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  When it comes to innovation on the TRX Suspension Trainer, we know we can always count on strength coach Doug Balzarini. Here are four TRX movements Doug came up with that involve both the TRX and a medicine ball. As Doug states in the clip, these are NOT typical, weekly movements. Use these exercises when you want to mix things up a bit. They are not recommended for the majority of clients as they are fairly advanced. All of these exercises will really challenge your stability from feet to fingertips! Want to learn the perfect form for these movements? Take our quick assessment quiz to get personalized technique tips. Here is a brief breakdown on the four exercises: TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ 1. TRX Medicine Ball Push-up With your feet in the cradles and your spine neutral, carefully place your hands on a firm medicine ball and perform your push-ups in a controlled manner. 2. TRX Medicine Ball BurpeeWith one foot in the TRX, hold a medicine ball and perform a traditional TRX Burpee. Keeping a firm grip on the ball during the push-up portion of the burpee will increase the stability challenge of an already difficult exercise. 3. TRX Medicine Ball LungeAdding a medicine ball to the TRX Lunge, you can now include many additional movements to challenge your balance. Exercises include med ball slams, med ball chops and med ball rotations. 4. TRX Hip Press w/Medicine Ball PerturbationsDoug loves using this exercise with his MMA athletes due to the demands of their sport. They require a great deal of strength and endurance in the hips and glutes, and this exercise targets the area nicely. A great exercise when performed with just the TRX, add the medicine ball in the hands and have a partner try to take the ball or move the ball in order to really engage your shoulders and trunk. Have you incorporated a medicine ball into your TRX workouts? Tell us about it below. Doug Balzarini has been in the fitness industry for the past 14 years. He is originally from Massachusetts where he earned his undergraduate degree in exercise physiology and had his first personal training job. He moved to San Diego in 2000 and worked for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) for five years before starting his career at Fitness Quest 10 as a personal trainer and strength coach. He was there from 2005 to 2011 and worked with clients of all ages and abilities. Doug is the strength coach for Alliance MMA in Chula Vista, California and creator of DBStrength.com.

Check out all of these variations on the TRX Lunge so you can get the most out of your TRX lower body workouts. Want to find the perfect lunge variations for your fitness level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get a customized leg workout plan. The TRX Lunge is a must for anyone who wants to improve his lower limb strength, endurance, balance and overall function. The movement is a great functional exercise that works the foot/ankle, knee and hip joints but also the associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ While the typically prescribed gym-based lunge is performed anteriorly in the sagittal plane, there are a multitude of variations of the lunge that should be trained in addition to this. Normal walking gait is one version of a lunge, and there are many other movements we perform in daily life that also replicate a lunging movement. Therefore, the TRX Lunge is one exercise that should be built into any workout program. While the primary movement observed in an anterior lunge is flexion/extension of the foot/ankle, knee and hip in the sagittal plane, each of these joints is capable and requires movement in the frontal and transverse planes. Often, I have observed in the clinical environment that a loss of movement or limitation of the joints to perform in these planes of movement will cause a predisposition for joint injuries. By varying the lunge to incorporate all planes of movement through bottom up drivers (the foot) and top down drivers (the trunk), you can greatly enhance function and reduce the likelihood of injury. Sagittal Plane Lunges Anterior Lunge with Sagittal Plane Focus* (above) Anterior Lunge with Frontal Plane Focus (below)   Anterior Lunge with Transverse Plane Focus (below)   Frontal Plane Lunges Lateral Lunge with Frontal Plane Focus (below)   Lateral Lunge with Sagittal Plane Focus (below)   Transverse Plane Lunge Transverse Lunge with Same Side Rotation (below)   Using the TRX while performing lunges results in some unique benefits. Lunging around the fixed point with arms overhead creates core activation and causes thoracic extension. We end up decelerating this extension by activating the abdominal complex, which is an extremely functional pattern. Arm movement with the lunge also serves to promote shoulder mobility, so the TRX Lunge truly becomes a total body exercise, more so than traditional lunges. These are just some of the many variations of lunges you can perform using the TRX. Try creating your own matrix of lunges... your legs and glutes will certainly thank you for it! Heath Williams is an Osteopath with a special interest in exercise and rehabilitation.  He is a current lecturer in Osteopathy at Victoria University and also works in private practice in Melbourne, Australia. Heath is also a regular contributor to numerous health and fitness publications worldwide. *EDITOR'S NOTE: To anchor your TRX around a tree trunk, you'll need the TRX Xtender.

An incredibly functional exercise that targets single leg strength, a key component for improving speed, balance and injury prevention. Fraser Quelch is Director of Training and Development for TRX. He is also a featured fitness author and a competitive ironman triathlete.

Get ready to sweat with the TRX-Kettlebell Fusion Workout. This high-intensity routine combines TRX suspension training and kettlebell exercises to push your body to the limit.

The TRX Low Deltoid Fly demands strength and stability of the posterior deltoids and upper back, shown here with Fraser Quelch and Randy Hetrick. Fraser Quelch is Director of Training and Development for TRX. He is also a featured fitness author and a competitive ironman triathlete.

Increase your functional strength with this TRX Kettlebell Fusion Workout. This full-body routine will challenge your muscles and elevate your fitness routine.

There are so many benefits to performing yoga inversions and adding them to your practice. Aside from the expected physical benefits, inversions are said to improve brain function, release endorphins, alter your blood flow, and balance your hormones. Despite their benefits, inversions are still notoriously challenging. But we can't think of a better way to challenge yourself than by using a TRX Suspension Trainer to complete a full inversion—and not only will it challenge you, but it will also help you ease into the move! Whether it's a supported shoulder stand, legs up the wall, or even downward-facing dog, you are sure to be in for a fun time. After all, who doesn't love to have fun while working up a sweat?  Learn the do's, don'ts, tips, and tricks of TRX headstands and handstands from London-based TRX On Demand Instructors Niko Algieri and Jay Brockway as they up the ante using their TRX Suspension Trainer.  Do you think you've mastered the art of the TRX Inversions? We would love to see your moves! Join the fun by using the hashtag #TRXforFUN on Instagram and enter for the chance to win the ultimate TRX Prize Pack.

Dough Balzarini, a personal trainer and strength coach at Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, flexes his creative muscles and demonstrates five innovative TRX moves to mix up your routine and take your fitness to a new level. The untraditional, advanced TRX exercises in this video will definitely test your core strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination. “I occasionally incorporate these complex moves to challenge my athletes or clients beyond their comfort zones,” says Doug. “I only suggest these to clients in good health with no musculoskeletal issues.” We don't recommend these moves for everyone, so please exercise caution and only attempt if you feel comfortable doing so.  1. TRX Plyo Hand HopsThis explosive movement helps develop pushing power through the shoulders and arms while keeping the trunk engaged the entire time. Doug uses this exercise with some of his MMA fighters, who need to develop explosive upper body strength to help push their opponents away during a scramble. We recommend you do not perform this move if you have any wrist or shoulder issues. 2. TRX Inverted StarThis great movement works the posterior chain from the glutes and low back all the way up to the traps and rear deltoids. Think of this move as a progression of the traditional TRX Y Deltoid Fly. By lowering the body under the anchor point, we’ve created a much more challenging angle. Doug likes this movement because it gets the posterior lower body and posterior upper body working together to create an explosive extension. He uses this movement with MMA fighters and some “overhead athletes” (volleyball, baseball, etc.). 3. TRX Inverted Gator ChompSimilar to the TRX Inverted Star, this exercise requires core and backside strength. Control this movement on the way up and down to get the most benefit. Unlike the TRX Inverted Star, Doug slows this movement down a bit both concentrically and eccentrically to increase TUT (time under tension) and really challenge the backside shoulders. This exercise can be used with most clients who have healthy shoulders by using the appropriate foot position. 4. TRX Inverted Windshield WiperA spin-off of the traditional hanging windshield wiper, this exercise summons a true test of bodyweight strength and torso control. You must have sufficient grip strength and strong abs and obliques to perform this movement correctly. Focus on controlling your trunk rotation and keep your core braced the entire time. Doug likes to test his advanced clients with this move from time-to-time to see if they can get 10 reps. 5. TRX Pommel HorseDerived from the gymnastics world, the TRX Pommel Horse challenges the core and shoulders. Doug does not actually perform this exercise with clients; he has only shown it to some of his most advanced, well-conditioned athletes who were unable to perform it because their fee and ankles were too big. To perform the TRX Pommel Horse, it helps if you have smaller ankles, so your feet will fit in the TRX foot cradles. Tell us in the comments below if you have any innovative TRX moves to share. If you need a TRX Suspension Trainer, get yours here.  Doug Balzarini works at Fitness Quest 10 (www.fq10.com) as a personal trainer, strength coach and Operations Director for Todd Durkin. A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State College. Since moving to San Diego, he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training and FMS training. He has also appeared in eight fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.

No matter where you are or how small the space, this TRX Small Space Workout can fit into your life, even in your college dorm or studio apartment. Take our quick space assessment quiz for customized workout solutions for your living area. To highlight the reality of the "small space" situation, we've shot this quick workout right in Liana Hughes' tiny, second floor, San Francisco apartment. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Here’s the workout: TRX Hip Press (8 reps)TRX Hamstring Curl (8 reps)TRX Side Plank (4x10 sec hold, 3-5 sec rest each side)TRX Abducted Lunge (8 reps each leg)TRX Low Row (8 reps)TRX Y Deltoid Fly (8 reps)TRX Burpee (8 reps each leg) Of course, there’s no better workout companion than fresh air, but if you're just taking a study break, or an indoor workout is your only option, sometimes you just need to push the coffee table out of the way and get to work. Liana just got a great workout in a space no bigger than a yoga mat. Purchase your TRX Suspension Trainer here.