The TRX has long been one of my favorite pieces of exercise equipment. It’s the most versatile piece of equipment you can own, letting you get a full body workout and hit every muscle group using body weight for resistance. The TRX is perfect for every level fitness, from those who are just starting to long time gym rats. Plus, it’s easy to pack with you and take on the road for vacation or business travel. Just do an image search for “TRX on the beach” and you’ll see where people hook their TRX to the closest palm tree for a workout.
Another great benefit to TRX is that almost every TRX exercise engages your core, so in addition to the primary muscles you’re working on with an exercise, you’re working your abdominal muscles. Studies have shown that you can build just as much strength with TRX as you can using traditional weights.
While there are tons of exercises that you can do with the TRX, I thought I’d put together a list of my favorite TRX exercises that I find myself coming back to over and over again in my own routine and in working with my clients. Putting all of these exercises together will give you a quick full body workout. After a warm up, perform 12 reps of each exercise in a circuit, and complete 4 circuits.
Single arm Row
This exercise works your back and the rotational move will work your obliques.
Push Up
The TRX push up allows you to easily adjust your resistance by walking away from or toward where the TRX is anchored. This makes it a great chest workout no matter what your strength and conditioning level.
Hamstring Curl
This move doesn’t seem like much, but it will have your hamstrings burning!
Curtsy Lunge
I like to do curtsy lunges using a TRX so that I have added stability and can focus on proper form with the lunge. This works your legs and glutes. I like to put the TRX into single handle mode, and add a weight in my free hand, holding the weight in the hand on the same side as the leg I’m performing the lunge with.
Bicep Curl
The key to this move is to keep the elbows high and in a locked position so as to really work the biceps. Again, to adjust the resistance just walk forwards or backwards away from where the TRX is anchored (tied off).
Tricep Extension
Just like with the bicep curl, keep the elbows high and fixed in space.
Y Fly
This really works your shoulders and upper back. If you sit at a desk all day, this is a good exercise to help improve posture as well as work your shoulders.
BONUS! Low Back Stretch
After your workout, you can continue to use the TRX to aid with stretching. Hands down, the favorite stretch of all my clients is the low back stretch. It stretches the shoulders, low back, and hamstrings. Hold this position for 20 seconds or more.
What are some of your favorite exercises with the TRX? Leave me a comment below!
[…] Last week, I talked about my love of the TRX. But my second favorite piece of equipment in gym? It’s got to be the kettlebell. […]