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In the second installment of this three-part TRX Moves of the Week series, TRX Master Instructor Susane Pata will guide you through a compound movement that challenges your core, improves hip mobility, and builds stamina. The three distinct exercises performed consecutively are the TRX Crunch, the TRX Frogger, and the TRX Pike. To get started, adjust your TRX Suspension Trainer to mid-calf and place your toes into the foot cradles so that your body is now positioned on the ground, (on hands and knees) facing away from the anchor. NOTE: During set-up, if the foot cradles are adjustable, please make them very small so your feet do not accidentally push through during the TRX Pike. (There is a way to keep them in the foot cradles regardless of how wide the foot cradles are, but it does require skill and practice.) If the foot cradles are not adjustable with Velcro, flip the foot cradle loop over the handle once and firmly secure the foot inside the DIY smaller foot cradle loop. To begin performing the TRX Crunch, raise your knees off the ground and come to an active plank. Stack your hands under your shoulders and flex your feet to enable the best plank alignment. Make sure to brace your core and activate muscles throughout your body for that active plank effect. Bring your knees in toward your chest to slightly raise your tailbone, as raising your hips will slightly create more tension in your core. The position of the anchor point (overhead) enables this. Once your knees draw in right under the hips there is a mechanical advantage for additional hip flexion. Extend the legs back with control to the active plank position. NOTE: For individuals with lower back issues, it is best to simply draw the knees in until they are directly under the hips (maintaining full neutral spine), and no further as it may exacerbate any existing issues. From there, return to the TRX Plank and add on the TRX Frogger by drawing in and bringing your knees towards your elbows. Once again, extend your legs back with control to maintain the active plank position. Finally, from that second return to the TRX Plank, add on a slow-paced TRX Pike. Make an effort to activate your legs by pressing into the foot cradles while keeping your legs straight and raising your hips as high as possible (perhaps right above the shoulders). Slowly lower your hips down to an active plank position, while driving your feet into the foot cradles as much as possible. When taking this combination movement for a spin, try performing four strong full combination sets of the TRX Crunch, the TRX Frogger, and the TRX Pike, all without stopping and with precision and control. Alternating between each of the three TRX exercises makes one full set. Later, increase the number of full combination sets as strength and stamina increase. Also, try different tempos: perform the TRX Crunch and the TRX Frogger with a regular moderate tempo, and perform the TRX Pike with a much slower tempo (i.e., 4 counts up and 4 counts down). Why? A) To do it right, B) “slow is strong,” and C) to see how high you can actually get your hips!  NOTE: Never perform these exercises too fast, or your technique and form may deteriorate rapidly. Thanks for following along with Part 2 of TRX Moves of the Week: Compound Movements and be sure to tune in next week for Part Three! Susane Pata is a Global Senior Master Instructor, Presenter, and Author. She has been delivering TRX education sessions to fitness professional audiences worldwide for the last 12 years, with over 27 years of experience in fitness. In 2004 she helped TRX Founder Randy Hetrick create and develop TRX's first-ever group fitness program. Soon after, as TRX’s Education Director she organized the company’s education department and later launched the first-ever TRX training studio in San Francisco. Simultaneous to this work for TRX she became one of the company’s first master educators and even though she is now based out of New York City, she continues to deliver education courses around the country, (of course now via the global pandemic, she does so virtually). Stay connected and follow her @fitnessshazam.

  In the first installment of this three-part TRX Moves of the Week series, TRX Master Instructor Susane Pata will guide you through an upper-body compound exercise that will unilaterally train your “pull,” “rotation,” and “plank” movements. By focusing on these under-utilized foundational movements, you can add balance to your training regimen. There is also an added benefit to training one side at a time, which is to ensure that one side is just as strong as the other.  The first exercise in this compound movement is the TRX Side-Facing High Bicep Curl and the second is the TRX Power Pull. The first can flow seamlessly to the next, once your TRX Suspension Trainer is set up properly. Adjust your TRX Suspension Trainer to mid-length and configure the handles to single-handle mode. Begin by standing with one side of your body facing sideways to the anchor point with your legs in a side-offset stance, while maintaining a tall, neutral spine. Hold your single handle with your palm facing up, then raise your arm up in line with your shoulder while leaning away from the anchor. Keep your upper arm up in line with your shoulder while bending your elbow then bring the handle directly in line with your ear to reach the “end” position. Your elbow should be in line with your shoulder. Try to keep your elbow away from the center of your body or rounding your back. Keep your chest proud and your neck long. Extend your arm slowly while maintaining the same amount of tension on the TRX Suspension Trainer as your arm returns back to the starting position. The key idea here is to keep tension on the straps even as your arm extends and your body moves away from the anchor. Keep the movements slow and controlled to maintain proper form and technique, especially when trying this move the first few times. The leg shift in your offset stance helps create higher quality movements by redistributing weight from the back leg to the front leg, and vice versa. The same amount of tension can be maintained consistently on the straps with the working arm during the concentric and eccentric phases of contraction. Try performing three strong reps before transitioning to the next exercise, the TRX Power Pull. For the TRX Power Pull, keep your working arm extended and step your back leg forward to stand facing the anchor point. Immediately rotate slightly away from the anchor by extending your free arm toward the ground. Start by rotating up your body toward the anchor by circling your free arm up until it reaches up the length of the straps. Draw the elbow of the suspended arm inwards, close to your rib cage. (Your suspended arm will begin to bend soon after the rotation toward the anchor is initiated.) To return, slowly extend your suspended arm and rotate your body until your free arm can reach behind you. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire movement. Try performing three strong TRX Power Pulls, then complete this TRX Bicep Curls-to-TRX Power Pull combination three times before switching to work on the other side. Thanks for following along for part one of this three-part series. Be sure to tune in next week for part two of TRX Moves of the Week: Compound Movements! Susane Pata is a Global Senior Master Instructor, Presenter, and Author. She has been delivering TRX education sessions to fitness professional audiences worldwide for the last 12 years, with over 27 years' experience in fitness. In 2004, she helped TRX Founder Randy Hetrick create and develop TRX's first-ever group fitness program. Soon after, as TRX’s Education Director, she organized the company’s Education Department and later launched the first-ever TRX Training studio in San Francisco. Simultaneous to this work for TRX, she became one of the company’s first master educators. Even though she is now based out of New York City, she continues to deliver education courses around the country. Stay connected and follow her @fitnessshazam.  

With all of the time, energy, and sleepless nights that go into caring for a new baby, workouts can sometimes fall by the wayside. Rather than looking at exercise as time wasted away from baby and family, have your baby become part of the workout! Before starting, take our quick postpartum fitness quiz to get customized exercises safe for you and baby. The benefits of babywearing are vast- including happier babies, better posture for parents carrying babies, and a marked decrease in post-partum depression. The TRX Suspension Trainer is the ideal tool for babywearing workouts, not only to help unload some of the weight being carried, but also to help engage and strengthen the core – which most likely needs some care after pregnancy and childbirth! And as you get stronger, baby will also be growing… a natural form of progressive overload! TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ   Begin by finding a carrier that works for you and baby, make sure you are wearing it properly.  For more information on proper babywearing, visit the Babywearing International website at:  http://babywearinginternational.org/what-is-babywearing/babywearing-resources/           This video demonstrates three basic TRX exercises that can be done with baby, but there are hundreds more!  The key to these exercises is that the core remains tight at all times, especially with additional weight in the front or back of the body.  Also, for the safety of baby, avoid jumping, or angles steeper than 45 degrees.     Exercise #1: TRX Squat   With additional weight on the front or back of the body with baby, it is nice to have some assistance.  Holding onto the straps will also ensure you have proper posture throughout the entire range of motion.     Adjust the straps to mid length and stand facing the anchor point.  If baby is being worn in front, a slightly wider stance may be needed to avoid bumping into baby’s legs.  Keeping the shoulder blades down and back and eyes on the anchor point, sink your hips down toward the floor.  Engage your glutes, using the suspension trainer as much as you need, stand back up to the starting position.   Exercise #2: TRX Low Row   Carrying the carseat, rocking the baby, and breastfeeding wreak havoc on a mom’s posture.  Help counter the “hunch” with this simple exercise.     Fully shorten your suspension trainer and stand facing the anchor point.  Select an angle that is comfortable for you and baby (the steeper the angle, the harder the exercise) and begin with your hands at your ribcage with your shoulder blades engaged behind your back.  Slowly lower down, maintaining a perfect plank.  Keeping your shoulders down and back, pull yourself back to the starting position.     Exercise #3: TRX Chest Press   This is a fantastic upper body exercise, but more importantly for mommy, a super one for core engagement.     Lengthen the straps to the fully lengthened position and begin by standing facing away from the anchor point.  For more stability and offset or wide stance can be taken.  Keeping the body in a straight plank position, bend the elbows and lower into the chest press.  Keeping the core and glutes fully engaged, drive through the handles to return to the starting plank.    

Welcome back to the TRX Mobility 101 Series! This week we are going to look at how we can rejuvenate the soft tissue and remove restriction through the ankles and calves. In case you missed the first two parts of the series, in Part 1 we defined and addressed the importance of mobility, identifying the hips; and in Part 2 we addressed the shoulders and t-spine. The TRX® Suspension Trainer™ and TRX® Duo Trainer™ are ideal for ankle and calf mobility work. Want mobility exercises for your specific needs? Take our quick assessment quiz. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Here's why these tools excel: Support unloaded movement, to avoid adding any additional stress to the joints Activate the core, leading to a strong foundation for movement Help you reclaim your movement by achieving better positional competence Ankles and Calves So, why is the subject of ankles and calves worthy of an entire blog post? Considering how much time we spend on our feet, we pay far too little attention to their importance in the whole scheme of things. For instance, stiffness in this area can contribute to issues further up the kinetic chain, such as in the knees and hips. Committing to post-workout ankle and calf mobility exercises a couple of times a week can make a huge difference and help you avoid injury and pain in the future. Here’s a good starting point: A) Calf Smash Sit on the floor and place a roller or ball under your left calf, just below the knee, then  slowly move your lower leg from side to side across the mobility tool. You can also make circles clockwise and counterclockwise with your foot. After approximately a minute, move on to the next section by moving the ball or roller down your calf. Repeat until you’re just above your ankle. Switch legs and repeat. B) TRX Duo Trainer Assisted Pistol Squat Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with feet neutral (i.e. straight). Holding onto the TRX Duo Trainer handles (handles positioned mid-sternum), with your tummy tight and looking straight ahead, start squatting down with your left leg, trying to push your left knee out so it tracks over your foot.  As you lower yourself towards the floor, extend your right leg out in front of you and slightly to the side. As you lower, allow the arms to extend while holding on to one or both the Duo Trainer handles for assistance. Keep lowering yourself until you’re in a butt-to-heels squat, or as close as you can get without rounding your back. Once you get into the bottom position, hang out for a couple of minutes and feel the stretch in your ankle. If you can’t get into the bottom position or fall over once you get there, place the heel of the extended leg on the ground just slightly in front and to the side of the stance leg. Perform this exercise for about one-minute, and then switch legs. 

Welcome back to Mobility 101, the second part of a three part series. In Part 1 we defined and addressed the importance of mobility, identifying the hips.  In case you missed Part 1, check it out here: https://www.trxtraining.com/train/part-1-mobility-101-less-is-more-when-it-comes-to-restoring-full-range-of-motion In this next part, we are going to take a deeper dive into recommendations on rejuvenating soft tissue and removing restriction through addressing the shoulders and thoracic spine. When training for mobility, follow the tips below: 1.Move slowly and deliberately 2.Use low to moderate loads (easy vector or pendulum) 3.Work through large ranges of motion 4.Maintain proper body alignment 5.Take slow, controlled breaths from your diaphragm 6.If you feel pain then back off or stop 7.While the minimum recommended “dose” is two minutes, you can keep going until you make change or stop making change Shoulders/Thoracic Spine All too often, we think about the shoulders and thoracic spine as two separate things, when in reality they are actually part of the same system, with the shoulder blade (scapula) acting like a steering wheel for the shoulder. That being said, instead of spending most of your shoulder mobility time targeting the ball and socket, you should start incorporating a little t-spine work, too. In addition, start to regularly stress your shoulders with overhead, hang and press shapes (think pull-ups and push presses, upright rows and snatches, and bench presses or flys). We suggest regularly untacking your shoulders and t-spine with the following mobility combination: A) T-Spine/Traps Tack and Floss against the Wall Stand next to a wall, facing away from it Place a lacrosse ball or other small mobility ball between the wall and the inside of your left shoulder blade (start at the bottom of the blade) Pressing into the ball, slowly move the ball side to side. You can also press into it and breathe deeply from your diaphragm Spend up to one to two minutes in the start position, and then move the ball up the scapula/spine Repeat and keep going until you’re above the top of your shoulder blade and into the upper trapezius muscle region. Switch sides B) Duo Trainer™ Hang Stand under a TRX Duo Trainer (TRX Duo Trainer set up/anchored in pull up position) Using a small jump if needed, reach both arms up and wrap your hands around the bottom of the handles, making sure your pinkies are over the top of each Keeping the insides of your upper arms close to your ears, hang for 10 to 20 seconds Drop down to the start position and repeat for up to two minutes in total duration.

Three TRX exercises will be the only ammo you need to help control your appetite and turn your body into a calorie-burning inferno before you sit down to your holiday meals. The Plus 1 Challenge sequences the TRX Burpee performed on both the right and left leg with the TRX Atomic Push-up to create a simple and devastatingly effective metabolic conditioning program. The Plus 1 Challenge is a key benchmarking tool in the new TRX FORCE Tactical Conditioning Program, a 12 week progressive program based on thousands of hours spent instructing and working with service members in all branches that will help you achieve your highest level of fitness and durability whatever your current fitness level. You get the entire 12 week FORCE Program in a stunning, ruggedized workout Guide along with two DVDs containing three workout modules and the brand new TRX FORCE Tactical Suspension Trainer 2.0 when you buy the new TRX FORCE Kit: Tactical. The standard for Plus 1 is that all movements must be executed with good form without resting or stopping between reps. To learn more about mastering perfect form and finding the appropriate level of difficulty for each movement, watch this video about Earning Your Progression. The video above explains how the Plus 1 Challenge is used to benchmark and measure your progress in the FORCE Program. You’ll follow the same protocol for this workout. To complete the Challenge, follow these steps: First, perform the following protocol for the TRX Burpee (LT): Perform one repetition, rest 10 seconds. Perform two repetitions, rest 10 seconds. Perform three repetitions, rest 10 seconds. Continue this pattern, adding one rep each set until you are unable to complete the required reps continuously with good form. Rest two minutes and begin the next movement, the TRX Burpee (RT): Perform one repetition, rest 10 seconds. Perform two repetitions, rest 10 seconds. Perform three repetitions, rest 10 seconds.  Rest two minutes and complete the Challenge with the TRX Atomic Push-up: Perform one repetition, rest 10 seconds. Perform two repetitions, rest 10 seconds. Perform three repetitions, rest 10 seconds.  It’s simple, but not easy. During the Plus 1 Challenge, the rest period remains constant while the workload grows so this challenge becomes exponentially more difficult with every set you complete. Your score for the Challenge is the total of the number of reps you’re able to complete in the final set for each exercise. For example, if your final set for each exercise in the Challenge is 10 reps, your score would be: 10 (reps of TRX Burpee (LT)) + 10 (reps of TRX Burpee (RT)) + 10 (reps of TRX Atomic Push-up)=30. Get in a movement mastery mindset, bang it out, record your score so you can measure your progress the next time you take the Plus 1 Challenge. And when you’re ready to gobble up more awesome TRX Training programs, set the table for success with the TRX FORCE Kit: Tactical.

Check out this TRX Suspension Trainer, Medicine Ball and Jump Rope Fusion workout, from Coach Dos. Five rounds of punishing strength work on the TRX Suspension Trainer interspersed with cardio.  We can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday than with two of the fitness and conditioning world’s brightest stars: Coach Dos and Alwyn Cosgrove. This dynamic duo is joining forces this weekend at Paseo Club in Valencia, CA to deliver a day of amazing info, training and fun. Those not familiar with Dos' work are in for a treat today with his long-awaited workout from TRX HQ in San Francisco. This challenging session pushed even our HQ team to their limits. Want a workout tailored to your fitness level? Take our quick assessment quiz for personalized training recommendations. Watch and learn - this is how the pros do work! TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Round 11. TRX Push Combo (Push-up, T Fly, Superman)2. Med Ball Rotational Slam3. TRX Push Combo (Push-up, T Fly, Superman)4. Med Ball Rotational Slam5. Jump Rope (1 minute) Round 21. TRX Biceps Clutch with TRX Biceps Crossing Clutch2. T Push-up3. TRX Biceps Clutch with TRX Biceps Crossing Clutch4. T Push-up5. Jump Rope (1 minute) Round 31. TRX Reverse Lunge with Jump Switch2. Med Ball Core Walkover3. TRX Reverse Lunge with Jump Switch4. Med Ball Core Walkover5. Jump Rope (1 minute) Round 41. TRX Burpee with Jump2. Dive Bomber3. TRX Burpee with Jump4. Dive Bomber5. Jump Rope (1 minute) Round 51. TRX Grappler Pull/Push Combo2. Med Ball or Sandbag Slam3. TRX Grappler Pull/Push Combo4. Med Ball or Sandbag Slam5. Jump Rope (1 minute) For more metabolic conditioning or HIIT workouts, click here.

  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.