21 Best TRX Exercises For Your Suspension Training Workout
I am a huge fan of the TRX suspension trainer. It’s a piece of equipment I use in my own training and with my clients.
TRX stands for Total body Resistance eXercise, and it is one of the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment available today.
It allows you to use your body weight to perform exercises to build your core strength, muscular strength, balance and anaerobic capacity in your home, outdoor or in the gym.
4 Reasons why you should use the TRX suspension trainer
1. Appropriate to all fitness levels
Whether you are new to exercise or have been training for many years, there will be TRX exercises that will challenge your fitness levels and get you results.
2. Light weight
The TRX is small enough to carry around in your bag, and it doesn’t require a lot of storage space unlike other fitness tools.
3. Whole body workout
In theory you could get away with owning only the TRX as you would be able to train every single muscle group in your entire body.
4. You can use it anywhere
The TRX suspension trainer can be used either in doors or outdoors. Below are videos on how to use the TRX in your home or outdoors:
How to use the TRX outdoors
How to use the TRX indoors
How to design your workouts
Choose 5 exercises from the 21 exercises I show below. Perform the 5 exercises one after the other. Completing 5 exercises counts as one full circuit.
Once one circuit is complete you will rest according to the time shown below. The rest time and repetitions will be different depending on your fitness levels. Your aim is to complete 4 circuits.
21 Best TRX Exercises
Full description of my best TRX exercises:
1) Jack knife
Have your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in line in your start position. Bend your hips until your knees are close to your stomach. Keep your back straight and reverse the movement until you are back to your start position.
2) Jack knife and push-up
Same starting position as the jack knife. Bring your knees towards your stomach and then reverse the movement. Perform a push-up when back to your start position by lowering your chest to the floor and then extending your arms, returning to the start position.
3) Push-up with feet in
Start with your body in a straight line between your shoulders and ankles. Bend your arms and lower your chest to the floor. Once your chest touches the floor, extend your arms and return to the start position.
4) Push-ups
You can vary the intensity of the exercise by varying your start position from being vertical to horizontal. In this demonstration, I am upright at a slight angle. Start with your arms straight and bend your arms as much as you can and then extend your arms to return to the start position.
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5) One arm push-up
This is the same as regular push-ups but with one arm instead of two. Lower your chest by bending your arm as much as you can. Extend your arm until you are back to the beginning.
6) Chin-up one arm
Start with your knees bent with your body leaning back. Bend your arm until your chin and body raise up. When your chin is above the TRX grips, return to the start position by slowly lowering your body. Make sure your legs do not assist in the movement.
7) Chin-ups
Start with your knees bent and your body leaning back. Bend your arms to raise your body and then carefully lower your body to the start position.
8) Body rows
Start with your body in a hyper-extended position with your arms straight. Pull your body upwards with your arms and then lower your body back down.
9) Single arm body row
Pull your body up as high as you can with one arm and then slowly lower yourself back to the start position.
10) Single leg squat
Extend your non-standing leg and lower yourself to the floor. Straighten your leg until you are standing upright again. Keep both hands on the TRX at all times and squat as low as you can manage.
11) Squat
Hold on to the TRX with both hands and lower your body by bending your legs and lowering your body as low as you can and then extend your legs to stand back up.
12) Jump squats
Squat down as low as you can and jump as high as you can. When you land, allow your knees to bend so you absorb the impact of the landing. In one movement, squat down low and repeat.
13) Twist
Start with one arm on the TRX with your body square. Rotate your body until the shoulder of your free arm is under the TRX. Twist your body back until your hands are together.
14) Twist and squat
Twist your body until both hands are on opposite sides of your trunk. Bend your knees as you twist to activate more muscles.
15) Roll out
Start with your body upright, extend your hands away from your hips by tilting forward on your knees. When your arms are fully extended, pull your body back to an upright position.
16) Pike
Start in the same position as a push-up but keep your arms still and move your legs by bending your hips till feet get as close to your hands as possible. Your bum will go up into the air.
17) Single leg hamstring extension
Have one leg in both straps. Elevate your hips into the air and then bend your knee till you get your foot as close to your bum as possible. Keep your other leg extended at all times and your hips in the air at all times.
18) Hamstring extension
Both your legs should be in both handles. Bend your knees as much as you can while maintaining a high hip position.
19) Bicep curl
Lean your body back and extend your arm to start. Bend your arms but maintain your elbow position as high as you can in order to keep the focus on your bicep muscles.
20) Tricep extension
Start with your arms in a bent position. While maintaining high elbows, extend your arms until straight to complete one rep.
21) Lunge
Keep both your hands in the handles and lunge forward. Alternate legs and make sure the TRX is tight when you have completed the movement.
