What Is TRX Suspension Training?
“Total Body Resistance Exercise or TRX is a popular fitness tool that has recently gained momentum in the fitness industry. It is a really effective way to workout either as a part of a workout which utilizes other equipment and/or a workout by itself,” explains Brett Durney, Co-Founder, Personal Trainer, and Running Coach at Fitness Lab. This training technique does not involve weights or fitness tools. Instead, it uses your body weight to build strength, mobility, balance, coordination, stability, flexibility, and endurance and heart health. “The original TRX was founded by Randy Hetrick, an ex-Navy Seal who utilized the materials of various products he came across when on tour in the forces to create a resistance-based training device,” informs Durney. Alison, a octor of physical therapy, shared that her gym recently installed a TRX frame and she loved using it. She said, “I love that the TRX bands can take bodyweight exercises to a whole new level because of the balancing aspect. Some of my favorite moves to do with them are pistol squats, rows, and pikes (i)!” The workouts may seem similar to resistance band exercises. People use TRX training techniques for different purposes, including weight loss, body and muscle toning, building muscle strength, and improving flexibility. If you are intrigued by it, scroll down to check out 7 best beginner-friendly TRX exercises.
7 Best TRX Exercises For Beginners
1. TRX Bicep Curls
For those focused on core stability, core strengthening exercises are essential for a strong foundation. Target Areas: Biceps, shoulders, forearms, and core Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, perform the curls with a staggered stance to increase core engagement. You may also slow down the tempo of the curls to focus on muscle control.
2. TRX Reverse Lunges
Target Areas: Legs Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, increase the range of motion by dipping your back knee closer to the ground. You may also place your back foot on a medicine ball for added resistance.
3. TRX Hamstring Curls
Target Areas: Hamstrings and core Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, hold the hips up for a few seconds more.
4. TRX Chest Press
Target Areas: Chest muscles, shoulders, arms, and core Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, increase the incline by moving your feet further back. This will make the move more challenging.
5. TRX Push Up
Target Areas: Upper back, core, and shoulders Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, try increasing the number of reps to 20 or include variations like clap push-ups.
6. TRX Squats
Target Areas: Lower back, abdomen, calves, and hamstrings Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, make the move more challenging by using a single leg to perform the squat while other stretches out straight in the front.
7. TRX Row
For upper body strength, tricep workouts for women are highly effective. Target Areas: Spine, shoulders, triceps, glutes, and quads Steps For intermediate and advanced levels, use a wider grip to increase tension or add a hold at the top of the row for increased time under tension. Anyone can perform TRX bodyweight exercises and enjoy their benefits. Brett Durney suggests, “It provides a great all-in-one training solution. It can be used as a part of a circuit to make a great HIIT/cardio workout. Attach it to trees, doors, and pretty much anything that provides a good anchor to make it a totally versatile piece of workout kit.” TRX exercises provide a full-body workout with multiple benefits.
The Benefits Of TRX Exercises
1. Stronger Core
TRX suspension trainers help in building a rock-solid core and improve your mobility, balance and stability. The functional movements in the TRX exercises engage your obliques, lower back, and abs to improve core fitness.
2. Strengthens The Muscles
The suspension exercises condition the body muscles as they use your body weight for resistance. The exercises work on large groups of muscles all over the body to repair imbalances. Moreover, compared to weight training, the suspension bands used in TRX exercises give a greater growth stimulus to the muscles and aid balance training.
3. May Help In Weight Management
TRX exercises provide you with a full-body workout. The suspension straps can be utilized to do various exercises to help burn fat and build muscles without lifting a single dumbbell and weight plate.
4. Beginner-Friendly
Fitness coach Mel Austria agrees that TRX exercises are beginner-friendly. She says, “The TRX has beginner-friendly movements and very advanced movements for beginners. Make sure you start moderately easy and build to the more advanced movements, be patient and stay consistent.”
5. Low Risk Of Injuries
TRX exercises are low-impact and suitable for anyone, including the elderly and people with mobility issues. It is because you can control the movements and do them at your own pace. This ensures minimal pressure on the joints and minimal strain on your body and muscles.
6. Offers Different Forms Of Resistance
TRX exercises involve all different principles of resistance – vector, stability, and pendulum, which is quite rare in other forms of exercise. Vector resistance depends on the body position, stability resistance depends on your feet position, and pendulum resistance depends on the changing angles of the TRX system. This means that no exercises are the same, and all focus on different muscle groups.
7. Great For Calisthenics
The TRX system helps you perform calisthenics other than the regular TRX exercises. Calisthenics is also a form of resistance training that involves your body weight and gravity for exercising. It helps build aerobic fitness and improve overall strength. Apart from all these benefits, TRX exercises help improve your overall health, boost cardiovascular activity, and help you stay physically fit. The TRX system is portable – all you need is a tree, a door, or high guard rails to secure the straps, and you are all set. However, ensure that the straps are secured well, strong, and support your body weight to avoid injuries. Here are a few more things to keep in mind while doing TRX exercises.
Pointers To Keep In Mind: Tips For Beginners
Certified personal trainer and founder of Train Like A Gymnast, Danielle Gray advises, “Set up properly – if you’re having issues getting your feet in the handles or on a time crunch for an AMRAP circuit, it is still important to move slowly. Focus on setting up properly and you will increase your chances for success versus setting up incorrectly and having to restart multiple times.” “Focus on your form – similar to setting up properly, you’ll want to focus on doing each exercise to the best of your ability to build a foundational strength to improve on in the future,” Danielle adds. Brett Durney suggests that beginners focus on their position. He says, “Place markers on the floor so you can track your resistance positioning and ensure your workouts are measured.” Also, follow these tips to ensure you reap all benefits of TRX training:
Take your time to familiarize yourself and learn about the TRX training system. Start slow with the basic movements and then gradually do the advanced exercises. Before starting your exercise, always check your position. Check and adjust the length of the TRX straps for a better workout experience. Ensure the straps are secured to a strong anchor and can support your weight. Stop working out immediately if you experience slight back pain or a bent midsection. Do the exercises under the supervision of a trainer.
Is TRX hard for beginners? The infographic below lists the top benefits of TRX exercises. Scroll down to check it out! TRX can be a bit challenging for beginners. However, working with a trainer during your gym workouts and practicing simpler variations of TRX exercises can help beginners get used to TRX. Is TRX better than lifting weights? Weight lifting and TRX offer different benefits and stand out in their own ways. Therefore there is no clear winner between TRX and weight lifting. Including both as a part of your workout routines is the best way to go. Is TRX a calisthenic? No, but you can practice calisthenics on a TRX setup. Can I do TRX everyday? Yes, you can do 20-30 minutes of TRX daily. Is TRX cardio or strength training? TRX is primarily designed for strength training but you can perform a high intensity cardio circuit on it as well. EMOM workouts are also a great option for high-intensity training. Check out this video to learn the 7 best TRX exercises to help you get fit and strong! Get ready to tone up and feel the burn! Watch now!
