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    Transformation Series, Part 7 of 7   “The following sequences are some of my favorites, using time-based sequences to manipulate intensity.”   What moves are the best for firing up your metabolism to activate the maximum amount of muscle and focus on the greatest caloric expenditure? One of the  best options – time-based, high intensity intervals. In my latest book, The HIIT Advantage for Women (Human Kinetics, 2015), I use time as the acute intensity variable for all the exercise protocols.  The following sequences are some of my favorites, using time-based sequences to manipulate intensity. Try these exercises, and then I’ll share a workout sequence you can use to put them together for an amazing, quick and effective training session to get the absolute best calorie blast from your TRX workout.      TRX Unilateral Hip Challenge This round includes three exercises for the same muscle group. It is an advanced pattern, requiring balance on one leg for an extended period of time, 90-seconds or so. Use - 30-45-seconds for each move, or try a rep range of 8-12 for each of the three moves.    1) TRX Abducted Lunge. Adjust the straps to mid-calf length in single handle mode and  stand  sideways to the anchor point,. With your  right foot in the foot cradle, be sure to internally rotate the hip and plantar flex the ankle to maintain spinal extension and tension in the gluteals. Hinge at the hip and flex at the knee until you can reach with the inside arm (closest to the anchor point), fingertips to the floor on the outside of your grounded foot. Meet that standard (hip hinge, spinal extension and touch the floor) with each attempt. Rise back upright and repeat.    2) TRX Lunge. Move immediately into the TRX lunge. Stand facing away from the anchor point with your foot in the foot cradle. Set this lunge position from the ground up. Align knee directly over ankle, back knee on the floor with foot in the foot cradle; fingertips touching the floor to the sides of each foot. Focus on weight load in the front leg, translating it back up and into the gluteals, then rise and drive upright into a standing position. Come back down to the ground each and every rep, gently touching the back knee to the floor, as this standardizes the movement. No cheating. Arms can be used for balance, or for a more precise, athletic, specific challenge. Pull the arms through the sagittal plane, as if running the last 10 meters of a 100-meter run. Go as slowly as necessary in order to stay in control.   3) TRX Crossing Lunge. Move immediately into the crossing lunge. You will have to turn sideways to the anchor point. This can get confusing, because you will be facing the opposite direction from which you began the exercise. This crossing lunge looks like a curtsey lunge, so allow the suspended foot (back leg) to float towards the anchor point as you reach to the floor with both hands, fingertips touching the floor on either side of the grounded foot. Go slow, take your time, and maintain a stable, neutral spine  as you hinge at the hip and flex at the knee. At this point, your balance will be challenged and muscles will become fatigued, but the expectations of precision in movement are no less than at the start. Once you have performed this sequence, switch legs and repeat on the other side.      Tabata-Timing TRX Plank Series  This plank series is very challenging and since the timing sequence is so quick and demanding, it is important to alternate the forearm plank with the prone plank to take full advantage of the core challenge without putting the wrists and shoulders at risk for overuse. Since it is in Tabata-timing, each of the eight exercises is performed for 20-seconds, with 10-seconds to recover and transition to the next exercise. Perform exercise #1, #2, #3 and #4, and then repeat them again for exercises #5, #6, #7, and #8 just changing sides when possible.  TRX should be at mid-calf length, toes in, ground facing away from the anchor point. Remember to use the pendulum principle to select the appropriate level of intensity to perform each move to standard. Note, you should practice each move individually and become competent before combining them into this challenging sequence. Never compromise quality of position for quantity of movement, time or volume.   ● Exercise #1 – Right Forearm side plank with top arm reaching up ● Exercise #2 – Right Forearm side plank with hip drop (place top hand on hip) ● Exercise #3 – Crunch with Body Saw ● Exercise #4 - Plank ● Exercise #5 – Left Forearm side plank with top arm reaching up ● Exercise #6 – Left Forearm side plank with hip drop (place top hand on hip) ● Exercise #7 – Crunch with Body Saw ● Exercise #8 - Plank     TRX 30, 20, 10 Arm Blaster  Another time-based, high-intensity interval protocol, this arm series will surely have you pursuing your better . Place the TRX in single handle mode at mid-length and stand facing the anchor point.   30 seconds – Single right arm low row 20-seconds – Power pull right 10 seconds – Single right arm biceps curl (stand sideways to the anchor point for this one)  Repeat using the left arm 30 seconds – Single left arm low row  20-seconds – Power pull left 10 seconds – Single left arm biceps curl (stand sideways to the anchor point for this one)      TRX Hard, Harder, Hardest, Squat - Lunge Series This lower body sequence uses time as the intensity variable in a 2:1 ratio, meaning there are built-in recovery intervals that are half as long as the work intervals; this recovery time is great because you will need it! “Hard” corresponds with a 40-second work interval with 20 seconds of recovery. “Harder” is a 30-second interval, with 15-seconds to recover.  The last “Hardest” interval is 10 seconds on, with 5 seconds to recover and transition to the next exercise sequence. To begin, adjust the straps to mid length and stand facing the anchor point.    Squat Sequence 40 seconds Hard – Squat 30 seconds Harder – Single leg squat right  10 seconds Hardest – Squat jump Repeat (left side for single leg squat)   Lunge Sequence 40 seconds Hard – Assisted lunge right 30 seconds Harder – Alternating step back lunge 10 seconds Hardest – Cycle lunge   “Put them together for an amazing, quick and dirty training session to get the absolute best calorie blast from your TRX workout.”   TRX Workout Try this sequence of exercises as follows. If you would like to insert a cardio sequence in between each exercise, I will indicate that in the workout - or you can simply try these TRX moves all together.   Warm up to increase the core body temperature, lubricate the joints, and prepare the body for more intense activity.    TRX single leg hip challenge right  TRX single leg hip challenge left    Try a 3-5 minute aerobic cardio interval (treadmill or elliptical trainer) at a speed that is intense enough to cause you to feel uncomfortable.    TRX 30, 20, 10 Arm Blaster  *Repeat this sequence right arm, left arm, right arm, left arm. If you are up for it, try right arm and left arm one more time, for a total of three arm blaster sets. Take 1-2 minutes between each set.     Try another 3-5 minute aerobic cardio interval (treadmill or elliptical trainer) at a speed that is intense enough to cause you to feel uncomfortable.    TRX Hard, Harder, Hardest, Squat Lunge Series *Perform the 40, 30, 10 squat sequence first, then the 40, 30, 10 lunge sequence second.    Try another 3-5 minute aerobic cardio interval (treadmill or elliptical trainer) at a speed that is intense enough to cause you to feel uncomfortable.   Tabata-Timing TRX Plank Series    Cool down and stretch       Irene Lewis-McCormick M.S is Adjunct Faculty at Drake University, an SCW Fitness Education (SCW) Certification Master Trainer and the Education Director at Octane Fitness. An Orange Theory Fitness coach, she’s a twice published author (Human Kinetics) holding advisory board positions with Diabetic Living and the National Egg Council. Named Top 3 Group Fitness Instructor 2015 by IDEA Health & Fitness, Irene is a RYKA Ambassador and Subject Matter Expert for ACE. Irene presents education for SCW, ACSM, IDEA and NSCA. She is an SCW, TRX, Tabata Bootcamp, Barre Above, JumpSport and Octane Fitness master trainer. Certifications include SCW, ACSM, NSCA, ACE, AFAA & AEA.   Body Transformation Series, Part 1 of 7 Body Transformation Series, Part 2 of 7 Body Transformation Series, Part 3 of 7 Body Transformation Series, Part 4 of 7 Body Transformation Series, Part 5 of 7 Body Transformation Series, Part 6 of 7 Body Transformation Series, Part 7 of 7

Master the Spread and Foot Fists Going shoeless for TRX Training or slipping into minimal sneaks that allow your feet to articulate as they would if they were barefoot can help you get the same critical feedback and movement enhancement from your feet that you get from training with bare hands. In life and often in training and sport, our feet are our primary point of contact with the planet and our chief feedback mechanism for many movements. Whether you’re a longtime barefooter or just making the transition, here are two techniques you can use to get the most from your barefoot training. Spread to Engage The more time you spend moving and training barefoot, the more you will notice that your toes and the bones in your feet want to spread out wide. This spread helps absorb shock when you’re moving. When you’re in a static standing position, the wider your toe spread, the more engaged your feet and body will be and the greater your base of support for movements performed in a standing position. It takes time for the muscles and connective tissue in your feet to adapt to their new freedom, but from day one of your barefoot experience, dedicate a few minutes to paying attention to your feet and how they move. It doesn’t have to be during training either. Kick your shoes off under your desk and practice spreading out your toes as wide as possible. Pay attention to how the spread impacts the manner in which the muscles in your calves and the rest of your body activate and engage. Foot Fists Once you’ve mastered the spread the next step is to learn how to forge effective foot fists. Foot fists don’t look or feel like the fists we make with our hands. To make foot fists, imagine your toes being fingers that are gripping the ground as hard as possible while maintaining a wide toe spread. This will enhance your balance and stability during standing unilateral movements and create greater whole-body engagement and awareness. Give these techniques a try and pick up your TRX Suspension Trainer if you haven't already. For more functional training workouts, click here. We look forward to hearing what you’ve learned from your odyssey into the kicks-free zone.

Wondering how to find a TRX Trainer near you? The answer to this question is now at your fingertips, with the help of our recently released TRX Directory. The TRX Directory will contain listings for hundreds of TRX Suspension Training Course graduates, as well as our partner facilities, all over the world. It is also your primary source to find facilities that offer TRX classes near you. Whether you’re at home or on the road, the TRX Directory puts TRX trainers and facilities at your finger tips. You can search by name, city or ZIP code and you can refine your searches as you go. Also, if you’re a personal trainer, the TRX Directory makes it easy for potential clients to learn about your training background, specialty and expertise, allowing you to expand your network and grow your business. If you would like to become part of the TRX Directory, take a TRX Professional Education Course, and you will be invited to join. Offered worldwide, these one day courses are designed to teach you the skills required to effectively set up and use the TRX Suspension Trainer. You’ll learn how to adjust exercise resistance and stability levels to create an appropriate challenge, whether for yourself or when you’re working with clients. Being able to connect with TRX trainers in your area will help you to not just increase your knowledge of the TRX, but it will be a great way for you to network and use these trainers as a resource when you’re working out on the TRX. 

There are things in life we’re taught to avoid. Black cats, for example. And strangers with candy. Processed food. The Interstate during rush hour. Procrastinating. Talking about politics with your new girlfriend’s parents. The plague. Well, there's something else out there you should be avoiding at all costs, something that, if left unaddressed, could result in poor exercise technique, less-than-stellar results and even injury. That something is what we call the six TRX sins, a list of the most common ways people compromise their TRX workouts with incorrect form and/or technique. In this installment of Ask the Trainer, Education Manager Steve Katai describes each of the six TRX sins and offers ways to correct them to ensure you're getting the maximum benefit out of every TRX workout. Here are the six sins below (in no specific order): Sin #1: Starting (Incorrectly) Example Exercise: TRX Y Deltoid FlyAdjust the TRX appropriately for all exercises by first finding the correct end point, body position and proper foot stance for the movement. Sin #2: Stopping Example Exercise: TRX Mid RowIf you’ve bitten off more than you can chew and you’ve started an exercise at too steep an angle, don’t just stop the movement. Adjust your body angle to make the exercise easier if you start to feel fatigued. Sin #3: Sawing Example Exercise: TRX Hamstring RunnerRepeat after me: the TRX is not a pulley. To avoid sawing, exert even pressure on the handles or foot cradles of the TRX. Never allow the handles to saw back and forth. Sin #4: Scraping Example Exercise: TRX Chest PressWhen performing an exercise on the TRX, the straps should never rub against your arms. To eliminate scraping, simply raise your hands slightly while performing the movement. Sin #5: Slacking Example Exercise: TRX Overhead Back ExtensionIf the TRX is slacking, so are you! Maintain tension on the straps throughout each movement. Sin #6: Sagging Example Exercise: TRX PlankWhen you’re tired, it’s more difficult to hold your body in alignment. If your hips are sagging, remember to engage your core and maintain body alignment during all exercises where your body is in a plank position. So there you have it, the six TRX sins. Study the video above so you're able to recognize when you (or your clients) engage in these sinful behaviors and learn the ways to correct them.

While many of us fit pros may identify as “Trainers", at TRX, we push our education grads to start referring to themselves as “Coaches.” (After all, Trainers work with dogs and horses; Coaches work with people). Not that we have anything against dog trainers, but let’s face it, the human body is complicated. There are thousands upon thousands of factors to consider with each individual you work with - and if you overthink it, you could find yourself knee deep in the weeds. So how do we achieve that next-level status without spending the next few years fumbling around for answers? Simple answer: learn to coach movement. This means that before you even pick up a piece of equipment, or try to memorize a bunch of exercises, you work on mastering the primary Foundational Movements. Simple enough, right? (Spoiler alert... this is the x-factor that sets Coaches apart from Trainers. Not to mention the fact that it will make your job a whole helluva lot easier). Lucky for you, the TRX Academy Courses deliver a digestible, ready-to-use approach to coaching movement that is applicable to - and here’s the kicker -  any person, level, exercise, and piece of equipment. We break it down like this: 1. SETTING THE STANDARD. Translation: Get really really good at your planks, pulls, pushes, etc... on and off the Suspension Trainer. The first step in becoming a solid Coach starts with mastering your movement standards. Think about it, every single thing we do in life starts with movement (and most likely, it's one of the TRX Foundational Movements). So if you have those down, you’re starting to get dangerous - in a good way. When you leave the TRX Suspension Training Course, you’ll be able to spot and correct a lousy plank in your sleep. This is powerful stuff. Moving us right along to the next step. 2. CHANGING THE CONDITIONS. Translation: Conditions = altering the challenge of the movement with a modification or piece of equipment.   In other words, once you have your standard of movement down to an art form, you can change the condition, and then coach corrections and progressions accordingly. Still scratching your head? Basically that means, whether you’re using kettlebells, battle ropes, or teaching your kid how to crush free throws, if you can successfully apply the standard of movement, you can successfully coach the exercise, using any modality, etc.    Here’s a quick example using a hinge (check out the video below). The standard of the hinge movement, is maximal hip flexion and minimal knee flexion. Once that standard is executed on the Suspension Trainer, Miguel changes the condition with a kettlebell. To learn more about various TRX Foundational Movements, check out these articles: Reinforcing the Plank Hinge Circuit Workout Even better, if you’re looking to step up your game and go from Trainer to Coach, check out one of our TRX Academy Live Courses. Hint: if you have never taken a course, start with the TRX Suspension Training Course (STC).     

Indoor climbing continues to gain popularity with sport and fitness enthusiasts. Some climb because they find the mind/body challenge therapeutic, some because it is good cross training for other athletic activities, while others do it just for fun. And then there are those for whom the sport is a "lifestyle." Ben Weaver falls into this category. Weaver, 30, is the climbing wall manager and head of route setting at Brooklyn Boulders in Brooklyn, New York, the gym of choice for many top climbers in the area. A TRX enthusiast since 2008, Weaver knows firsthand the unique benefits the TRX offers to climbers, which is why he insisted the facility install a TRX when it opened last year. “When you’re climbing, either outdoors or in, the focus is always climbing,” says Weaver. “You want your cross training to be efficient and effective so you can maximize your time pulling rocks. Having a cross training system like TRX that’s fun, fast and direct really increases the likelihood that you’ll make space in your schedule to do the balancing work you need to do to protect yourself from injury.” And injuries are abundant in the sport: research shows overuse syndromes account for over 80% of injuries at indoor climbing facilities. Often, these injuries can be debilitating and slow to heal. In order to balance the specific muscle and tendon groups targeted by climbing (the “pull” muscles), it’s incumbent on climbers to spend some time working the upper body and core. Weaver and the climbers at Brooklyn Boulders use the TRX to warm up before every climb, moving through chest and oblique stretches and a full array of arm exercises for shoulders and elbows, biceps and triceps (see below). “Since I started using the TRX, my whole body is far more toned and integrated than when I used to work out at a standard city gym," says Weaver. "I also climb harder and have eased repeated stress injuries that were impeding my ability to push my climbing limits.” Weaver's fellow climbers have been so impressed with the results of their regular TRX training, they recently added two more systems at Brooklyn Boulders. “The TRX is so fun and futz-free," says Weaver, "no weight plates, benches, machines, low space requirements. Plus, we can take the TRX with us on climbing trips and use it wherever in the wild we happen to be.” When a new climber joins the gym and first approaches the TRX, Weaver has a few words of advice, “Start slow. Don’t try to be Randy or Fraser on the first workout; you’ll pay the price in screaming quads and hams. When you can, take a class with a TRX trainer. It will really open up your imagination in terms of ways you can exercise on a TRX.” Below, check out Weaver’s typical pre-climb routine, designed to warm up all the upper body joints as well as your core and hip flexors. Climbing Warm Up TRX Chest Stretch (with Rotation)*TRX Atomic Push-upTRX High RowTRX T Deltoid FlyTRX Atomic Push-upTRX Biceps CurlTRX Elevated RowTRX Lunge (Alternate Legs)TRX Atomic Push-up * Perform each exercise for 30 seconds.

  Try this killer total body advanced TRX Suspension Trainer workout, full of tabata, core, arm, leg, and back exercises, to get you in awesome shape. As a follow-up to his "Predator" workout, personal trainer (and TRX torturer!) Chris Fales has created the Executioner, a punishing TRX workout that will test you, mentally and physically. Says Chris, "If you're bold enough, take a trip down into the dungeon, hang a TRX Suspension Trainer and spend some time with.... the Executioner!" You'll notice some new exercises (specifically the addition of a Tabata, which Chris explains here), so be sure to familiarize yourself with them first before attempting this workout. As the title states, this is an ADVANCED workout, so attempt only if you are confident you can perform all of these exercises with good form. With that said, proceed with caution and we promise you, after one round with the Executioner, you'll be begging for mercy. Have you gone up against the Executioner and lived to tell the tale? Share your results below! From winning the his first Presidential Physical Fitness Award as a kid to involvement in school athletics such as football and track, Chris Fales (trainerchris.blogspot.com) was always a fitness enthusiast, even from a young age. Upon the completion of his tours in the Marines, Chris became certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise. In January 2006, Chris launched Fitness2GO Personal Training, and since then, he has trained hundreds of folks who have benefited from his knowledge of exercise.

If you've completed the TRX Suspension Training Course (STC), you can take solace in fact that you now have a solid foundation for movement-based training -- which is huge. Even if you never take another fitness education course again, the principles taught in the STC will take you far. Having said that, this is just the beginning of an awesome journey. The next steps - and the principles that we’ll be introducing to you on those next steps - will truly get you to the top of your game. (And we can say this with total confidence because we have spent over a decade doing our own research, meticulously combing through the research of other experts, testing, training, trying new things, and retesting old things). The downloadable PDF below is a visual reference that distills the high-level tenets of the TRX Training Philosophy into one easy-to-follow reference doc - because you know what they say, “use it, or lose it!” We encourage you to print it out, keep it on your iPad, or even blow it up and paste it on the wall (don’t laugh, that’s what we do;-). While many of these little acronyms and colorful line drawings don’t seem like much at face value, they hold so much powerful information on their back-end. As you will see, a lot of this stuff should look familiar to you from the STC - ie. the TRX Foundational Movements, Stable vs. Mobile, and NAPS-MR, and the remainder provides insight to the next step in your TRX Education Journey. DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE   BREAKIN’ IT DOWN As a point of reference, we’re going to go through this cheat sheet and provide you with some context. As we said, a lot of this will be review from the STC (which is still fresh) but there are some other nuggets that are new, so we’re just going to take it from the top. OVERVIEW: The top part of the infographic is basically the promise of TRX Education. We will deliver a digestible, ready-to-use approach to coaching movement that starts with learning the TRX Foundational Movement Standards (on and off the TRX Suspension Trainer®). We will also give you tips and tricks for communicating and integrating these principles with your clients  (cueing, application, etc). Once you master these, you will be able to competently coach any person or group, on any modality, in any environment. Pretty powerful stuff. APPLICATION (this may look familiar): SETTING THE STANDARD: Translation: Get really, really good at coaching the TRX Foundational Movements (the planks, pulls, pushes, etc)... on and off the TRX Suspension Trainer. The first step in becoming a solid TRX Coach starts with mastering your movement standards. We do this by understanding what should be stable, and what should be mobile for each TRX Foundational Movement Think about it, every single thing we do in life starts with movement (and most likely, it's one of the TRX Foundational Movements). So if you have those down, you’re starting to get dangerous - in a good way. Since you’ve all taken the STC, you should be able to spot and correct a lousy plank in your sleep. Which moves us right along to the next step.    CHANGING THE CONDITIONS: Translation: Conditions = altering the challenge of the movement with a modification or piece of equipment, while keeping the standards the same. This portion happens a bit in the STC - but we really dive into it in our live courses and in TRX CORE content (coming soon). Essentially, once you, or your client, meet the standard of the movement, you can then change the condition. Still scratching your head? Basically that means, whether you’re using kettlebells, battle ropes, or teaching your kid how to crush free throws, if you can successfully apply/coach the standard of movement, you can successfully coach the exercise, regardless of what tool you are using. COMMUNICATION: A large piece to the TRX Coaching Philosophy is how we communicate. In other words, how we cue an exercise, how we correct form, and how to open and close any workout.  NAPS-MR: As you likely remember from the STC, NAPS-MR is a cueing convention designed to create a system for delivering cues in a way that is clear, concise and standardized. It’s meant to make sure that everyone understands and performs proper set-up, exercise start position and execution together. This not only makes it easier for the trainer, but it gives a consistent experience to the client. The execution of NAPS-MR cueing should be as follows: Name of exercise Adjustment of TRX (length, mid-length, etc) Position relative to the anchor point Start posture / alignment Movement cure from start position to mid-point Return cure from midpoint to end/start position EXAMPLE OF NAPS-MR NEXT LEVEL CUEING: SWING THOUGHTS When you continue advancing through TRX Education Courses, your coaching communication skills will expand into “Swing Thoughts.” This next-level cueing convention is designed to help you correct common faults in a way that your clients will easily understand. For instance, for a plank, you say “body like a surfboard.” It’s amazing how well this works. MASTERING - WE HAND OVER THE SECRET RECIPES! Once you master the principles behind the TRX Coaching Philosophy, we hand over the recipe. What does this mean? Essentially, we show you - through the TRX Programming Lenses - how to create balanced workouts and/or programs on your own. You know the old saying, “give a man a fish and he has something to eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he has something to eat forever.” The TRX Programming Lenses are our way of teaching you how to fish. So get out there and keep learning! We promise, it will pay huge dividends in the long run. Click here to check out TRX Education in the US! Click here to check out TRX Education in the UK!  

    I'm a big fan of row variations, as they not only build a strong, functional upper back, but also challenge core stability at the same time.  Unfortunately, for more advanced lifters, they can become too easy very quickly.  With that in mind, in today's post I’d like to introduce nine ways that you can progress these variations to increase the difficulty. 1. Do them correctly! The first progression for most people is to simply perform the exercise with correct technique.  The most common errors I see in folks' technique are: •Forward head posture •Elbows drifting behind the body (scapula doesn't retract, so the lifter substitutes extra movement of the humerus) •Hip sagging (the body doesn't stay in a straight line) If you'd like some quick refreshers on how to make these look good, check out the video above.  2. Change the grip. Just as we see with pull-up variations, going to a pronated (overhand) grip will increase the difficulty of the TRX Mid Row as compared to neutral (palms facing one another) and supinated (underhand) grips. 3. Try some mechanical advantage drop sets. While we're on the topic of which grip set-ups are harder than others, we can use this to our advantage to do some drop-off sets.  If you're someone who can bang out inverted reps pretty easily and want a crazy challenge, try doing the first half of your set pronated, and then switching to supinated for the second half when you fatigue.  I like TRX Suspension Trainer™ variations for this approach, as it's easiest to go pronated, to neutral, to supinated without having to let go of the handle. 4. Add isometric holds at the top. The top position is without a doubt the most challenging, so you can increase the time under tension - and therefore the difficulty - by adding 1-3 second pauses at the top of each rep. 5. Elevate the feet. This progression is somewhat "assumed," but most people overlook the fact that you can elevate the feet a lot further than you might think. I like to use the 24" box.  You can also utilize various elevations for mechanical advantage drop sets. Go from a more extreme elevation, to a subtle elevation, to no elevation, and then even to a more upright position to finish things off. A set of 20-25 TRX Mid Rows can be a fantastic finisher. 6. Load with chains. Chains might be the single greatest luxury but almost never gets in commercial gyms. We're fortunate to have them at Cressey Sports Performance, and they're a complete "game changer" if you can get your hands on them. They're also a great way to add extra load to a TRX Mid Row. 7. Wear a weight vest. This one seems logical, but there's a problem: there still isn't what I'd consider to be a great weight vest on the market.  The heaviest ones are too bulky and always seem to fall apart.  The lighter ones are simply too light, and the Velcro straps always seem to stop working in a matter of months of use.  If you've got one, by all means, use it. 8. Load with a backpack. About 5-6 years ago, I bought a Dell computer that came with a padded backpack.  The computer was mediocre at best, but the backpack proved to be really useful in the gym!  You see, the extra padding made it conducive to adding extra load, as you can slide plates up to 25 pounds (the diameter on anything heavier is too much to fit).  Just strap it on your chest.  9. Go to one-arm variations. You can do one arm at a time, too.  In doing so, you add a little more of a challenge to rotary stability of the core.  Here's the basic version, although you can expand upon it by adding a reach at the bottom (toward the floor) and top (toward the rack) with the non-working arm. Rows are a staple exercise, but that doesn't mean that they need to be boring!  Try these progressions - and even combine some of them - and you'll find that you're able to include a row variation in just about every strength-training program you complete. Eric Cressey is president and co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, with facilities located in Hudson, MA and Jupiter, FL.  A highly sought-after coach for healthy and injured athletes alike, Eric has helped athletes at all levels - from youth sports to the professional and Olympic ranks - achieve their highest levels of performance in a variety of sports.  Behind Eric's expertise, Cressey Sports Performance has rapidly established itself as a go-to high performance facility among Boston athletes - and those that come from across the country and abroad to experience CSP's cutting-edge methods.  Eric is perhaps best known for his extensive work with baseball players, with more than 100 professional players traveling to train with him each off-season.