Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today is the final part of our TRX Workshop series. You can read part 1 here: https://customfitness.biz/2017/12/29/trx-workshop-series-part-1-custom-fitness-amarillo-personal-trainers/ and part 2 here: https://customfitness.biz/2017/12/30/trx-workshop-series-part-2-custom-fitness-amarillo-personal-trainers/ If you have any questions about today’s blog, then please give us a call at (806) 322-3188
Glute Bridge
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, back
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: If regular glute bridges are the key to a superior posterior, then just imagine what added instability can do for the rear view. Hint: It’ll make your hamstrings and glutes work even harder, and also pulls your back muscles into the equation. To start, lie on your back and hook ankles in the cradles. Bring heels close to your hips until your legs form a 90-degree angle. Extend arms out beside you and lift your hips up until upper body’s at a diagonal. Lower back down to start.
Mountain Climber
Targets: Abs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, shoulders, chest, and upper back
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: Walking—even running—on air isn’t just for science fiction anymore. Flying through this move will get your heart rate soaring, torch some serious calories, and set your muscles on fire. Slip your feet into the cradles and settle into your trusty plank position. Just as you would with your feet on the floor, alternate between bringing each knee to your chest, speeding up without losing control over your movements—a much bigger challenge when your feet are dangling in the air!
Targets: Shoulders, chest, arms, abs, butt, legs
Level: Advanced
How to: Ah, burpees. The exercise everyone loves to hate, now made even more challenging for some serious strong-body benefits. To start, adjust the TRX strap so that it hangs at mid-calf. Place your right foot in the loop behind you. Lower your body down into plank position, but keep your free left foot suspended in the air next to right foot. Lower into a push-up and, as you raise your torso back up, pull left foot to your chest as you return to stand.
Single-Leg Squat
Targets: Abs, butt, legs, and arms
Difficulty: Intermediate-advanced
How to: Since traditional single-leg squats can be struggle-city for a lot of us, we’re pretty thrilled that this move provides as much (or as little) assistance in the stabilizing department as we might need. Start by holding both handles in front of your waist, elbows bent by your sides. Lift left leg out in front of you so that it’s parallel to the floor. Lower down into a squat on your right leg, extending arms in front of you at eye level. Push yourself back up to start. You’ll feel your lower body working as you lower down and push yourself back up.
Spiderman Push-Up
Targets: Chest, triceps, obliques, quads, lower back, shoulders, and core (plus, it opens up the hips)
Difficulty: Advanced
How to: Regular spiderman push-ups aren’t for the faint of heart. Add in a destabilizing element—that’d be having our feet suspended in the air behind us—and we’ve got one amazing shape-up move on our hands. With one foot in each loop, start off in plank pose. Lower your body down into a pushup, bringing the right knee to the right elbow—this is when you’re firing up your obliques. Return to start and repeat with the left leg.
Burpee to Scorpion
Targets: Shoulders, chest, arms, abs, butt, legs, obliques
Difficulty: Advanced
How to: In case you’ve mastered the single-leg burpee (or you’re just up for a new challenge), try this body-rocking move. The “scorpion” part of this movement targets your obliques, working to whittle your middle and build a super strong core. With one foot hooked into the straps behind you, perform a single-leg burpee as usual. After the push-up portion, remain in plank position and bring your free leg under and across your body, then swing it back around to move it over and above your body. Return to standing.
Suspended Plank
Targets: Abs, obliques, shoulders
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: For a basic but challenging way to work the TRX into your routine, pump up your planks with a little (more) instability. Face away from the anchor and slip your toes into the stirrups so that feet face downwards. Just as you would with a regular plank, lift your upper body up onto forearms. Challenge yourself to hold the position as long as you can without compromising your form.
Pendulum Swing
Targets: Abs and obliques
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: Who knew swinging around could make you break such a sweat? Face away from the TRX, place your feet in the cradles, and get into plank position. Keeping them together throughout the movement, swing legs over to the left side, bending knees toward your left elbow, engaging obliques. Swing your legs back into plank position and then over to the right elbow in one fluid motion. Return to plank pose.
Targets: Abs, obliques
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: Spin your torso (right round) for a strong midsection. Face the anchor point and use both hands to grab the TRX straps. Position your legs in a wide stance and lean back until the straps are taut in front of you. As you pull your body up, twist to the right, keeping your arms straight and your core tight. Return to start and repeat on the left side.
Side Plank
Targets: Obliques
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: TRX + yoga = a match made in fitness heaven. Lie on your left side and place both feet into the cradles. Stack your elbow under shoulder, and lift yourself up into a side plank. To make it harder,reach your free hand under your torso to the floor behind body. Looking for yet another variation? Try lowering your hip to the floor and raising it back up into the side plank. Hold for a few seconds at the top, and then repeat.
Atomic Pike/Suspended Pike
Targets: Shoulders and abs
Difficulty: Intermediate
How to: Assume the position! Plank position, that is. Hook your feet in each of the cradles and lift body up into plank pose. Keeping legs and arms straight and core tight, lift your hips up into an inverted “V.” Lower to start. You’ll feel your abs working and your shoulders struggling to hold you up as you lower and lift your hips
Crunch and Curl
Targets: Biceps, abs
Difficulty: Beginner
How to: Why not turn a crunch into a biceps exercise? With the TRX, you totally can! Sit down facing the anchor. Grab the handles with an underhand grip, then lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms extended up in the air front of you. Keep your core tight and lift your shoulders and back off the floor, simultaneously curling your hands toward your shoulders. Lower down to start.
That concludes part three of our TRX Workshop. I hoped you liked this series and that it helped you in learning more about all of the amazing things that you can do with TRX.
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.