21 Suspension Training Exercises
Suspension training exercises: I use many pieces of fitness equipment like swiss balls, battle ropes, weight training as well as using training systes like HIIT or running.
I am a huge fan of suspension training exercises. The TRX is 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 do suspension training exercises to use your body weight to build your core strength, muscular strength, balance and anaerobic capacity in your home, outdoor or in the gym.
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In this article I will explain to you the benefits of suspension training exercises, as well as tell you some of the best suspension training exercises. I will also share my favorite TRX suspension training system which you can purchase from amazon.
4 Reasons why you should use do suspension trainer exercises
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 suspension trainer outside
How to do TRX suspension training exercises indoors
How to design your suspension training workouts
Choose 5 exercises from the 21 suspension training exercises I show below. Perform the 5 suspension training 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 Suspension Training 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.
Suspension Training Workout To Build Crazy Upper Body Strength
There are 100s of exercises you can do with the with a suspension trainer, however if you are wondering how to put them into a workout then read on.
TRX workout
Perform these 5 exercises one after the other performing 3-4 sets of each exercise. Do 15 reps or if you are unable to do 15 reps at first work up to 15 and start at 8 reps.
Your rest period will be 45 seconds.
Once you have completed 3-4 sets of one exercise move on to the next exercise.
Suspension Training Exercises and full description:
1) Body Row
Reps and sets: 3×15
Rest: 45 seconds
Begin with your arms fully extended and your body in either a diagonal or horizontal position from the floor. Pull your body upwards until your shoulder blades squeeze together. Your elbows must stay tucked into your body at all times.
2) Push ups with Feet in
Reps and sets: 3×15
Rest: 45 seconds
Start with one foot in each handle. Your hands should be wider then shoulder width and fully extended. Your body should be as straight as possible and elongated. Lower your chest until your chest touches the floor and then extend your arms until you return to the start position.
3) Chin Ups
Reps and sets: 3×15
Rest: 45 seconds
Start in a squat position with both hands in one handle each. Make sure you are leaning back and that your arms are fully extended. Pull your body up with your arms until your chin is above the handles. Be careful not to raise your body with your legs as this is not a squat. Your legs must not participate in the movement, just your arms.
4) Bicep Curls
Reps and sets: 3×15
Rest: 45 seconds
Start by leaning back with your arms fully extended. Pull your body towards the handles by maintaining your elbow position. Your elbows must always be up in the air. Once you have finished the movement lower yourself back to the start position under control.
5) Tricep Extension
Reps and sets: 3×15
Rest: 45 seconds
Start with your arms bent and your body leaning forward. Extend your arms so that your body moves away from the handles into an upright position. Keep your back straight at all times. Make sure your body is still throughout the movement and ensure that the only muscles that are working are your triceps.
5 TRX Abs Exercises For A Killer Core
Some of you may prefer to work abs the old fashioned way, which is to do ab exercises with no fitness equipment.
There is nothing wrong with doing ab exercises with no equipment, but you may be missing out on different ways to hit the core.
There have been many different pieces of fitness equipment introduced to gyms for working the abdominal muscles. Some of them are good.
For example, kettlebells, battle ropes, the core momentum trainer to name but a few. Others have been really poor. The trx is one of the best ways you can train your core.
Suspension training benefits
The TRX utilises your body weight to train strength, power, balance and core stability. It was designed based on research from professional sports, the military and academic institutions.
There are many different TRX training systems available for home use. Here is the one I am using in this article.
In this article i will show you 5 TRX abs exercises you can do at home or in the gym. At the end of this article i will show you my favourite resource for TRX training.
Perform each exercise one after the other performing between 10-15 Reps each set. Perform 3-4 sets and rest 45 seconds between each set.
Once you have finished one round (5 exercises) rest for one minute and start the circuit again.
Here is the TRX Abs Workout
TRX Abs Exercises and full description:
1) Body Twist
Your arms should both be fully extended. Your hips should both be level with each other with both hips facing upwards. Rotate your body until your hand is facing the ground while maintaining your grip on the handle with your opposite hand. Your hips should no longer be facing upwards. They should have rotated and should now be facing sideways.
2) Roll out
Start on your knees with your body in an upward position. Move your body forward while maintaining your body in an upright position. Extend your arms and keep them as long as possible while maintaining a straight back. When you have moved as far forward as you can reverse the movement.
3) Jack knife
Place both your feet into both of the handles and start with your hands on the floor with both arms extended. Begin by moving both your knees towards you by bending your hips. Make sure your back does not bend while you move your knees and hips. Also, keep your bum down at all times.
4) Pike
Start in the same position as you did in the Jack Knife. However this time when you bend at your hips allow your bum to go as high in the air as you can. Your feet will move towards your head and you must maintain your legs in a straight position at all times. Try and bend as much as you can at your hips to maximize the work on your abdominals.
5) Body Twist & Squat
The same as in the body twist exercise, and ow you will add a knee bend as you rotate the body. You will feel your hands almost touch the floor once you add the knee bend in.
