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We’re all born to run, right? We definitely are, except many of us spend our lives in office jobs, sitting in cars during heavy traffic, and other factors that all play a role in how our body responds to both running volume and intensity. Training with your TRX® Suspension Trainer™ and other TRX weights plus resistance tools are a great way to add in running-specific strength, because while our bodies are highly resilient, over time, injuries can happen (like the dreaded IT band and achilles). The good news? Adding in strength training will make you a better, stronger runner by focusing on all the muscles that carry over into your running form and technique.  1) WARMUP ACTIVATION DRILL: BREAK OUT THE TRX® GLUTE BAND Every run starts with a solid warmup, and a solid warmup can go beyond the usual run-in-place and stretch—it’s intelligently firing up the muscles you’ll use during running. Firstly and foremost, activating your hips and glutes (read: glute medius, glute minimus, glute maximus, adductors, and more) to help stabilize your pelvis for power. Our new TRX® Glute Bands are specifically designed for maximum glute strengthening in a comfortable design made with everyone’s needs in mind.  Build up glute and hip strength to improve posture, pelvic stability, and low back pain. Soft fabric won’t bunch on leggings or tug hair when next to skin. 3 levels of resistance (light, medium, heavy) to best challenge you as you get stronger. Adjustable sliders offer even more customization. Mesh bag to carry with you wherever you go.  Perform the following moves back-to-back one time through to activate your entire lower body.  MOVE 1: MONSTER WALK, 20 STEPS EACH WAY Wrap the TRX® Glute Band of your choice around your knees, hinge back into a quarter squat, and slowly step out to the left 20 times. Then step forward 20 times, to the right 20 times, then backwards 20 times to complete a square. The key? Keep your hips level and try not to shift your weight too much so your glutes and hips do all the work.  MOVE 2: SQUATS, 10 REPS EACH With the Glute Band still looped around your knees, perform 10 bodyweight squats, then hold halfway down and perform 10 pulses (one inch up and down, no bouncing), and finish up with holding it at the halfway point again, this time pulsing your knees outward 10 times. The burn is SO real.  MOVE 3: GLUTE KICKBACKS, 10 REPS EACH Get in a tabletop position, hands and knees on floor, Glute Band looped around your knees. Keeping the core tight and without letting the low back arch, lift one leg toward the ceiling—make sure you keep the knee bent the whole time. It’s a burner of a move and really teaches you proper glute and core activation at the same time.   Want to stop the workout here? Our TRX® Strength Bands are great for shoulder workouts, upper body moves, and all-around full body workouts.  2) STRENGTH SUPERSET: BREAK OUT THE MINI TRX® EXERCISE BANDS Next up, we want to fire up the front of your hips, which includes your core. Why is this important? Lumbopelvic control and core muscles provide stability for better force generation and motion in the legs (read, less tight hamstrings and longer strides), as well as more controlled and efficient body movements. That’s definitely technical so here’s the gist: imbalances or weakness in the pelvic area and core can result in increased fatigue, decreased endurance, and injury in runners. Let’s add some resistance with our TRX® Exercise Bands, shall we?  Perform each move back-to-back, then rest for 30-60 seconds after the last move. Perform 3 rounds of the moves, then move on to the next Strength Superset, shown below.  MOVE 1: DEAD BUGS, 20 REPS TOTAL Loop the Exercise Band of your choices (we recommend Lite or Medium) around the balls of your feet. Lie flat on your back and point your arms straight up at the sky. Lift your knees off the ground in a tabletop position (90 degrees). Tighten up your core and without moving anything else, straighten one leg out all the way, then slowly return it back to starting. Repeat on the other leg. Continue back and forth until you complete 20 reps. Feel free to add in this opposing movement to make it more challenging: straighten the opposite arm overhead and flat on the ground with each leg rep.  MOVE 2: HIP FLEXOR MARCHES, 20 REPS TOTAL When your hip flexors are strong, you can bring your leg up higher for a better stride—plus it’ll take some of the stress away from your adductors so they don’t do too much of the work. With the Exercise Band still looped around the balls of your feet, stand up tall—as tall as you can, feet rooted into the ground—and lift one knee up as high as you can. Pause there for a second, then slowly lower it back down. Your opposite glute should be super fired up. Perform 10 reps on one side, then repeat on the other side. Extra challenge: Hold the last rep at the highest point for 10 seconds before returning to start.  MOVE 3: ADDUCTOR RAISES, 15 REPS TOTAL Remember what we said about adductors doing too much of the heavy lifting? They should also be strong to keep your hips balanced (especially with all of the glute work). Take a page out of champion middle-distance runner & steeplechaser Emma Coburn’s book and perform this burner of a move: Lie on your side and keep the Exercise Band looped around the balls of your feet. Lift and bend your top knee toward your chest, thendrop your knee to rest on the floor, bottom leg stays straight. Lift your bottom leg up and down, resisting against the tension. Perform 15 reps on each side to feel the burn.  3) STRENGTH SUPERSET: SINGLE LEG MOVES WITH YOUR TRX® SUSPENSION TRAINER™ In the fitness trainer world, this is called “unilateral” strength and it’s important because, guess what? When you’re running, you’re suspended on a single leg the entire time. Perform these moves back-to-back on your straps (shop the HOME2 and PRO4 here), then rest for 60 seconds after the last move. Perform 3 rounds of the moves, then move on to the next Strength Superset, shown below.   WHAT IT DOES Excellent coordination and control challenge Improves power and strength that carries over into running form Using the straps also works your upper back and arms MOVE 1: TRX LUNGE, 10 REPS Balance and control is the name of the game (plus full leg strength and pelvic control) with this suspended lunge.  MOVE 2: TRX SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIDGE, 10 REPS Feel free to go double leg with our standard TRX® Glute Bridge, but to really up the ante, try for a single leg bridge to really isolate your hamstrings, which are super important for every runner.  MOVE 3: TRX SKATER LUNGE, 10 REPS Want to feel super strong on one leg? Build up your quad (and knee strength) with this powerful move.  4) STRENGTH SUPERSET: WORK THE CORE Planks are challenging on their own, but add the suspended effort of your TRX® Suspension Trainer™? Boom—now we’re talking serious strength and control. When it comes to core workouts, there’s no need to overdo it. All you need are a couple back to really dial in on every last ab, oblique, and back muscle.  MOVE 1: TRX ROLLING PLANK, 10 REPS TOTAL This fiery combo is just that, FIERY. Start in an elbow plank with your feet in the cradles. Hold each of the following for a few seconds before moving on to the next for one full rep: Elbow plank > left side elbow plank > right side elbow plank > back to elbow plank. You’re welcome. MOVE 2: TRX PUSH UPS, 10 REPS Stay in the straps and move from your elbow to your hands. Perform 10 pushups and then rest, then repeat the superset two more times.  5) HIIT FINISHER: BUST OUT THE TRX® KETTLEBELL + TRX® MEDICINE BALL Now for the finisher. Turn a timer on for 8 rounds with 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Complete 8 rounds of the first move, then perform 8 rounds of the second move. Boom—your heart rate is up and your lower body fully torched. Make sure you have a TRX® Kettlebell and a TRX® Medicine Ball with some bounce before you begin.  MOVE 1: KETTLEBELL DEAD CLEAN Place the Kettlebell between your feet then hinge back (like you’re about to deadlift), bending your knees to lower down when you can’t hinge back any further. Grasp the kettlebell by the horns, sit back a little deeper, chest up, lats squeezed like you’re holding a dollar bill there. Push through your feet and explode up, catching the kettlebell at chest height. Not sure how to perform this move? See a breakdown here. Not sure how to hinge? Try practicing with a broomstick first.  MOVE 2: SPLIT SQUAT HOLD + MEDICINE BALL SLAM Hold a lunge position with both legs bent, back knee hovering off the ground. Slam the medicine ball down hard on your left side, catch it, then slam it down hard on your right side, catching it again. Repeat back and forth. Congrats! Way to crush the whole workout. Feel free to do it twice a week to add in some serious strength to your running.  OH, AND JUST IN CASE... If you don’t already have a set of straps, check out our HOME2 (best for those new to fitness) or the PRO4 (best if you need something more advanced), and shop them now. And, of course, behind every Suspension Trainer workout is the anchor that hangs it up—find the one for your training space here.

Put these 5 TRX exercises together the next time you bring you TRX Suspension Trainer to the gym to add an extra challenge to your workout by incorporating a bench, a box, or any other sturdy knee-high surface. We know you have a weight bench lying around, so put it to good use with these five exercises, created by strength coach and personal trainer Doug Balzarini. “By adding the bench to a number of traditional TRX exercises, your strength, balance, coordination and core stability demands are greatly increased,” says Doug. As always, we advise using caution when executing these exercises, and ensure you are proficient in them before having your clients or athletes perform them. 1. TRX Elevated RowBy elevating your lower body for a TRX Row, you are now closer to parallel with the ground, making the exercise extremely challenging. Maintain a neutral grip (palms facing each other), elbows by your sides with a neutral spine throughout the movement. 2. TRX Elevated RolloutThis is a favorite exercise of Doug’s due to the full body control that is required. All the spinal stabilizers must be firing in order to maintain proper technique, and your posterior shoulder/scapula stabilizers must be engaged the entire time. Use a slow, controlled manner as you extend your arms and body out to your end range. 3. TRX Elevated Single Leg Squat (aka Pistol Squat)In addition to the increased balance component, the addition of the bench allows the “free” leg to extend out a little lower than if you were to perform this exercise on the floor. This is a good alternative if you don’t have the ankle mobility in the working leg or hip flexor strength in the free leg to perform a pistol squat on the floor. Be sure to keep your arms relatively straight and try to keep your weight on the heel to the mid foot while maintaining an upright posture. 4. TRX Elevated Hip PressDoug loves using this exercise with his MMA athletes due to the demands of the sport. They require a great deal of strength and endurance in the hips and glutes, and this exercise targets this area nicely. If you plan to add weight, it’s best to have a trainer or partner nearby to assist you. Adding the bench to this exercise allows you to get a greater range of motion through the hip joint. 5. TRX Elevated Hip HikeSimilar to exercise #4, being elevated on the bench allows you to drop the hips lower than when performing the movement on the floor. Make sure your shoulder and elbow are in a safe alignment and use a controlled tempo throughout. Try these moves on for size during your next workout, and you’ll find the added elevation will result in new heights of mobility, stability and strength. 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.

TRX Training Classic, few think about strengthening their back, until it starts to hurt or worse.  Spend 10 minutes a day, a few times a week to take care of that back and it will take care of you, or keep you from needing to see the doctor.  The TRX Straps are a simple and easy tool to get strengthen your back.  TRX Master Trainer Kari Woodall shows us how with these TRX exercises.    TRX Resisted Rotation For a stronger back, train your body in 3D and work the whole cylinder!  The Resisted Rotation fires up your Lats and increases core activation that prepares your body to perform better in all exercises.  - SSW, Straps Mid-Length, Single Handle Mode - Offset Stance, Inside leg forward hip width, Line up sternum on anchor, Engage core, Step towards anchor to load body more, Maintain active plank without tilt or rotation.   TRX Overhead Squat-Wall Slide The OH Squat may be part of your current leg workout, but we’re turning on the afterburners by adding a Wall Slide, making it more dynamic and challenging.  By maintaining constant pressure on the straps and rowing as you come out of the squat, you’re lighting up your backside from hands to heels. - SF, Straps Mid-Length - Arms in Y or I, Squat Stance, Maintain good posture and tension back on straps through hands while lowering hips down, Initiate Wall Slide with Scap while simultaneously driving up from the bottom of the Squat with hips.   T-Y Fly Combo The T-Y Fly Combo should be a staple in your pulling repertoire.  - SF, Straps Mid-Length or Mid-Calf - Arms in T, Offset Foot Stance to maintain constant tension through ROM, Maintain Plank while decelerating back bringing arms together, Initiate pull with shoulders and back, Pull with straight arms back to T, Alternate between T and Y.   TRX Power Pull  Buckle up because you’re getting a TRX Training Trifecta with the Power Pull:  a fantastic Unilateral Pulling exercise challenging your core and metabolic burn with Rotation and Speed! - SF, Straps Mid-Length, Single Handle Mode - Begin in Single Arm Row, Straighten elbow and open shoulders and hips simultaneously. Set Scapula down and then squeeze shoulder blades together to pull out of rotation and finish with Single Arm Row to return, Rotate in a plank and connected torso so hips and shoulders move and work together for effective power transfer.   TRX Pull-up Feel the burn with a little DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)!  The Pull-up is the final exercise, and for good reason: this exercise will revisit you for days after your training if you control the eccentric part of the Pull-up. - Straps Over-shortened - Sit under anchor, Set shoulder blades down and then squeeze shoulder blades together to pull up, Resist gravity and decelerate on the way back down by trying to slowly push arms overhead while maintaining active plank and open neck space. P.S. Get other TRX back exercises straight from the TRX Training Club app. Do your next workout with our TRX equipment:  TRX® PRO4 SYSTEM BUY NOW TRX® RIP TRAINER BUY NOW TRX® SRENGTH BANDS BUY NOW

If you're looking to mix up your training and coaching routine with TRX, check out these 5 full-body moves that will give you maximum bang for your buck.  1. TRX Overhead Squat Purpose - Placing your hands overhead while you are squatting engages your core muscles as well as the muscles of your posterior chain (posture muscles) - the added result is an increase in heart rate.          Tip - Keep your arms straight and biceps in line with the ears. Keep the straps pulled tight from start to finish, this will engage your muscles, adding an awesome upper body challenge. For an extra burn, hold the bottom of the squat for one second. 2.  TRX Decelerated Push-Up Purpose - The slower deceleration movement combined with the explosive push keeps the muscles guessing.           Tip - Keep your plank solid! As you begin to fatigue the plank is often the first thing to go, ensure you are engaging the core by pulling your ribs down toward your hips. Flex your feet in the foot cradles pointing your toes towards your nose and push your heels into the handles for increased leg muscle recruitment. The stronger your plank, the easier your push-up. 3.  TRX Tricep Roll-Out to Extension          Purpose - By kneeling, you are reducing the strain without having to sacrifice the angle. This allows more isolation for the tricep and more control for the shoulders.            Tip - Keep the shoulders down and away from your ears especially at full rollout, and keep the elbows in tight to the body and pointed at the ground.  4.  TRX Crunch to TRX Pike Combo        Purpose - By keeping a loaded crunch before you pike, you activate the quads in a whole new way!            Tip - While setting up your plank, make sure to keep your shoulder blades set down and back.  Think about corkscrewing your palms into the ground, turning the elbows in to point at your knees.  Finally make sure once you crunch the knees under the hips, you push down into the top of the foot and go straight up and down for the pike.  5.  TRX Inverted Row  Purpose - To allow a deeper angle on the row and a bonus glute workout.  Tip - Keep the shoulders set in between sets. Even though the hips will touch down on the ground between reps, don’t lose the lift in your chest and shoulder blades pinched together.  This will add isolation throughout the movement.  Also, push the hips as high as you can to create a table top with the body, this will be sure to max out the glutes!  Try combining these exercises together for a full-body workout. Better yet, combine these exercises with other TRX movements. For inspiration, check out the TRX Training Club:

Like athletes in other sports, the boys and girls of summer are using the TRX to get in their best shape ever for America’s favorite pastime: baseball. But don’t bench yourself if you’re not a baseball or softball aficionado. The same movements that make you strong in baseball work for all spring sports such as golf, tennis, track and field or just day-to-day activities. Late last year, I went to Tempe, Arizona to reacquaint the coaches and trainers of Athletes’ Performance, a premier training facility for sports performance. With the TRX. Mark Verstegen has built a fantastic reputation in the sports performance industry using a “systems” based approach to athletic development based on science, best practices and professional ethics. After a few hours on the TRX, Mark and his team were excited about the possibilities of using the TRX with their athletes. The philosophy and execution of the following exercises filmed at Athletes’ Performance are aligned with TRX's approach to multijoint, multiplanar movements which incorporate an effective and functional core strengthening component. The TRX is used to develop strength and mobility needed for improved performance and to reduce the risk of injury for baseball players (or any sport that requires rotational force such as tennis or golf). Because you train in a standing position, traditional shoulder exercises become integrated movements from top to bottom of the kinetic chain. The first three exercises in the TRX Spring Training workout address the rotational and posterior (back) muscles of the shoulders, shoulder girdle and core. These muscles act as decelerators, or breaks, for the throwing and swinging associated with the game. Often, it is the imbalance of the stronger chest and anterior shoulders to the back muscles that can lead to reduced performance and injury. What makes the TRX Y, T and W Deltoid Flys more effective than isolative external rotation exercise is the integration of core or “pillar” strength and stability. The TRX Acceleration Load and Lift exercise resembles the TRX Sprinter Start but takes the rotary stability component up a notch or two. Trying to steal second or making a dash to catch a deep fly ball requires you to have good acceleration mechanics to cover ground quickly. This exercise also trains core strength in a single leg stance. Do not be surprised to see one side stronger than the other. Identifying and training to reduce this bilateral asymmetry will improve performance and reduce injury risk. The TRX Single Arm Row is another exercise similar to an exercise you TRX veterans have seen, the TRX Power Pull. Notice the TRX Single Arm Row demonstrated here separates the rotation from the row. This places a different demand on core, back and arm strength. Subtle differences in similar exercises create different training effects. As with all TRX exercises and programs, intensity can be adjusted for all fitness levels by modifying body position and foot placement. The TRX is an incredible tool for the beginner up to the elite athlete. It is “easy to use but hard to master” and appropriate for everyone. Use these exercises to supplement your training program for baseball, tennis, golf, track and field, for pre-hab, rehab, pillar strength and movement preparation. You will feel the difference TRX Suspension Training makes in the gym and in the game. TRX T Deltoid Fly Sets: 1 to 3 Reps: 6 to 12 TRX W Deltoid Fly Sets: 1 to 3 Reps: 6 to 12 TRX Y Deltoid Fly Sets: 1 to 3 Reps: 6 to 12 TRX Acceleration Load and Lift Sets: 1 to 3 each leg Reps: 6 to 12 TRX Single Arm Row Sets: 1 to 3 each arm Reps: 6 to 12 As the TRX Head of Human Performance, 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 TRX, Chris was an instructor in the Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of New Mexico. Mark Verstegen is the President and Founder of Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance. He serves as the Director of Performance for the NFL Players Association, and is an athletic coach for the German national football team. He also set a Guinness World Record with Sheraton Hotels for the World's Largest Resistance Band Strength Training Class.

Golfers at every skill level need clubs, gloves, shoes, and a bag, but the best players in the world know that the TRX Suspension Trainer is one of the most effective tools golfers can use to take their game to the next level. Why do pro and amateur golfers alike love the Suspension Trainer? Because it blends flexibility and mobility, it activates the core, and it can help golfers develop more power off the tee. For years, golf pros were focused on teaching people how to swing a club, but over the last decade, fitness has become a bigger party of the game. Now there’s an explosion of golf fitness professionals who coach players on strength and training to complement the mechanics side of the sport. Technical skill is critical in golf—no one is going to win a tournament if they can’t hole a putt—but golfers are increasingly focused on ways that flexibility and mobility in the hips, knees, and ankles can improve their technique. That’s where the Suspension Trainer comes in. According to TRX Head of Human Performance Chris Frankel, the Suspension Trainer gives golfers a quick way to build in resistance training and core work with their mobility exercises. “Because of the design of the Suspension Trainer with that single anchor point, you have this 360-degree range of motion to really get your torso twisting—working through that X factor of dissociating hips from shoulders—with just the right amount of resistance in there so they can be strong.” Even moves like the TRX Squat Jump can yield results on the golf course: the better a golfer’s vertical jump, the more power the golfer can drive off the tee. Frankel would know: he spent three years on the PGA tour as a trainer. The Suspension Trainer is popular among athletes, military personnel, and fitness buffs alike because it’s easy to pack and use it anywhere. Frankel says that convenience is part of the appeal for golfers. “People set it up on the side of golf carts and there are routines they'll use right before they hit the driving range, just to open up the chest, loosen up the shoulders, get the core muscles turned on and activated a little bit,” he said. Top golfers don’t have hours to dedicate to the gym, but the Suspension Trainer allows them to train more efficiently. “Sometimes on the tour we'd spend maybe 40 minutes, two or three times a week. That's all we'd have for the actual physical training. Because you can hit so many different things with the [Suspension Trainer]—strength, mobility, core strength—it has a real big effect out there. I think that's the other thing that caught on in the golfing community,” Frankel said. Today, legendary golfers like Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, and Lydia Ko have all incorporated the Suspension Trainer in their fitness routines, according to Golf Digest. Want to learn tips from the pros for improving your golf game with the TRX Suspension Trainer? Check out our TRX for Golf Workouts program with Golf Performance Expert Trevor Anderson. It’s full of performance-boosting TRX golf workouts that will give you techniques you need to boost your basic golf swing and improve your overall golf health and performance.  

Haven’t made it onto the slopes yet this season?? Well, it's not too late, with the record snowfalls that keeps coming you still have time. You may feel rusty on that first day back on the mountain, and your body may not be physically prepared for the demands.  But don't fret, TRX Training has some recommendations to help prepare you for your day on the hill that you can do in your own home. TRX Course Instructor Miguel Vargas recommends adding these four moves to your TRX Suspension Trainer routine. The first exercise is designed to warm up your ankles and hips through a modified squat. This move aims to open up the hips and ankles, providing enhanced mobility for when you’re locked into your skis or snowboard. Start with your straps at mid-length and facing the anchor point. Stand upright with elbows bent and positioned under the shoulders. With your feet shoulder width apart, lean back and lower your hips down to a comfortable depth with arms fully extended (hips behind heels). Stomp around or shift your weight left to right to find a comfortable foot and hip position. Next, use the Suspension Trainer to pull yourself forward with a bicep curl. Holding the arms in that biceps curl position, your position is set. From here we want to work on your ankle mobility. Maintaining that seated position, shift your weight from left to right, and front to back. You’ll notice that your ankles are tracking the same type of motion that is experienced when you are skiing or snowboarding. Spend a few reps playing with that range of motion in your squat, then press into the straps, press up through the heels, extend the hips and knees to return to standing position, and repeat. The second and third exercises will be a set of TRX Body Saws and TRX Side Planks with a scissor kicks. Coach Vargas notes that falls and back injuries are common during ski season, and this combo will help protect your spine and improve your core strength and stability. To begin, lower your straps to mid-calf length (handles positioned at the knee), and place your toes in the foot cradles. Facing the ground, next, raise your body into a TRX Forearm Plank. Slowly pull your body forward and back under control, try 30-60 seconds of TRX Body Saws before transitioning to the TRX Side Plank. From the TRX Body Saw, an easy transition to the TRX Side Plank would be to drop the knees to the ground, and slowly roll over to one side, with toes still in the foot cradle, reposition the elbow below the shoulder and raise the hips off the ground. Once the TRX Side Plank position has been achieved, challenge this movement by slowly scissoring the legs apart, and back together. Perform this exercise again for 30-60 seconds, before dropping the hip to the ground, and rolling over to repeat the TRX Side Plank on the opposite side. The third exercise is a TRX Lunge with a Chest Stretch, which Coach Vargas suggests for opening up your shoulders, hips, and ankles. Start with your straps at the mid length. Stand facing away from the anchor point and step forward into a lunge, raising your arms straight overhead into a letter I-position. While still in the lunge, sweep your arms down—like a snow angel—to a T-position, holding each position for 10-20 seconds. Finally, chest fly your arms back to center to return to a standing position, and repeat on the other side. The final move is a TRX Burpee to ramp up your strength and endurance. Start with straps at mid-calf, stand facing away from the anchor point and place one foot through both of the foot cradles and centered with the anchor point. Drive the suspended knee back, lower hips until back knee is two inches from the ground, place hands on the ground, hop grounded leg straight back to a strong plank position, then perform a push-up. To complete one rep of the burpee return to standing by hopping the grounded leg forward, explode up to a jump.  After you’ve completed a series of reps on one side, switch the foot cradles onto the other foot, and repeat on the second side. Working on your mobility and endurance before your next, or be it your first ski trip of the season, these exercises on your TRX Suspension Trainer will be sure to help you perform better on the mountain and recover faster. 

So you want to invest in a home gym. You've even found the right apps for in-home coaching. Now you have to decide what kind of equipment to buy. There are two limiting factors in outfitting a workout area in your house or apartment—space and budget—but with proper planning, you can design an exercise studio perfectly tailored to your needs. Simply start with the essentials, and then branch out to more specialized equipment. The EssentialsThe most basic items you’ll need are a mat and bands. There are hundreds of bodyweight exercises that don’t require any specialized equipment, but it helps to place an exercise mat on the floor to make those moves more comfortable. (Anyone who has ever tried bicycle crunches on a tile floor can relate.) If you’re starting with just one piece and a limited budget, buy yourself a good mat. You can use a yoga mat if you already own one, but a more dense foam will be provide greater protection for your knees, feet, and lower back. You should be able to find a quality mat for less than $30. If you’re still unsure about making a larger investment in exercise tools, your next purchase should be bands. They’re inexpensive, easy to store, and you can use them to increase the level of difficulty for many of your bodyweight moves. For example, you can challenge your adductors by adding a resistance band around your ankles when you do jumping jacks. It’s the same exercise you’ve been doing since you were a child, but the band increases the load on your legs. Best of all, resistance bands are inexpensive: they usually cost less than $10. For more serious muscle-building, think about using strength bands for moves like bicep curls, shoulder presses, and donkey kicks. Even if you later add more weight-training equipment to your home gym, strength bands will be useful for anything from rehabilitation, stretching, mobility and resistance training, to power-lifting, weightlifting and pull-up assistance. You should be able to find quality strength bands for around $15-$40 each, depending on what level of resistance they provide. (Heavier bands tend to be pricier.) When you’re ready to spend a little more money, the TRX Home2 System is one of the best purchases you can make for your home gym. It includes the latest TRX Suspension Trainer for homes, as well access to the TRX app. (With more than 80 workouts designed by world-class trainers, the app will keep you busy.) While the Home2 System costs less than $200, it is one of the bigger purchases on this list. What makes it worthwhile is that Suspension Training offers a full-body workout that can be modified for any fitness level. You and your partner or roommate may need different dumbbells, but you can both use the same Suspension Trainer for a challenging workout. It’s easy to use, you can set it up on any hinged door, and you can store it in a pouch when you’re finished. You can even take it outside if you want to exercise in the sun. Once you have bands and a Suspension Trainer, the next logical purchase is weight, like a medicine ball or kettlebell. There are a number of ways that you can use these two interchangeably: both work when you want to increase your load on a sit-up, oblique twist, or squat. That said, they aren’t interchangeable tools. For example, you can throw a medicine ball at a wall for a wall ball exercise, but you would probably punch a hole in the wall if you tried throwing a kettlebell. You can use a kettlebell for a shoulder press or deadlift, but it would be hard to execute the same move using a bulky medicine ball. Also, kettlebells top out at heavier weights than medicine balls. If you’re new to weight-training, think about starting with a medicine ball (generally starting around $75), and later adding kettlebells (starting around $30) to your home gym. Specialized ToolsAfter resistance and weight tools, the final component of a basic home gym is cardio equipment. These are typically the larger, most expensive purchases, so they’re not right for every space. The most common cardio machines for homes are treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, and rowers; each of those comes in a wide array of sizes and price points. The average cost for a treadmill, for example, is $3,000, though there are well-reviewed models for less than $1,000. Before you splurge on expensive cardio equipment, think about what type of cardio you enjoy, and where you like to do cardio. Let’s use cycling as an example. If you own a bike, you live in a moderate climate (like Southern California or one of the southeastern states), and you love riding outdoors, year-round outdoor cycling might be your best option. If you love cycling, but you live in Michigan, the winters will pose an obstacle to your weekend rides in January. That difference in lifestyle could be the deciding factor on whether or not you want to purchase a stationary bike. Another point to consider is if, or how, you can use the equipment you already have. To expand on the cycling example, if you own a road bike, you might want to purchase an indoor bike trainer for your existing bike instead of an all-new stationary bike. If you have your own bike and a trainer, you could even use an app like Zwift to turn your workout into an immersive game experience. On the other hand, if you don’t own a bike, but you love indoor cycling classes, you might prefer a Peloton bike, with a live class subscription service. Just like fitness, home gyms should be personal. The expensive machine that was right for your co-worker or your neighbor may not be the best choice for you. When you’re ready to shop for your own workout space, start with equipment like bands, a mat, medicine balls, kettlebells, and—of course—the TRX Suspension Trainer. Once you’ve covered these five essential categories, you can gradually build into the big ticket purchases. Taking a methodical approach to the buying fitness equipment will help you save money and maximize the potential for your home gym.

    The word on the street is that if a player makes it to the NBA, they must be moving and performing at a high level from head to toe.  It sounds good, but more often than not, it’s far from the truth.  As the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s my job to make sure our players are prepared and protected to go out night after night and showcase their pro-level skill and athleticism.  To this end, and one training secret I will share with you, the key to making it in the NBA is high-performing hips!   By developing impressive hip stability, strength, and power, a player will jump higher and improve his or her speed.  But that’s not all!  What goes up must come down, and having hips that are capable of controlled landings or decelerations is critical. High-performing hips are often overlooked as a necessary component for taking pressure off the knees and protecting players from common basketball-related knee injuries.  I recommend incorporating the following these 4 TRX Suspension Training exercises into your training routine to help get your hips functioning like the pros:   TRX LATERAL BALANCE LUNGE with ROTATION -   Adjustment: Straps at mid-length -   Position: Stand Sideways to the anchor point -   Start: Stand on leg closest to anchor, grip handles at center of chest -   Movement: Hinge at the waist and allow the arms to rotate across the body -   Return: Return to start position by initiating the movement at the hips.   This exercise challenges the lateral hip musculature, core, and upper body in multiple planes. It helps to develop stability and strength while standing on a single leg. Use this exercise as a warm-up or as part of your single leg training.  Shoot for 1-3 sets of 8-15 reps.   TRX SINGLE LEG HINGE with ROTATION : -   Adjustment: Straps at mid-length -   Position: Standing facing the anchor point -   Start: Stand on one leg, and bend elbows bringing the handles to ear level. -   Movement: Hinge at the hips lowering the chest to be parallel to the thigh (or close to), then rotate the entire upper body in the direction opposite of the standing leg, with the hip and shoulder moving as one (Quick Cue- “Like a rotisserie chicken”)  -   Return: Rotate the entire body back to the start position, and drive through the hips to return to single leg stance position.   This exercise requires tremendous balance and endurance from both the hip and the core. Use this exercise as a warm-up or as part of your core/lower body training. Shoot for 1-3 sets of 8-10 reps.   TRX ELEVATED STEP UP: -   Adjustment: Straps at mid-length -   Position: Stand facing the anchor point -   Start: Holding on to each handle, position the back knee on the floor behind the elevated surface with the front foot firmly planted on the elevated surface (6-8” high) -   Movement: Stand up to a tall single-leg stance while incorporating a row. -   Return: Slowly lower back down to a low-lunge position.   This exercise targets your primary glute muscles as well as your upper body.  It develops hip strength for moves like a single leg jump or sprint action.  Use this exercise as a warm-up or as part of your lower body training. Shoot for 1-3 sets of 8-15 reps.   TRX REAR FOOT ELEVATED LUNGE & PRESS: -   Adjustment: Straps at mid-length -   Position: Stand Sideways to the anchor point -   Start: Holding both foot cradles with a clasped grip, position foot  (closest to the anchor point) on the elevated surface (6-8”). Step out into a lunge with outside leg and position handles into the center of the chest. -   Movement: Lower back knee down into a lunge and press handles straight away from chest. -   Return:  Drive through mid-foot and heel of front leg, feel as if you are pushing the ground away, simultaneously pulling the handles back to the center of the chest as you return to a full standing position.    This exercise will help you to develop strength during a single leg jump or landing. Use this exercise as a warm-up or as part of your lower body/core training. Shoot for 1-3 sets of 8-15 reps.     Tim DiFrancesco, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and founder of TD Athletes Edge.  He is nationally renowned for his evidence-based and scientific approach to fitness, training, nutrition, and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.   For training and nutrition advice, follow us on social @tdathletesedge and youtube:tdifranc1.   "