foot cradles. Place palms on the floor behind you with your fingers pointed toward your feet. Lift your body off the ground, keeping a slight bend in elbows. Bring right knee into your chest, extend back to start, and immediately repeat with the left knee. Alternate as quickly as you can without losing form.
Suspended Plank with Abduction
Targets: Abs, hips, shoulders, obliques
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: Give a regular suspended plank a little extra push by getting your legs and hips in on the action. Get into regular suspended plank position. Keep core tight and separate your legs as wide as you can without losing your form—this is when you’re putting your hips to work. Pause for a few seconds and return to start.
Squat and Fly
Targets: Quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, abs, shoulders, delts
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: A truly excellent total-body move, this exercise will work you from your head to your toes. Stand with legs shoulder-width apart and grasp the handles in front of you. Lower yourself into a squat as you extend arms up in front of you. Explode up to stand, spreading arms open to form an overhead “V.”
Knee Drive/Sprinter Start
Targets: Quads, calves, glutes, outer thighs, hamstrings, lower back, and abs
Difficulty: Intermediate-advanced
How to: For sprinter-worthy legs (ever notice how muscular their quads are?), add this move to your routine. You’ll fire up your entire lower body and use your core strength to stabilize yourself throughout the movement. To start, face the TRX anchor and grasp the handles in front of your chest. Lean forward, shifting weight to the balls of your feet until the straps become taut. Bend your left knee in front of you. Keep core engaged and drive right knee forward until your right thigh is parallel to the floor beneath you. Pause at the top, and then return to start.
That concludes part two of our TRX Workshop. So if you want more help with learning about TRX, we have an entire team dedicated to this as professionals to help you. To get your consultation set up, give us a call at 806-322-3188 or email us at info@customfitness.biz At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day, and you can now read part three here: https://customfitness.biz/2018/01/02/trx-workshop-series-part-3-custom-fitness-amarillo-personal-trainers/