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Studies show that eating the right foods within 30 minutes of a workout can reduce inflammation, replace glycogen stores for future workouts, and repair muscle damage. While many people turn to processed recovery drinks to refuel,the best recovery foods come in the form of whole foods. Here are five of my favorites.   1) Eggs: Protein is critical when bouncing back from a workout, and eggs are a perfect source.  In fact the quality of egg protein is the highest of any whole food product.  They contain, with varying amounts, 13 essential vitamins and minerals.  Eggs are one of the only foods that naturally contain Vitamin D, which is critical for bone health and immune function.       2) Cherries: Exercise naturally involves muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress that often results in aches and pains. Tart cherries, which contain concentrated amounts of  anthocyanins, seem to help with all three issues. Findings suggest that tart cherry juice has the ability to reduce muscle pain and weakness after intense strength training, as well as after long-distance running.       3) Ginger: Ginger has been used for centuries as a painkiller. It is a rich source of powerful antioxidants that include  gingerols, shogaols and zingerones. It has also been shown to help decrease inflammation.  In fact, a study in the Journal of Pain shows that ginger may aid in reducing muscle soreness.  Athletes who ate ginger were found to experience less delayed-onset muscle soreness compared to those who did not.    4)   Grains:  You have probably have heard about the importance of eating carbohydrates before a workout, but consuming them after is equally important. Carbohydrates replenish your depleted glycogen levels, giving you energy and helping your body fight fatigue.  Quinoa, oats, brown rice and other whole grains are top options.   5) Salmon: Research suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon may help reduce post-exercise muscle inflammation.  Specifically, it appears that they lower the amount of prostaglandin, a naturally produced compound in the body that can trigger inflammation. Additionally, salmon is packed with lean protein, which is essential in cell generation and promotes muscle repair. Looking for vegetarian sources of omega-3s?  Walnuts, chia, and flax seeds are all good sources of these fatty acids.       Most people don’t realize the importance of refueling their bodies after a vigorous training session. My clients often tell me that they don’t feel like eating after working out.  A subscription meal service like Sun Basket makes it easy to get a healthy meal on the table fast. Experiment by including some of the above ingredients in your post-workout meal. . . Your body will thank you when it's time for the next training session.   5 Great Recipes You Should Eat After a Work Out   Salmon with tomato ginger chutney and cardamom rice    Warm quinoa salad with sour cherries and shiitakes    Turkey ginger meatballs in shiitake mushroom broth    Paleo sour cherry and mixed nut granola   Steak and eggs with tomato cauliflower “rice”     Kaley Todd is Sun Basket’s registered dietitian and the culinary nutritionist.  Her goal is to inspire consumers to adopt healthy eating patterns that are easy, attainable, fun and enjoyable. She provides the tools and guidance to make healthy eating convenient, affordable and delicious.   

  Ready to take your TRX Moves of the Week outside? This week, TRX Educator and Unconventional Strength owner Jesse Grund is setting up shop in his back yard to share three of his favorite TRX exercises. If you’re a long-time fan of the TRX Door Anchor set-up, but you’re curious about venturing into the great outdoors, Grund is sharing everything you need to know about setting up your Suspension Trainer on a tree or basketball pole. When setting up on a vertical anchor point like a tree, light pole, or basketball goal, take the strap, wrap it horizontally around the post or tree trunk, and thread the small-looped end through the wider loop of the Suspension Anchor. (Pro-tip: The Suspension Anchor is the short yellow strap. Don’t confuse it with the Door Anchor, which has black pillow-like cushion on one side.) Give the end of the Suspension Anchor a tug in the direction you’ll be working to ensure the anchor is properly secured. Clip the carabiner from your TRX Suspension Trainer through that narrow loop on the Suspension Anchor, and you’re ready to work. Grund’s exercise picks this week are full body movements that guarantee effort from every muscle group: a TRX Overheard Squat to Y-Fly, TRX Squat to Bicep Curl, and the TRX Power Pull to Cossack Lunge. For all three of these moves, your TRX Suspension Trainer should be adjusted to mid-length, and you will stand facing the anchor point. TRX Overhead Squat to Y-Fly Grip the Suspension Trainer handles with your palms facing down, and your body locked in a standing plank. To increase the weight-load, take a step forward; to reduce it, take a step back. Keeping your arms and body straight, pull the handles overheard, so your hands are reaching straight above you. Next, with your upper body and core engaged, drop into a squat. While you lower and raise up from the squat, keep your arms straight above you; don’t release your upper body tension. Once you’ve returned to the standing position, lower your arms down to chest level, and repeat the move. TRX Squat to Bicep Curl For this move, Grund is keeping the squat, and swapping out the Y-Fly for a TRX Bicep Curl. Once again, start with straight arms and your palms facing down. This time, you’ll begin by bending your knees and dropping your butt toward the ground for your squat. Keep your weight planted in your heels, and use your glutes and hamstrings to drive back up to your standing position. Once your legs are straight, flip your palms up toward the sky, and—keeping your elbows high and steady on an imaginary shelf—pull the handles toward your temples or ears before gradually releasing back down to straight arms. Remember, your body should remain in a straight line from your ears to your hips to your heels while you do that bicep curl. Flip your palms back to the ground to repeat the combo. TRX Power Pull to Cossack Lunge Convert your Suspension Trainer to single-handle mode by threading the free handle through the triangle of the handle you’re using. Start with your single handle in your right hand, your hips squared to the anchor point, and your right arm fully extended. (For this move, pay extra attention to your core engagement to keep your hips from rocking.) The first half of this move is a single-arm row. While executing the row with your right hand, you’ll reach your free left hand to the top of the Suspension Trainer. Your right elbow should remain close to the right side of your rib cage through this move. As you lower down from that Power Pull, keep your left heel planted and step your right foot out to the right side. Sink down on the right leg, while keeping the left leg straight for a side lunge. Planting your right foot into the ground, drive back up to your standing position, and bring the right foot back to its original position before repeating the rep. Don’t forget to balance out the sides by repeating the TRX Power pull to Cossack Lunge on the left side. Remember, when you’re holding the handle in your left hand, your right heel will stay planted and your left foot will step to the side for your lunge. Inside or outside, TRX is here to challenge you to stay healthy and strong. For more moves from Jesse Grund and TRX pros from around the world, be sure to follow TRX Training on Facebook and Instagram.

Crank up the heat on your summer body with this short, sweet and sizzling-hot HIIT workout you can do anywhere. Excellent for anyone who doesn’t have much time but still wants to get great results, this high-intensity interval training workout gets your heart rate up and your waistline down. Perform each exercise for 60 seconds resting only to transition to the next exercise. Perform the entire sequence one to three times through. TRX Sprinter StartStand facing away from the anchor point holding the handles with your hands next to your chest and the straps under your arms. Walk your feet back until your body is at a 45-degree angle. Reach back with one leg until your working leg is bent at a 90-degree angle. Drive through the ball of your working foot to return to the start. TRX Inverted Row Face the TRX Suspension Trainer with your chest directly under the anchor point, holding on to the handles with your palms facing each other. Bend your knees to 90 degrees, brace your core and squeeze your glutes. Draw your shoulder blades together and use your lats to pull your body up until your hands are at the side of your rib cage. Slowly lower your body back down to the start position. TRX Hamstring RunnerLay on your back with your heels in the foot cradles, directly under the anchorpoint. Press your heels down and brace your core to lift your hips up. Imagine your are performing a plank on your back. Use your hamstring to pull one heel toward your butt, while keeping the other leg straight. Engage your core the entire time. Send your heel back to the start position in one slow and controlled motion and repeat on the other side. TRX Atomic Push UpStart in a pushup position with your feet in the foot cradles of the Suspension Trainer, directly under the anchor point, and your hands under your shoulders. Brace your core and perform a pushup. When you reach the top of the push up, pause for a moment and perform a TRX crunch, drawing your knees toward your chest and pikeing your hips up slightly. Pause for a moment at the top, then lower your hips back down and straighten your legs to return to the start position. TRX SkatersStand facing the TRX Suspension Trainer holding the handles with both hands in front of you and your feet together. Jump to your right side and land on your right foot. Control your momentum by letting your knee bend as you land.  Hop rapidly from side to side. Click here to get more great HIIT workouts HIIT workout with the TRX Rip Trainer High Intensity Interval Training on the TRX Part 1 High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout from Mike Boyle

With the Rip Curl Pro Search taking place at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach this week, we had a chance to speak with Surf Stronger head coach Scott Adams who’s been at the competition to see all the action. Surf Stronger is the leading force in surf specific strength and conditioning programs, and Adams, a former collegiate runner, Ironman competitor, certified strength and conditioning coach, and avid surfer, is a huge proponent of the TRX Suspension Trainer for enhancing performance in the water. “The TRX is perfect for surfing because it’s such a bodyweight based dynamic movement sport,” Adams says, “practically every exercise is going to involve something that will benefit you, with either a core demand or an aligning of the body.” The face of competitive surfing has changed. Five years ago when Adams was just starting Surf Stronger, it would take some serious convincing to get any surfer to “train” for surfing, but as the level of competition has risen, so has the necessary level of athleticism. These days, Adams says most of the top pros are incorporating some sort of auxiliary work. Adams’ brand of functional strength training for surfing specifically incorporates movements that map to and compliment the way the body is going to move while surfing, instead of isolating a specific muscle group. “[You’re] not segmenting the body but using the body as a whole, as resistance, and then incorporating dynamic movements.” He likes using the TRX because he says it increases proprioception, lighting up the neuromuscular pathways that his athletes use in the water. One of Adams’ favorite TRX exercises is TRX Power Pull, which he has modified to incorporate a squat at the bottom. “With surfing, there is so much compression and decompression of the legs. This exercise maps directly to the way you generate speed or land maneuvers while you’re surfing, by compressing the body and then decompressing up the face of the wave,” This movement engages the transverse plane with rotational resistance, which is similar to the way the body is loaded while performing a powerful bottom turn. At the top of the TRX Power Pull, you are incorporating the lats and shoulders, which translates well to paddling and popping up. Another benefit Adams sees to TRX Training is that virtually every exercise requires bodily alignment and stabilizing from the core in order to remain balanced. Once an athlete has mastered the basic progression, he can instantly challenge his balance by altering his stability, usually by lifting up an arm or a leg. Adams will often have his athletes perform stability work on the beach as part of a warm up before a session for preactivation. Surfing is not only a sport that requires core strength, stability and explosive power, but also muscular endurance, especially at the elite level we have been seeing at the Rip Curl Pro Search. A typical ASP tournament lasts several days, during which competitors will surf in multiple heats. Adams doesn’t directly train this endurance in a traditional way, by incorporating a cardio-endurance element (like swimming, biking, or running) rather he builds their durability with functional strength training on the TRX. The result is that they are less taxed while surfing and then able to stay in the water longer. “A well trained surfer can surf more.” Adams says, “You can surf longer sessions, surf more often, and catch more waves. Ultimately, if you can surf more, you will get more time to hone your surfing skill and that is what will make you a better surfer. We sum it up with our phrase: Better fitness equals better surfing.” The TRX Suspension Trainer is uniquely beneficial to surfing.Buy your TRX Suspension Trainer here.

Strength Performance Network recently caught up with Chris Frankel, TRX Director of Human Performance at the 2010 NSCA National Conference in Orlando, Florida. In the video, Chris provides a great example of how to break down a standard movement (here, the TRX Chest Press) and challenge various muscle groups simply by making a few modifications to your foot position. This is what we call the Stability Principle™, which involves the relationship between your center of gravity (COG) and your base of support. Short definition: Stability is maximized with a large base of support and the COG positioned in the middle of the base. As the base of support decreases or the COG moves outside the base of support, stability decreases. First ProgressionChris illustrates the Stability Principle™ by having the athlete first perform a TRX Chest Press in an offset stance. If you're new to exercise or working with an individual who is deconditioned or unstable, this should be the starting position. Using an offset stance during the TRX Chest Press puts the emphasis on the lower body exercise. If you change your mental approach to the movement, you can make this an upper body exercise that puts more emphasis on your chest, shoulders and arms. Second ProgressionTo increase resistance with more stability, bring the forward foot back into a wide stance. This is the second progression. The body angle is in a deeper position, and a wide stance provides good stability while engaging the core further. Third ProgressionTo decrease stability at the same body angle (resistance), bring the feet close together for the third progression. Now the COG rests on a smaller base of support, and active core control is required to maintain stability. Fourth ProgressionThe last progression is a single-leg stance, which reduces support and is appropriate for more advanced users. Many people find the movement easier to perform on one foot or another. It’s important to note these discrepancies and work to correct them. For all of the progressions, experiment with foot placement until you find the optimal range of movement and resistance level. By using Stability Principle and a four-step progression as outlined above, Chris shows us how you can take what is typically just a chest exercise and turn it into a core and hip exercise, with an additional focus on resisting rotation. You can apply this approach to any Suspension Training bodyweight exercise. Get your TRX Suspension Trainer here. As the resident TRX Professor, Chris Frankel draws from over 25 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach. He earned an MS in Exercise Physiology from the University of New Mexico, where he is currently completing his doctorate in Exercise Science. Before taking the position of Director of Programming at Fitness Anywhere, Chris was an instructor in the Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of New Mexico.

TRX Training “Aren’t they the same thing as medicine balls?” asked the unassuming gym-goer on more than one occasion. Quite the contrary. As many of us know, these two classic pieces of functional training equipment have some similarities - but it’s their singular distinction - the fact that slam balls don’t bounce - that makes all the difference when the rubber hits the road [errrr gym floor].   Originally referred to as “d-ball” for dead ball, slam balls literally drop dead when slammed on the ground. Thus, slam balls add an additional element of work to your training, as you have to hinge, squat, and thrust the slam ball back up off the floor, whilst maintaining a strong core and proper form. For these reasons, it is no surprise that slam balls have become a popular addition to the rapidly expanding high intensity training (HIT) programs that are popping up everywhere. Below are some fun and effective exercises that can be done on their own or integrated into your circuit workouts. Front Slam (slam ball’s primary use): Simply pick the ball up and slam it to the ground. When performed correctly, this movement engages your whole body and is the perfect exercise for building speed and explosiveness. We like to use this move to teach deceleration, like landing from a jump. Just picture your worst enemy and blow off some steam. Start with the ball on the floor between your feet; body in an athletic “ready” stance, feet about shoulder width apart Keeping a neutral spine, squat down and pick up the slam ball As you come up from your squat, use strength in your legs and hips to thrust and push the ball above your head - reach as high as you can, elbows fully extended, ball directly overhead and momentarily find your tall plank. Initiate the move by driving your hips back and slam the ball down to end back in either a hinge or squat position, you can hold this position for a second to check form, you don’t have to worry about the ball bouncing back up and hitting you in the face! Keep the core engaged and spine tall as you pick the ball up from the floor and repeat   Slam Ball Jump: Think front slam with some added oomph. Start with the ball on the floor between your feet; body in an athletic ready stance, feet about shoulder width apart Keeping a neutral spine, squat down and pick up the slam ball As you come up from your squat jump vertically, pressing the ball as high as possible overhead, like rebounding a basketball or blocking in volleyball As you come down from your jump, slam the ball on the floor and finish in a hinge or squat position Keep the core engaged as you pick the ball up from the floor and repeat   Slam Ball Lunge: Step up your lunge game by adding a slam ball for some extra work. Stand in an athletic stance, holding the slam ball at your chest Step forward, gently lowering your back knee towards the ground As you step forward fully extend your arms in front of you Be sure to keep your knee in line with your toes, shin of your front leg vertical Drive back to original position, maintaining a tall torso and repeat with opposite leg   Slam Ball One Arm Chest Pass: Grab a partner for this one - you should be about 4 - 6ft away from each other. Stand feet shoulder width apart in an athletic stance, with the ball at your chest Pivot on your left foot while rotating your shoulders and hips to the right. Moving your hips and shoulders together like a cylinder, rotate rapidly back to the left, push the ball out towards your partner with your right arm Your partner will catch the ball, do the same movement and push it back to you Continue these movements for a few reps and then switch sides Slam Ball Side Slam: Who doesn’t love oblique work?...Or at least the after effect.   Start with the ball on the floor between your feet; body in an athletic ready stance, feet about shoulder width apart Without rounding your back, squat down and pick up the slam ball As you come up from your squat, use strength in your legs and hips to thrust and push the ball above your head Rotate to one side, pivoting your back foot As you pivot, slam the ball down at your side and towards the inside of your front foot Bend your knees and sink down as you slam the ball down Without rounding your back, pick up the slam ball, maintaining the same body position, return to start and repeat on the other side   Click here to learn more about TRX Slam Balls (Note: discounts on TRX Slam Ball Bundles available for commercial customers. BRING TRX EDUCATION TO YOUR COACHES WITH THE TRX FUNCTIONAL TRAINING COURSE Ensure your training team is using the standards of movement to properly incorporate Functional Training Circuits into their Personal Training, Small Group, and Group sessions.

Moments before she took the Super Bowl half-time show stage at NRG Stadium—arguably the biggest performance of her career—Lady Gaga was hammering out reps backstage with a TRX Suspension Trainer. In true Gaga fashion, she executed her rows in a sparkle Versace bodysuit, matching high-heeled boots, and full makeup. As an internationally-known pop star, Lady Gaga can make outrageous requests for whatever fitness tools she wants. If she had asked for a stair climber and a rack of weights, she would have received them. Instead, she was using a lightweight, effective tool that was designed travel anywhere. Now that spring has sprung, it’s the perfect time to make like Gaga and take your workout with you on the road. The TRX Suspension Trainer is popular in gyms, homes, and personal training studios, but you can use it just as effectively at the beach, in a park, or wherever spring days take you. In fact, this is a tool that was built for workouts on the go. TRX founder and inventor Randy Hetrick was looking for a way to maintain peak physical condition while on deployment as a Navy SEAL when he created the first TRX Suspension Trainer. Hetrick MacGyvered the prototype from a jujitsu belt and parachute webbing. Over the last 20 years, his design had evolved into the tool you see today. The idea that you should be able to use the TRX Suspension Trainer anywhere has resonated with pro athletes, pop stars, and fitness enthusiasts alike. The easiest way to set up for an outdoor workout is to attach your TRX Suspension to a well-fixed horizontal bar or beam, like a pull-up bar.  If you’re attaching your Suspension Trainer to a vertical structure for anchoring, use the TRX Xtender to wrap around the pole or column, and pull the anchoring loop through the larger loop. Pull the loop taut, and clip in the carabiner. Make sure that the bottom of the TRX Suspension Trainer's Equalizer Loop is six feet off the ground or that the bottom of the foot cradles are three feet off the ground, and weight test the straps before starting your workout. If you want to focus on core strength and stability, the TRX Rip Trainer is similarly easy to set up for an outdoor workout. Just wrap the bungee cord around a vertical fixed point, column, or beam, and use the carabiner to attach the Rip Trainer to itself. Spring days are perfect for runs, walks, and swims, and TRX makes it easy to complement your outdoor cardio workout with strength and balance training. Thousands of people worldwide use the Suspension Trainer outside every day. Show us on Instagram how you use your TRX Suspension Trainer and/or RIP Trainer outside by tagging @TRXTraining and #TRX. You might see your photo featured on our Instagram account. Blog photo credit by LindseyKirbyPhotography

“Some of us may have grown up believing the fallacy “No Pain, No Gain,” but the risks of overtraining include illness, injury, and lost training time.  Of course, you should expect to be tired after a hard workout, but you should recover by the following morning.”

Looking to up the ante with your TRX Suspended Planks, TRX Power Pulls, and TRX for Yoga poses? Working in Single-Handle Mode allows one limb (either arm or leg) to be suspended while the other limb is free. Training in Single-Handle Mode helps build stability in yoga poses such as TRX Dancer Pose and allows you to resist rotation in exercises like the TRX Single Arm Row. Properly placing the TRX Suspension Trainer in Single-Handle Mode is key to training both safely and confidently. Watch this video to learn how