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TRX exercises are well-known but seldom done. That's because many fitness institutions don't have TRX systems or suspension bands.
If you have access to TRX systems or suspension bands, you must make use of them. However, before you begin using them, it’s important to understand what they are and the type of exercises you can do with them.
What is TRX?
TRX’s total body resistance training is a form of workout developed by former US Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick in 2005.
The idea behind TRX is that you only need suspension training bands to work out. Your body weight along with gravity are used as the resistance required to build strength and flexibility, and enable the addition of lean muscle mass.
TRX Exercises for Lean Muscle Mass
Here are six exercises you can focus on if you’re attempting to build muscle mass using the TRX system:
1) Inverted Row
The inverted row is one of the most common TRX exercises.
Hold the grip and stand slightly beyond the anchor. Lean backwards to a point where your arms are completely extended, and your ankles, knees, hips and shoulders are in a straight line.
To exercise, pull yourself upwards using your lat muscles to replicate the rowing motion. Squeeze your muscles at the top of the motion, and control the negative when returning to the neutral position.
2) Incline Push-up
The incline push-up works on the pectoral muscles. It helps with tightening the chest while pushing the muscle fibres to grow thicker and stronger.
To get into position, set the straps to a mid-calf height. Move to a shoulder plank position, and fix your feet to the grips. Once you’ve reached the starting position, start doing push-ups. Ensure to lower your body as much as possible before pushing yourself back up.
3) Clock Press
This is an exercise that promotes muscle endurance, strength and overall agility.
Hold the straps, and lean forward to extend them completely. Additionally, your wrists should be close to your torso and elbow backwards.
Exercise while holding the position with one hand, and extend the other on the side. Hold the position for a second before moving to the starting position and repeating on the other side.
4) Tricep Press
When you're doing TRX exercises, you need to work on your arms as well. One of the exercises you can do is for your triceps.
To get into position, hold the grip, and lean forward till the straps have tension. However, you should keep your forearms close to your ears by making a right angle from your elbows.
To do the exercise, use your tricep muscles to push yourself up. When you return to the starting position, control the negatives to bring your muscles under more stress.
5) Lunges
If you want a lean physique, you cannot ignore your lower body, especially your legs. TRX exercises focus on legs as well, and an important one is lunges.
To get into position, put one foot in the grip of the ankle while the other remains firmly on the floor. To do the exercise, start doing lunges by going down on the foot that's on the floor, and push yourself back up using the quads. Try to push from your heels to enable the quad muscles to activate and engage.
6) Tapping Side Plank
When you do TRX exercises, you must focus on your core muscles as well. To get into position, fix your feet to the grips, but make sure you’re able to face towards one side. If you’ve turned towards the left, keep your right forearm on the floor to go into a side plank position.
To do the exercise, keep your core muscles engaged, and shift your obliques towards the floor and back to the side plank position. Throughout the exercise, your core muscles should remain engaged to reap the optimum benefits from the exercise.
