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In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on high intensity interval training (HIIT), world-renowned strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle explains the "why" and "how" behind interval training. Ready to find the perfect HIIT workout for your fitness level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get personalized interval training recommendations tailored to your goals. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Here, he provides his recommendations for work to rest ratios when performing interval training and then he looks at various interval training modes, including the one he finds most effective (the image below is a clue). The Problem with Formulas At least 70 percent of the population does not fit into our age-old theoretical formulas for measuring heart rate. The 220 minus age formula is flawed on two key points: 1) it doesn't fit a significant portion of the population, and 2) it is not based on research. Even the developer of the now-famous formula admits that his thoughts were taken out of context. The more accurate method is called the Heart Rate Reserve Method or Karvonen formula, which looks like this: (Max HR- Resting HR) x % + RHR = THR For example: (200-60) x .8 + 60 = 172 The key to the Karvonen formula is that it looks at larger measures of fitness by incorporating the resting heart rate and is therefore less arbitrary. However, the 220 minus age formula will suffice for establishing recovery heart rates. Interval Training Basics The longer the interval, the shorter the rest period as a percentage of the interval. In other words, short intervals have a high muscular demand and will require longer rests when viewed as a percentage of the interval. Fifteen second intervals will need at least a 2:1 rest to work ration. Three to one will work better for beginners. I recommend the following work to rest ratios for intervals: 15 seconds work : 45 seconds rest for beginners (3:1); for more advanced athletes, 30 seconds rest (2:1) 30 seconds work: 1:00 to 1:30 rest (3:1 or 2:1) 1:00 work: 1:00 to 2:00 rest (2:1 or 1:1) Just remember, as the intervals get longer, the recovery time (as it relates to the interval) may not need to be as long. In other words, a 15 second sprint may require 30 to 45 seconds rest, but a two minute interval may only need to be followed by a two minute rest. Aerobic Intervals? The biggest benefit of interval training is that you can get a tremendous aerobic workout without the boredom of long steady state bouts of exercises. In fact, you can get superior benefits for both fitness and fat loss by incorporating interval training. If the heart rate is maintained above the theoretical 60 percent threshold proposed for aerobic training, then the entire session is both aerobic and anaerobic. This is why my athletes do almost no "conventional" aerobic training. All of our aerobic work is a by-product of our anaerobic work. My athletes or clients can get their heart rate in the recommended aerobic range for 15 to 20 minutes, yet in some cases, they do only three to minutes of actual work. Modes of Interval Training Although most people visualize interval training as a track and field concept, our preferred method of interval training is the stationary bike. Although I think running is the theoretical "best" mode of training, the facts are clear. Most Americans are not fit enough to run. In fact, statistics estimate that 60 percent of those who begin a running program will be injured. In a fitness or personal training setting, that is entirely unacceptable. Females, based on the genetics of the female body (wider hips, narrower knees) are at potentially even greater risk. Physical therapist Diane Lee says it best in her statement, "You can't run to get fit. You need to be fit to run." Interval training can be done on any piece of equipment including the TRX Suspension Trainer. One of the most expeditious choices, in my opinion, is a dual action bike like the Schwinn AirDyne. The bike allows, in the words of performance expert Alwyn Cosgrove, "maximum metabolic disturbance with minimal muscular disruption." In other words, you can work really hard and not injure yourself on a stationary bike. Fit individuals can choose any mode they like. In my mind, the worst choice might be the elliptical trainers. Charles Staley, another noted training expert, has a concept I believe he calls the 180 Principle. Staley advocates doing exactly the opposite of what you see everyone else in the gym doing. I'm in agreement. Walking on a treadmill and using an elliptical trainer seem to be the two most popular modes of training in a gym. My conclusion, supported by Staley's 180 Principle, is that neither is of much use. Research continues to mount that interval training may improve fitness better than steady state work. The big key is not what to do any more but, how to do it. For maximum effect, get a heart rate monitor and go to work. One warning. Deconditioned clients may need three weeks to a month of steady work to get ready to do intervals. This is OK. Don't kill a beginner with interval training. Begin with a quality strength program and some steady state cardiovascular work. The only good use for steady state work in my mind is preparing an athlete or client for the intervals to come. Mike Boyle is co-owner and content editor for strengthcoach.com, one of the world’s leading resources for performance enhancement information. He is Strength and Conditioning Coach with the US Gold Medal Olympic Teams in Women’s Soccer and Women’s Hockey and also for the Ice Hockey team at Boston University. The author of Functional Training for Sports and Designing Strength Training Programs and Facilities, Mike has appeared in well as over 20 instructional DVDs. He currently owns and operates Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, one of the nation’s first and most successful private strength and conditioning companies.

If you are looking for Standup Paddle Surf training, well Jon Ham wrote the book... litterally.  His standup paddle fitness book is available to download for FREE!  That's right... FOR FREE! And you don't need to love standup paddle surfing to benefit from this e-book.  In Ham's list of why you should get this book he includes... You love using the TRX,...and are looking for new ways to use it. These are my favorite reasons he gives why you shouldn't get this book?  You don't believe in exercise You already own the book You are too Lazy to exercise You can read more about standup paddle surf training at fitnesstrainingbyjon.com and sign up to download his e-book! And while you're exploring ways to enhance your paddle surfing journey, take a moment to try our fitness assessment quiz – it'll help you discover personalized training recommendations that complement your water sports goals. Jon's expertise combined with a customized training approach could be just what you need to take your paddle surfing to the next level.  TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Try one of our TRX products today:   TRX® PRO4 SYSTEM BUY NOW TRX® HOME2 SYSTEM BUY NOW TRX® TACTICAL GYM BUY NOW

Before you get too deep into a TRX training regimen you may want a little background on exactly how and why Suspension Training and body weight exercise is such an effective way to build total body athleticism. Strength training utilizing suspended bodyweight began more than 150 years ago. Generations of acrobats and gymnasts have used their own bodyweight and gravity as resistance--suspended from rings, ropes, and trapeze bars--to generate tremendous, strength and the astonishing physiques that are a hallmark of these athletes. During the dawn of the modern fitness era, body builders adopted some of these suspended training techniques, hanging on rings suspended from chains in places like the old Muscle Beach in Venice, California. With the shift toward isolation training in the 60's and 70's, Suspension Training largely disappeared, lost to all but a few classes of athletes (acrobats, gymnasts, wrestlers and climbers) who continued to strength train on ropes and rock in the practice of their craft. The recent change in fitness programming toward traditional functional training styles has ushered a reawakening to the value of strength and body awareness; that is, the ability to move one's own body-mass through space efficiently and powerfully. Recent design developments toward user friendly equipment for suspension training have also expanded the depth and breadth of exercises within this unique genre of functional conditioning. Programming adaptations have also broadened the population of users capable of integrating this amazingly effective old--but all-new--style of training. No longer is Suspension Training limited to the highly advanced athletes whose maneuvers continue to astonish and delight legions of fans of the Cirque du Soleil. So why would I want to incorporate this genre of exercise into my training? The trend of the new millennium in sports programming is inarguably functional training. Pros and amateurs alike recognize that while looking great is important, the ability to apply those aesthetics to performance is even more essential to long term performance and quality of life. So how does Suspension Training help to meet these goals?   STRENGTH The strength required to generate and control movement in a destabilized environment is a type of strength unlike any other. In such training environments, the core is in a complete and constant state of activity in every exercise. Core stabilization is required to maintain proper alignment and body position. This kind of full-body muscular engagement is even more apparent when performing some of the very demanding bodyweight exercises that can be employed to build strength using Suspension Training.   BALANCE An inextricably linked "cause and affect" relationship exists between balance, body- awareness and core stability. Suspension Training places the body in a state of destabilization under load. This creates a challenging position where body or kinesthetic awareness must be developed to enable the core and other joint stabilizers to manage the center of gravity over its base of support. As this ability is enhanced it allows us to control our body position and produce smooth and efficient movement in increasingly more challenging postural situations. This increased ability to generate power and to stabilize in unbalanced positions correlates directly to increased performance in virtually every sport.   STABILITY When any part of the body is destabilized in a suspended movement, there are instantly increased muscular demands. To counteract this instability, the chain of muscles must cooperatively adapt at a much higher level than in an exercise where position and range of motion are restricted and controlled by a defined and supported path of travel, as with most traditional machines. Increased demands on joint stability challenge stabilizer muscles to maintain joint integrity as neutralizer muscles work to produce smooth movement while simultaneously managing thousands of tiny disruptive forces. Suspension Training also necessitates increased levels of spinal stabilization in order to maintain proper exercise position and body alignment. Training under these conditions of loaded instability generates complete muscle activation of the prime movers.     ATHLETICISM Suspension Training is highly athletic. It creates proprioceptive challenges that reinforce muscle firing sequences and motor patterns that transfer directly into movements commonly found in sport and life. This style of training demands coordinated and integrated body movement and offers challenging, sport-specific variations that require power and agility--the mainstays of athleticism for any sport Recent design evolution also makes Suspension Training one of the easiest and most convenient ways to strength train as the required equipment is minimal, highly portable and it can be done virtually anywhere. In conclusion, Suspension Training represents the evolution of functional training and is a tremendous, new and effective way of integrating closed kinetic chain, body weight based movement into any training plan. This additional training modality will enhance program functionality and effectiveness and bring your clients peak results. Get started with your TRX Suspension Trainer.

Try incorporating these cool games into your TRX workouts and bring a little fun back into your training. What is exercise if we don’t enjoy it? It becomes something we dread and possibly over time make less of a priority. But what if we add something as simple as a game to change the monotony of how we train? Not only would we see adherence, as all human beings have an innate drive to compete and succeed, but we would also begin to affect the mental and emotional state of a client as well because games are FUN!   When integrating games into one’s workouts, not only are we going to fundamentally be learning movement patterns OR reacting three dimensionally due to the unpredictable environment games provide, but games give fitness professionals and coaches a way to interact in a meaningful way with clients and athletes. Games allow us to build communication, trust, self confidence and adherence. That is something no machine or repetitive movement pattern can do. There are many ways to use the TRX Suspension Trainer to build interaction and fun in training. Take our quick assessment quiz for game-based workouts matched to your group's fitness level. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ To create a TRX Games workout, follow these basic rules. When incorporating movements, start with: Simple to complex Basic/singular to multi-tasking Known to unknown Low to high load Here are some examples of games you can perform on the TRX (see video above): Reactive voice command to TRX Sprinter Start to indicated number of cone. Time start/stop in TRX Sprinter Start. TRX Sit-up with balloon tap. TRX Lunge with tennis ball roll/catch/throw. TRX Power Pull with balloon tap. TRX Burpee with balloon tap broken down into parts or quick. TRX Balance Lunge Matrix to cued number or cone (not shown in video). TRX Plank with balloon tap (not shown in video). TRX Power Pull with tennis ball catch throw (not shown in video). Games provide a great cardio and metabolic demand and can be a superset with any form of exercise. They can be used anywhere in the program. The most important thing with TRX Games is to have fun! Hayley Hollander is a TRX Senior Course Instructor and co-owner of Advanced Training Performance an elite personal training company in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her drive for education motivated her to get many fitness certifications from ACE, NASM, AFAA, Yogafit RYT-200, Pilates Coach, and USA Weightlifting. Hayley loves teaching yoga and outdoor bootcamp classes on the TRX.

The World Rowing Championships are finally here! From September 24-October 1, the biggest event in rowing will return to the US for the first time in more than 20 years. By the time this group of elite athletes takes to the water at the newly-developed Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., they will have spent years training for this moment.  Want to replicate some of their top conditioning moves at home, or prepare for your own turn at the oars? You don’t need water or a rowing machine: all you need is your TRX(R) Home Suspension Trainer™. Much like rowing, TRX exercises can target and strengthen your legs, shoulders, arms, back, and core. Let’s look at four TRX Suspension Trainer exercises you can challenge yourself on, to become a better rower. TRX Chest Press The TRX Chest Press is a straightforward method of maintaining upper body strength and may aid in preventing injuries in rowing. While similar to a traditional push-up, the allowable slip of the straps on the TRX Suspension Trainer™ offers more of an upper body stability challenge than the push-ups you rep out on the stable floor. Start facing away from your anchor point with the straps fully lengthened. Extend your arms in front of your shoulders and choose the appropriate foot stance for your fitness level. (Feet closer together and/or toward the anchor point will increase your difficulty, while feet wider apart and/or away from the anchor point will make the move easier.) While maintaining a plank position, lower your body by bending your elbows to 90 degrees. Return to your straight-arm starting position by driving through the palms and squeezing your chest, be sure to maintain your plank.. Add three rounds of 15 reps to your workout plan. TRX Front Squat A front squat requires a more engaged torso than a standard squat, and develops quadricep strength. The bottom, fully-crouched position of the TRX Front Squat is similar to the rowing catch, so the full range of motion is replicating the core and lower-body movement required in rowing. Olympic rower Seth Weil notes, “Rowing puts a lot of stress on your lower back. Front squats are going to force you to keep your posture a little bit better." For the TRX Front Squat, stand facing away from your anchor point, with the straps fully lengthened. You’ll need to place the straps under your arms, with your hands beside the chest, and your body weight on the handles. Next, walk back so your body is at a 45-degree plank position. Place your weight on the balls of your feet, then lower your hips towards the ground while keeping the knees stationary. Return to the standing plank position by driving through the balls of your feet, squeezing the glutes, and extending your hips. To make this move more difficult, you can hop between your fully-extended position and crouched position and/or increase your angle by stepping towards the anchor point. Try incorporating three sets of 15 reps in your workout.   TRX Suspended Lunge Most people unconsciously favor one leg over the other, which can lead to uneven muscle development, and inefficient performance in rowing. To help create balance in your leg strength, work on improving your TRX Lunge. For this move, stand facing away from your anchor point with your TRX Suspension Trainer™ at the mid-calf position. Place one foot through both foot cradles and stand with your shoulders positioned over your hips. Next, drive the suspended knee back, and lower your hips until your front knee is at 90 degrees and your rear knee on the ground. To return lift the rear knee off the ground, push your suspended foot slightly back. Then, drive through the midfoot and heel of your front leg to return to full standing position with your knees together. Try two sets of 15 reps on each leg.  TRX Low Rows We can’t talk about training for improved rowing performance without incorporating... TRX Rows. The TRX Low Row will help you target the rhomboids and improve your stroke. Begin with the TRX Suspension Trainer™ fully shortened and facing the anchor point. Your shoulder blades should be down and back, your elbows should be bent, positioning the handles at your rib cage, and you’ll want to walk your feet toward the anchor point to the appropriate angle. Keep your body in a plank position, and lower your body until the arms are fully extended. To return to your starting position, pull your body toward the anchor point by driving your elbows straight back, close to the body. Try three sets of 15 reps. Still looking for more rowing inspiration? Even if you can’t make it to Sarasota to see the races in person, you can watch all the action on Eurovision Sports. Live video streaming will be available for the A/B Semifinals and the A-finals on www.worldrowing.com. Watch, learn, practice, and maybe next year it will be your turn to take the oars.

You use the TRX to train. But have you mastered the art of using it to coach? Get your fish out of the water and get suspended. In doing so, you'll amp up your value as a coach and open up a whole new world of dryland training. Seasoned swimmers require ample cross training, or dryland training as we call it. In addition to providing an alternative to the monotonous "down and back" in the pool, dryland training allows swimmers to work a multitude of movements essential to fast swimming, but in a different medium. While many competitive swimmers have a good feel for the water and can make adjustments based on verbal feedback, some lack that proprioception and changes get lost in the translation. As a coach, I sometimes need to physically move the swimmer the right way or demonstrate, which necessitates getting in the water.  This is not always appealing or even feasible for most coaching staffs since the coach to swimmer ratio is typically very high. TRX Suspension Training helps one coach effectively teach large groups swimming specific movements without getting in the water. So many TRX exercises correlate directly to a teaching concept, stroke, streamline, start or turn. Want to find the perfect TRX exercises to enhance your swim performance? Take our quick assessment quiz to get a customized training plan for swimmers. Coaches can demonstrate and/or physically move the swimmer into the right position and give verbal cues throughout the movement. The following four exercises are just a few of my favorites for swimmers and coaches: TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ TRX Plank - This exercise reinforces the most basic element in swimming: maintaining a neutral spine through core stability. This translates into “floating” correctly in the water and thus moving efficiently from stroke to stroke without losing velocity and distance per stroke from a poor body position. By adding a Pike, we train for the power needed in our short-axis strokes, and by making it a TRX Side Plank (with Rotation), we train the obliques to drive our long-axis strokes. Plank progressions cover a lot! TRX Squat - This is the same movement we use when we push off the wall and streamline and also what we do upon entering the water from our standing starts. Maintaining good alignment and body tone from the fingers all the way down through the core, legs and toes is exactly what we focus on while streamlining. I like to add a calf raise after extending and even a jump to mimic the plyometric movement off the start and turn. TRX Power Pull - This is my favorite exercise for freestylers. Freestyle is now taught with a much more open shoulder and arm swing into the recovery. The Power Pull trains swimmers to "preload" the pecs by rotating and opening up the shoulder and torso. The single handle enables swimmers to rotate fluidly as a single unit while working acceleration from the core to ‘load’ into the catch. TRX Swimmer Pull - This exercise really applies to all four strokes. While seemingly obvious as a swimming exercise of choice, it’s not my favorite because of the name, or the fact that you are "swimming" by moving your arms front to back.  In fact, one of the most difficult concepts I teach younger swimmers is how to “Connect the Catch to the Core,” and how to find something solid in the water to hold while you’re pulling. We don’t, in fact, pull our arms through the water at all, just like we really aren’t moving our arms on the TRX.  We anchor our catch and move our bodies past our hands. In TRX terms, we anchor by maintaining tension on the TRX handles and straps, and we move our bodies by applying force to the handles (best achieved with an open grip), which we ultimately feel throughout the core. We learn to accelerate by connecting our limbs to our core. Every athlete needs constant reinforcement, and visual demonstrations undoubtedly work best when trying to teach and hone skills. Combine that with verbal cueing and immediate feedback, and you are now utilizing the TRX as so much more than a physical training tool. Your fish will feel, and therefore learn, how body positioning, core connection and other minor adjustments can make a major impact. If you don't have a suspension trainer, pick one up today. TRX® PRO4 SYSTEM BUY NOW TRX® HOME2 SYSTEM BUY NOW TRX® TACTICAL GYM BUY NOW   For other TRX exercises that your athletes can utilize in their training, try the TRX Training Club today and get access to hundreds of workouts with our strap. Kari Woodall (www.WoodallTraining.com) swam at UNC-Chapel Hill and continued to swim professionally and was on the US National Swimming Team several years. After  retiring from competition, she coached Division I Swimming for 11 years before leaving to stay at home more with her kids. Her passion lies in coaching and motivating groups, so she eventually began running her own swimming clinics and fitness boot camps.

The second Grand Slam event of the year, the French Open marks the beginning of the summer season for tennis. The significance of the clay surface (versus, say, grass) gives an advantage to better conditioned players, instead of just the best hitters. When talking tennis training and conditioning, the TRX Suspension Trainer has become the go-to tool for tennis greats from Max Mirnyi, Kevin Anderson, James Blake and Melanie Oudin. With it, tennis athletes can improve on-court performance and reduce the chance of overuse injuries. Want to find the perfect tennis-specific exercises for your game? Take our quick assessment quiz to get personalized TRX training recommendations matched to your skill level. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Here, TRX Instructor Anne Parker and physical therapist Patty Pennell demonstrate four TRX Suspension Training exercises that will improve core stability, hip mobility and rotational strength for improved on-court performance.   TRX Lunge (with Medicine Ball) Benefits: Improves hip mobility, stability and rotational strength and builds power in the front legAdjust your TRX to the fully lengthened position and place it into single handle mode. Stand facing away from the anchor point and place your left foot in the TRX foot cradles with your weight on your right foot about 12 inches in front and to the right of the anchor point. Bend your front leg to 90 degrees, keeping your left leg aligned with the anchor point. At the same time, reach first down with your medicine ball and then, as you drive up with your right left, reach up and to the right with the medicine ball. This is one rep. Repeat the exercise for 10 reps before switching legs. TRX Grappler Push/Pull Benefits: Increases upper body rotational strength and shoulder stabilityAdjust your TRX to the mid length position, take it out of single handle mode and stand facing sideways to the anchor point. Begin by aligning your hands (with bent elbows) in front of the anchor point. Allow your body to move away from the anchor point by straightening your arms. Ensure your body remains in a strong plank; do not allow your hips to sag during the movement. Return to an upright standing position with straight arms. Repeat for 10 reps before switching sides. TRX Crossing Balance Lunge (with Hop) Benefits: Increases hip strength and foot speed as well as power for backhand and forehand swingsWith your TRX still in the mid length position, stand facing the anchor point with your feet together. While holding onto the TRX, hop your right foot back and behind you into a lunge position and quickly switch legs, repeating the movement by hopping your left leg back and behind you. Repeat for 10 reps, alternating legs each time. Perform the movement again, this time hopping your legs to the front. Repeat for 10 reps, alternating legs each time. TRX Forward Lunge Benefits: Improves hip mobility, stability and rotational strength and builds power in the front legAdjust your TRX to mid calf position. Place your left hand in the foot cradles and stand facing away from the anchor point. Step forward with your right foot into a lunge position; your knee should not go beyond 90 degrees. Simultaneously raise your left hand, maintaining tension on the TRX, until you feel a stretch. Drive up and back with your right foot and lower your arm as you return to start position. Repeat the exercise for 10 reps before switching sides. The physical demands of tennis can take a toll on your joints if you don’t train to play. Putting some time into your off-court training program using the TRX will improve your rotational strength, multi-directional running, muscular endurance and power for your serve. In short, it will take your tennis conditioning to the next level! See you on the court. Anne Parker, CSCS, is a TRX Instructor and a strength and conditioning coach and speaker who motivates and educates athletes throughout the US. She is the creator of Train to Run and Train to Play workshops, teaching athletes how to train for injury prevention and improved performance. Dr. Patty Pennell-Noel, PT, ScD, is the owner of Back to Motion Physical Therapy in Denver, Colorado. Patty is currently a physical therapist for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and also serves as a consultant for the Leukemia Team in Training. Aside from her private practice, Patty works as clinical faculty for Regis University’s Physical Therapy Program in Denver. For a comprehensive, real-time tennis workout, check out the TRX Performance: Tennis DVD in the TRX shop.

Surfing requires a tremendous amount of upper-body and core strength, as well as cardiovascular endurance and skill. Whether you’re an elite-level surfer or your just trying to get the most out of your limited time in the water, doing some cross training can really help to improve your performance.      We've asked our friends at Extreme Athletics in Orange County, California to show us the tricks they use to train some of the world's best surfers, so you can take your game to the next level. Want to find the perfect surf-specific training for your skill level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get a customized workout plan that'll help improve your performance on the waves. Here is a sample of one of their surf-specific workouts: TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ   Push Ups  Get into a plank position from your hands, with your elbows stacked under your shoulders. Engage your core, and do not allow your hips to sag. Use your arm and chest muscles to lower yourself down into until your chest touches the ground. At the bottom press your body back up to the start position in one, controlled motion.      TRX Atomic Push Ups:  Get in a pushup position with your feet in the foot cradles of the Suspension Trainer, directly under the anchor point. Brace your core and perform a pushup. When you reach the top of the push up, pause for a moment and pike your hips up while keeping your legs as straight as you can. Pause for a moment at the top, then lower your hips back down to the start position.      TRX Single Leg Squat:  Stand facing the TRX holding one handle in your right hand, plant your left foot in line with the anchor point. Lower your hips towards ground, keeping your right leg straight out in front of you. Drive through the heel of your left foot and extend your hips forward to stand. Repeat on both sides.      TRX Power Pull: Stand facing the anchor point, holding one handle of the Suspension Trainer with one hand tucked into your side and your free hand reaching up toward the anchor point. Brace your core and focus on maintaining a solid plank position. Slowly lower your body away from the anchor point with your working hand, letting yourself rotate away, until your non-working hand is reaching toward the ground. Maintain your plank. Pull yourself back to the start position in one controlled movement until your non-working hand is touching the Suspension Trainer. Repeat on both sides.      TRX Abducted Lunge: Stand sideways to the TRX and place the arch of your foot closest to the straps in both foot cradles. Hold your arms straight out in front of you and keep shoulders over hips. Lower your hips down and back, allowing your suspended leg to move away from body. Keep your chest tall and your eyes focused out ahead of you. Squeeze your gluts and drive through the inner thigh of your suspended leg to return.    Perform each exercise for 60 seconds with 30 seconds rest in between exercises. Repeat the entire sequence 1-3 times through, 2-4 times a week to see optimal results.    Want more TRX for surfing? Try the TRX Surf Stronger Workout. 

Improving your running mechanics can greatly impact your speed, efficiency and overall performance, as well as decrease your likelihood of injury. Our For the Love of the Run series provides you with some super helpful tips and tricks to help you perfect your running techniques and develop better functional movements so you can run stronger, longer. In this installation, we take a look at building better posture and knee drive, as well as improving hip and ankle mobility. These exercises will make your stride more even and consistent, and help to identify any imbalances in strength or mobility you may have across your left and right sides. TRX Lateral LungeLogic:Though running is mostly a linear activity, it’s really important to develop your ability to move from side to side as well. Improving your hip mobility and single-leg strength and stability will help you while pivoting, turning or running on uneven surfaces - particularly helpful for trail running. Set Up:Stand facing the anchor point with your feet about double-shoulder-width apart, holding the Suspension Trainer by the handles. Brace your core and keep your head and chest up before your start moving. Movement:Drive through your left foot in order to lunge down on your right side. Let your hips drop down and back, and maintain an upright torso, with your shoulders pulled back. Keep your feet flat. Focus on opening up the inner thigh of your non-lunging leg. Return:Drive through your lunging leg to return to center, pausing for a moment to reestablish your plank, then repeat on the other side. TRX Forward Lunge to ILogic:This exercise increases flexibility in the hip flexors while teaching you to generate power through your core. This will help to improve knee drive and maintaining good posture, especially when running up hills or stairs. Set Up:Stand facing away from the anchor point holding the handles with your hands and your arms straight out in front of you. Movement:Lunge forward until your front knee is bent at 90 degrees, letting the knee of your trail leg kiss the ground. As you lunge down, your arms should go directly overhead, unloading your legs slightly so you can focus on the stretch. Return:Brace your core, press your hands into the handles and drive through your front foot to return to the start. Reestablish your plank before repeating on the other side. TRX Low RowLogic:When fatigued, runners have a tendency to internally rotate their shoulders, putting their torso in an inefficient position from both a mechanics and a oxygen-uptake standpoint. This exercise will strengthen the core and shoulders to reinforce good position throughout the full duration of a run. Set Up:Stand facing the anchor point and lean back while holding your self up with the Suspension Trainer. Brace your core and focus establishing a strong plank with your shoulders pulled down and back. Movement:Maintaining your plank, use your back muscles to pull your chest up to your hands. Return:Lower yourself down in one slow, controlled movement. TRX Balance Lunge:Logic:Build single-leg strength, balance and stability to produce an even and efficient stride. Set Up:Stand on one foot facing the anchor holding on to the handles of the Suspension Trainer. Movement:Lunge back until your front knee is bent to 90 degrees, letting your rear foot hover above the ground and keeping shoulders, chest and eyes up. Return:Use your glute and hamstring to bring you back up to the top. Pause for a moment to reset your plank before starting the next rep.