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One of the great things about the TRX is that is fuses so seamlessly with other training tools to enhance classic fat-burning, muscle-building exercises. Want to find the perfect combination of TRX and dumbbell exercises for your fitness level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get a personalized training plan. Take the dumbbell, for example. Two classic movements are rows and presses to smoke your upper body. But if you combine the TRX with these two moves, you'll instantly make your abs work harder and get more muscles involved. Give this TRX Push/Pull Core Workout from fitness bootcamp and metabolic training expert BJ Gaddour a shot. Here he does a superset with the TRX Single Arm Plank and the Single Arm DB Row with the TRX Single Arm Row and the Single Arm DB Press. BJ suggests alternating between 30 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest for each exercise. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ BJ Gaddour, CSCS, is fitness bootcamp and metabolic training expert. He is the CEO of StreamFIT and a contributor to Men's Health.

Trainees want workouts to be challenging, and with the TRX, it's easy to provide that challenge. Anyone can push trainees to go harder, faster and for longer. But “good” training should do much more than just provide an intense conditioning challenge. It should help trainees to build sound movement patterns before moving on to strength, power and metabolic components. So what's the best way to approach programming and teaching TRX training? This is one of the fundamental questions we at TRX honed in on while developing the TRX®TEAM™ group training concept. We considered every angle of what goes into developing effective TRX instructors capable of providing a fun, effective, time efficient challenge to trainees that's rooted in developing proper movement patterns. Ultimately, we came up with FLAC, an acronym that encompasses what we've discovered to be the best practices for instructing all TRX trainees, whether they're young, elderly, beginners, experts, elite athletes, tactical operators or anywhere in between on the fitness spectrum. FLAC stands for: Focus, Learn, Apply, Challenge. In a nutshell, FLAC means teach a skill first before adding strength, tempo, power or stability challenges. Whether you're a TRX®TEAM™ trainer, a personal trainer working with individual clients or you train solo on the TRX, we recommend using the FLAC method to make the most of your training time. Here's a closer look at the concepts behind these four simple words and how you can use FLAC to help yourself and others train on the TRX. F=FOCUSAt the beginning of the workout, the focus should be on learning movements in an appropriately unloaded position that allows the trainee to learn at an intensity level well below fatigue threshold. Trainees should be taught to move consciously in order to learn the movement patterns they need to successfully tackle the same movements at a higher metabolic intensity or with a greater stability or resistance challenge. Instructors should use simple, comprehensible cues that help trainees to master the basic movement patterns they will use later, at a higher intensity. First the instructor describes and demonstrates the appropriate start, midpoint and end position for the movement. Then the trainees experience these points as isometric holds with the help of cueing from the instructor. Early on in the workout/program, the focus is on movement—what joints should be stable, which should be mobile, what muscles should be working, how the core and whole body should be engaged and involved in the movement. L=LEARN“Learn” means enabling trainees to learn an effective progression. During this phase, trainees apply what they learned in the “focus” phase and set it in motion at a low tempo. This allows trainees to find the appropriate stability, vector and pendulum challenges for the movements they will use during the “apply” phase of the workout. If a trainee is unable to do a TRX Single Leg Squat with appropriate form, this is the time to demonstrate how to regress the movement so that it's something the trainee can successfully execute with good form. This is also the time to help the trainee dial in the appropriate level of resistance with movement away from or toward the anchor point. All the while, the instructor watches and cues to ensure trainees use appropriate movement patterns. A=APPLYDuring this third phase, trainees apply what they've learned during the first two phases to the workout. Trainees now know what the movements should feel like, what joints should be moving, what parts of the body should be stable and what muscles should be firing or contracting, and they can put this knowledge into motion. C=CHALLENGEDuring the final phase, the instructor increases the tempo, adds explosive movement to the foundational movements the trainees learned or increases the resistance or stability demands of the movements. This is the appropriate portion of the workout for turning up the heat and hitting trainees with a metabolic challenge. The ultimate goal of the FLAC approach is to teach trainees proper fundamental movement patterns or skills (i.e. pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging) while also providing a conditioning challenge. We've found this to be the optimal approach for instructing trainees on the TRX. Learn more about TRX®TEAM™ and the R4 solution. As the resident TRX Professor, Chris Frankel draws from over 25 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach. He earned an MS in Exercise Physiology from the University of New Mexico, where he is currently completing his doctorate in Exercise Science. Before taking the position of Director of Programming at TRX, Chris was an instructor in the Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of New Mexico.

Medicine balls have long been recognized as invaluable tools in fitness due to their versatility, effectiveness, and ability to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

    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. Want to find the perfect single-leg exercises for your strength level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get a personalized training plan. 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. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ 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. Before trying these techniques, take our quick form assessment quiz to get personalized recommendations for transitioning to barefoot training safely. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ 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. Want to perfect your TRX form? Take our quick assessment quiz to get personalized technique tips that help you avoid common mistakes. Here are the six sins below (in no specific order): TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ 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. Want to find the perfect climbing-specific warm-up for your level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get personalized recommendations that match your climbing goals. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ 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.