Everything You Need to Know About Resistance Bands
If your TRX Training ClubSM workout calls for Strength Bands, do you automatically know which elasticized accessory to grab?
There are lots of bands in the fitness world, and most people don’t know which one’s which. That changes now. We’re doing a deep dive into everything you need to know about TRX Strength Bands, Glute Bands, and Exercise Bands. In just a few minutes, you’ll be a band expert.
Oh, the Many Bands You’ll Meet
The smallest, lightest bands on the block are the Exercise Bands. They’re a continuous loop made from rubber latex, and are about 10 inches in diameter. (Think: giant rubber band, specifically made for fitness.) Exercise bands are usually reserved for low-impact training, rehabilitation, stretching and mobility.
While you can easily program a full-body, 30-minute workout using only an Exercise Band, you’ll usually spot these being used for isolated hip work and rotator cuff targeting. For example, you could place a lightweight Exercise Band around your forearms while planking, or slide a medium or heavy Exercise Band around your thighs to drive up the intensity of squats or planks.
For a booty-boosting workout, TRX Glute Bands are your new best friend. Unlike the Exercise Bands, our Glute Bands are made from fabric and they’re velcro-adjustable. Available in light, medium, and heavy resistance, they won’t pull at your skin or hair.
Also, did we mention they’re crazy-effective for toning the glutes and hip flexors? Even the “light” Glute Band delivers enough burn to make you double check the label.
Rounding out the collection are the Strength Bands, which are approximately 3-ft. long, continuous, heavy-gauge rubber loops. They’re the ones usually hanging on the wall at the gym because, frankly, most folks find them uncomfortable. Even TRX founder Randy Hetrick, a former Navy SEAL, admitted that he used to avoid Strength Bands because they pinched his hands. That’s why he created the TRX Bandit, a universal handle that lets Strength Bands finally—finally!—realize their potential.
Slip the Bandit over (almost) any Strength Band, and you’ve got a high-impact, low maintenance system for squats, curls, presses, and rotational power.
Before we move on from identifying bands, let’s not forget about that other on-the-go tool that we all love: The Straps! The TRX Suspension Trainer™ is not elastic, but it’s still a one-size fits all strength training superstar. When you’re looking to add extra burn to your Suspension Training® workout, try adding Exercise Bands to TRX Rows, Bicep Curls or Tricep Dip, or Glute Bands to any of your TRX Planks.
Why are people obsessed with bands?
Resistance bands are affordable, portable, and efficient—a triple threat that can appeal to any fitness enthusiast.
First, let’s talk affordability. We’re not saying that bands are the best or only way to workout, but they’re the cheapest option that doesn’t cut back on quality.
Next, there’s the portability factor. Maybe you’re the person who brings a collection of kettlebells wherever you go, but the average person doesn’t want to lug extra weight. Resistance bands produce similar benefits to weights, but they’re lightweight and compact. You want a gym you can squeeze into a fanny pack? Invest in bands.
Finally, there’s the efficiency consideration. Whether you opt for Exercise Bands for light toning, or Strength Bands outfitted with the new TRX Bandit as a substitute for cable-powered lifting, bands give you the freedom to crush serious workouts absolutely anywhere.
Ready to move?
You didn’t think we could tell you everything you need to know about resistance bands without sharing workout suggestions, did you?
Exercise Band Extras
In a plank position, try adding TRX Exercise Bands around your forearms (in a high plank) or above your elbows (in a low plank) to challenge both your upper body mobility and your core stability. Trust and believe, the burn will set in fast. You can also try slipping an Exercise Band over your feet—around midfoot—for an amped-up Mountain Climber, Bicycle Crunch, Dead Bug, or Slow March.
Bonus Points on the Straps: Remember you can add the Exercise Band around your forearms when using your Suspension Trainer for upper body exercises like TRX Rows and Tricep Dips!
Glute Band Burn
Whether you’re squatting with bodyweight or loaded weights, adding a Glute Band will shred your bum in the best way. Start with a basic squat, then experiment with jumps or lateral squat steps. When it’s time to hit the mat, you could also use the Glute Band to drive up the intensity of Fire Hydrant Lifts or Donkey Kicks.
Bonus Points on the Straps: Slip on a Glute Band before you rep out your TRX Front Squats, Planks, or Pikes. Warning: May result in extreme soreness and bragging rights.
Strength Bands For the Win
Armed with your Bandit handles, there’s no limit to what you can do with Strength Bands. Consider super-setting exercises, first with your bands, then with your Suspension Trainer to compare how different tools affect your movement. Start with a Bandit Squat paired with a TRX Squat, then try a Bandit Chest Press with a TRX Chest Press, and finish with Bandit Lateral Raises followed by TRX Y-Flies.
There’s plenty of room in the fitness world for weights, Suspension Training®, and resistance. Look past the “either/or” dilemma when choosing gear, and embrace introducing tools like resistance bands to keep your body guessing. Remember, change makes your workouts interesting and enjoyable, and increases their overall effectiveness.
Still looking for more tips and tricks with bands? Don’t forget that you can filter TRX Training ClubSM on-demand videos for the specific equipment you’re using, including Strength Bands, Glute Bands, Exercise Bands, Bandit, and—of course—the Suspension Trainer.
- Published in TRX
TRX Gravity Cast Kettlebells
All kettlebells are not created equal.
It seems silly, right? A kettlebell is a ball of weight with a handle attached. It should be simple.
But the best products come from repetitive testing and obsessive attention to detail. That’s exactly how TRX developed our Gravity Cast Kettlebells. That’s why we’re confident they’re the best kettlebells you can find.
What does “gravity cast” mean?
There are a lot of terms that can be attached to a product to make it sound more desirable. Organic! Fair trade! Artisanal! Handmade! With many of those terms, there’s a vague idea about what it means, but that idea becomes cloudy when you try to explain it.
Not so with “gravity cast.” Gravity casting is actually one of the oldest methods for fabricating metals and metal alloys.
In metal work, common manufacturing techniques include gravity casting, pressure casting, and forging. When you think of metal workers hammering at hot irons, you’re thinking of forging. Casting, in either of its forms, relies on a mold to create an object. Hot metal goes into the mold. After the metal has cooled and solidified, the mold is opened, and the object comes out. One advantage to casting, as opposed to forging, is that you end up with a very smooth surface.
That brings us to the two types of casting.
In pressure casting, a metal alloy is injected into a mold under high pressure, and that pressure is maintained until the metal becomes solid. It’s actually a pretty quick process, which makes pressure casting popular in manufacturing. (Faster completion means more products and more money.)
In gravity casting, molten metal is poured from above into a mold to form an object—in this case, a TRX Kettlebell—so the object it formed under the force of gravity. Gravity casting is a slower process than pressure casting; there’s less turbulence in the process and less air trapped in the casting. That makes for a stronger product in the long run.
Quality and Precision
TRX prefers gravity casting because quality and precision matter.
Ever grab your standard-weight dumbbell at the gym, only to say, “This doesn’t feel right.” Maybe you use 20s, but the weight you’re holding doesn’t feel like the 20-lb. weight you’re accustomed to throwing around. The reason is there’s a lot of opportunity for error in the manufacturing process. Gravity-casting, however, is more precise. Because TRX Gravity Cast Kettlebells are formed in the same mold, time after time, all of the kettlebells in a particular weight class are the same size and shape.
In other words, nothing about the TRX Kettlebell is accidental. Every detail is the result of careful decisions and a commitment to craftsmanship.
Functionally, what does that mean?
Maybe you don’t nerd out on metal fabrication. Maybe you’re more concerned with the practical question: How does a gravity cast kettlebell feel in my hands?
The answer? Pretty damn good.
Most kettlebell workouts include some kind of propulsion and weight shift, so the handle of the kettlebell will rotate inside your grip. Think about a kettlebell snatch or swing: The kettlebell moves as you move.
You may have seen kettlebells with a foam or rubber-coated handle; perhaps even a shiny finish. The problem with those options is the handle can pull or drag in your grip, slowing the kettlebell’s trajectory and leaving you with blisters. TRX Kettlebells, by contrast, have a powder-coated grip that glides without feeling slippery.
The gravity-casting process, combined with the powder-coated finish on TRX Kettlebells makes them incredibly smooth. And when you think about the ways that you exercise with a kettlebell, that smoothly-finished surface matters. The last thing you want is a rough edge or seam interfering with your workout.
(Fun fact: That perfectly-smooth finish is the characteristic that TRX customers most frequently rave about in our TRX Kettlebell reviews.
There aren’t a ton—pun intended—of options you can add to a kettlebell without interfering with its functionality, but our TRX Rubber Coated Kettlebells have all the features of our traditional gravity-cast kettlebells, plus a rubber-coated flat base. Rubber-coating on the base makes the kettlebell easier to handle in certain exercises, and easier to store.
Hold up. Aren’t you the people who make those strap-things? Where do kettlebells factor in?
Yes, the TRX Suspension Trainer™ was our first invention, and it’s the product that we’re best known for. And if you’ve owned or used a Suspension Trainer, you know that it’s a solid product. We make gear that’s intuitive, comfortable to use, and built to last. So if you like the Suspension Trainer, we think you’ll be equally impressed by the kettlebells we’ve designed.
Plus, we like to mix things up. Yes, you can get a full-body workout with a TRX Kettlebell. You can also get a full-body workout with the TRX Suspension Trainer™. And, if you can only choose one, well, it sounds like you’ve got a pretty intense pro/con list in your future. But we working kettlebells in a Suspension Training® workout, whether it’s super-setting two moves, like a TRX Squat with a kettlebell deadlift, or adding a kettlebell as weight to a traditional TRX exercise like the TRX Suspended Lunge.
That kettlebell sounds great, but I need coaching for a workout
You don’t have to go to the gym or hire a trainer to get a grip on kettlebells. TRX Training Club℠ has more than 30 on-demand kettlebell workouts waiting for you right now, and our trainers are adding more all the time.
Never tried TRX Training Club? First-timers get a free 7-day trial, including access to our live classes, and our full on-demand library. Kettlebells are fun, and they produce maximum velocity movements more easily than dumbbells. If kettlebell training is on your bucket list, invest in the best: treat yourself to TRX Gravity Cast Kettlebells.
- Published in TRX
Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners
The biggest obstacle to breaking in new workout gear is usually deciding where to start. So let’s alleviate that decision paralysis right now.
When you’re looking for ways to begin working with your TRX Gravity Cast Kettlebells, turn to these four beginner moves.
But first, Kettlebells 101
A kettlebell has more parts than you might expect for a solid chunk of metal, and learning what to call all of the whatsits will help you understand basic kettlebell exercises.
Think of the top grip of a kettlebell as a giant “C.” The center bar of the grip is called the handle, while the curves at the sides of the handle are known as the corners. The tips of the “C”—where the kettlebell connects to the bulb that accounts for most of the weight—are known as the horns. The horns connect to the bell, and the flat bottom of the bell is called the base.
TRX Kettlebells are gravity-cast with a smooth, powder-coated finish to ensure that the burn you feel comes from your workout, not from friction in your grip.
Speaking of workouts, let’s get down to business.
Hey! I want to do a Turkish Get-up!
Don’t we all?
Patience, young padawan. You have to nail the fundamentals before you progress into the advanced moves. It’s also important to remember that moving with a kettlebell may feel awkward when you’re getting started. That’s because a kettlebell is designed to engage in its own trajectory of movement that complements your movement.
Think of it like walking with a full glass of water: with each step, the water is going to engage in its own pattern of movement; maybe even slosh over the glass. Similarly, a kettlebell’s handle is meant to rotate as an axle inside your grip. One of the reasons that kettlebell workouts are effective is your body has to respond to and counterbalance the kettlebell’s independent momentum.
In other words, it’s best to start with the simple exercises to understand how exercising with a kettlebell feels before charging into the advanced challenges.
Let’s give it a go.
The Kettlebell Deadlift
Start with your feet hip-distance apart, and your TRX Kettlebell on the ground in front of your toes. Hinge at your hips, pushing your butt back as you do, and try to minimize the bend in your knees. Grab the kettlebell handle by the corners, and start your return to a standing position. As you straighten your body, you’ll be powering that lift through the posterior chain. (That’s the official name for the muscle groups in your backside.)
Continuing to grip the kettlebell by the corners, and repeat that hinge-and-extend motion. Focus on keeping your back flat and your shoulders pulled down and back. You don’t have to touch the kettlebell to the floor with each rep; if your hamstrings are tight, your terminal point for the deadlift might be around your shins or ankles. That’s okay!
Goblet Clean
In this move, you’ll change your grip on the kettlebell while maintaining fluid motion.
Start again with feet at hip-distance and the kettlebell slightly in front of your toes. Squat down and grab the kettlebell by the corners. Your palms should be facing your legs.
There are two elements to think about as you return to full extension: first remember to power that standing motion from your posterior chain.
Second, as you lift the kettlebell, use the momentum to propel your grip change. Drop your elbows toward your hips. As your elbows drop, your palms will slide to the horns of the kettlebell and lift the kettlebell in the process. (This is one of those exercises where the smooth finish of the TRX Kettlebell really pays off.) The kettlebell should be by your chest at the top of this motion.
When you repeat the exercise, dropping back into your squat, slide your grip back to the corners.
Dead Stop Swing
Start in your deadlift position: Feet hip-width apart, and the kettlebell slightly in front. When you hinge to grab the handle, your hands should be slightly in front of your shoulders.
To set the shoulders and the upper back, imagine you’re trying to snap the kettlebell handle in half. Hike the kettlebell from the floor into the backswing position, so the corners of the handle hit your upper thighs, just under your crotch. Pop your hips forward, swinging the kettlebell up to shoulder height, before letting gravity return the kettlebell back to your upper thighs.
Because this is a Dead Stop Swing, it’s a punctuated motion. The kettlebell trajectory for each rep goes floor, thighs, shoulder, thighs, floor.
Kettlebell Swing
Once you’ve got the hang of the Dead Stop Swing, it’s time to move on to the Kettlebell Swing. Start in your deadlift position. Hinge at your hips and reach forward to grab your kettlebell by the handle. Hike the kettlebell into the backswing position.
This time, the kettlebell’s trajectory will be a pendulum motion between the upper thighs and the shoulder. This movement is still being powered by your posterior chain, so focus on hinging and thrusting through your glutes and hamstrings instead of lifting with your shoulders.
All together, now!
You’ve got four kettlebell exercises for beginners to get your routine started, so why not combine them into a workout? Try this one on for size!
- 30 seconds: Kettlebell Deadlifts
- 15 seconds: Rest
- 30 seconds: Goblet Cleans
- 15 seconds: Rest
- 30 seconds: Dead Stop Swing
- 15 seconds: Rest
- 30 seconds: Kettlebell Swing
- 15 seconds: Rest
Repeat the entire kettlebell circuit for a second round, and you’ve got a solid workout in less than 8 minutes.
And if you’re ready for even more kettlebell instruction, check out the full library of on-demand kettlebell workouts from TRX Training Club. With more than 30 workouts (and counting), there’s always an option to keep your training on track. Never tried TRX Training Club? Your first week is free, so get started today.
TRX Can Level Up Your Yoga Practice
When you’re a yoga newbie, finding your balance is a struggle. As the instructor gracefully transitions through swan-like movements standing on one foot, you’re precariously wobbling like a newborn colt.
In those moments when you fall, it’s tempting to give up, but the TRX Suspension Trainer can help you build better balance to improve your yoga routine.
The Suspension Trainer is designed to be a tool that anybody can use, regardless of their level of strength. Many popular TRX Suspension Trainer exercises can be more accessible versions of advanced bodyweight exercises: for example: a TRX Chest Press can be a lighter-weight alternative to a pushup and a TRX Single Leg Squat can be the stepping stone to a bodyweight pistol squat. Similarly, the Suspension Trainer can help stabilize yoga poses while your body adjusts to learning a pose, kind of like training wheels for fitness.
How do you translate yoga poses on a mat to TRX exercises on the straps? Fortunately, you don’t have to figure it out on your own, because there’s a team of yogis, like Shauna Harrison and Krystal Say, who have developed yoga programming specifically for the Suspension Trainer.
From backbends to crow pose, Warrior III to handstands, the TRX Suspension Trainer can offer extra support for flexibility to help you take your yoga to the next level when your body is ready. Think of the Suspension Trainer just like any other prop you might find in a yoga studio.
“I think the TRX is an amazing prop for yoga,” Harrison said. “Inasmuch as the block, straps and yoga hammocks (for aerial yoga) are props, the TRX Suspension Trainer is really another tool for us to use.”
Itching to master yoga balancing for yourself? Join Krystal Say and more of our crew for TRX Training Club℠, where you can hop into live or on-demand classes from anywhere. all you need is a Suspension Trainer and an internet connection. Drop in and flow; you’ll be glad you nama-stayed.
- Published in TRX
Want to Be A Personal Trainer?
Humans have a remarkable ability to observe someone performing a task and declare, “I could do that!” Abstract painting? No problem. Stand-up comedy? Of course!
Leading a group fitness class? Can’t anyone? The reality, however, is that many of these jobs—like being a personal trainer—are far harder than they appear. The best trainers boast movement expertise, motivational aptitude, and an ear for upbeat music. Here are five things you should know to develop your skills as a personal trainer.
1. Everything Starts With Education
A personal training certification equips you with the basic knowledge you need to safely train clients or teach a class, but it won’t explore the minutiae of the various modalities that you will be using in your work. To really understand how to queue with a TRX Suspension Trainer, coach kettlebells, or program a Spin class, you need to keep taking individual certification courses. The good news? Not only will additional education help you become a better trainer, it counts toward continuing education credits to maintain your certification.
It’s cool if you’re a Jack or Jill of all trades who’s really good at coaching every fitness discipline; it’s still better to specialize. Pick one or two modalities, like TRX or Zumba, that you can become known for and commit. Specializing will help you develop your skills and market yourself to a targeted audience.
Think of it this way: most people who excel in a field are known for excelling in one thing. That doesn’t mean you don’t have other talents, but if you try to present yourself as an authority in four, five, or ten disciplines, it ultimately dilutes your credibility in all of them.
Specializing is also useful for networking and teaching opportunities.
On the networking side, many modalities have trainer networks to help you connect with other trainers and find additional work opportunities. Zumba has the Zin network, Spinning has the Spinning Program Instructor Network (SPIN), and TRX has CORE. When you specialize, you can capitalize on those resources. And, as you build relationships with your peers and the brand, you may even find teaching and course development opportunities.
3. Keep Your Material Fresh
Which trainer would you choose? The one who recycles the same exercises session after session, or someone who is constantly innovating and changing things up? The body responds better to the latter, because change keeps muscles engaging in new ways.
Personal training is a results-driven field. Personality will help you get started, but clients expect to see changes in their physical appearance or performance. That means your programming, whether for individuals or groups, has to evolve. From a performance perspective, a trainer platform is smart investment for new workout ideas can help you save time while keeping clients happy.
In the new TRX CORE platform, trainers can access a Workout Builder to build customized workouts for individual clients from a library of hundreds of TRX exercises. (That includes outlining sets, reps and rest times, as well as program supersets.) With Workout Builder, you can build guided workouts for your clients, which they will consume and follow in a separate app.
Another perk to CORE is TRX Video On Demand—a streaming service with a rich library of TRX-produced videos on a variety of themes and topics. There will be new videos every week, including exercise science explanations of programming, business advice from leading personal trainers, effective program sequencing guidance, interviews with fitness experts and personalities, and more. Life as a trainer can be hectic, but CORE gives you the resources you need for success in one place.
4. Align Yourself with a Trusted Brand
Connecting with an established brand can help you build credibility—and a client base—as you start a career as a personal trainer. The reason? People gravitate toward brands they trust.
Humans like filters. Political parties are a classic example. Most people vote straight ticket because they know their personal beliefs align with their chosen political party; party affiliation serves as a filter for candidates. Many of us have a similar filter when it comes to picking fast food on a road trip. There may be other good options around, but we stick with a brand that’s familiar.
The same reasoning applies to fitness. Clients who regularly ride at SoulCycle, Cyclebar, or FlyWheel in their hometowns are likely to stick with those brands for indoor cycling when they travel because the companies act as a filter. The studios are different, the instructors are different, and yet the brand name creates trust.
That doesn’t mean you have to teach at Barry’s or Barre3 to be successful: only that associating yourself with a well-known fitness brand can serve as a cognitive filter to encourage potential clients to choose you. For personal trainers, TRX can be that filter.
TRX is one of the most-trusted brands in the fitness world because the company devotes considerable time and resources to exercise and movement research and education. TRX’s signature product, the Suspension Trainer, is known across the globe for being safe and effective. When trainers become TRX-qualified, they carry that mantle of trust into their practice.
5. Music Matters
A personal trainer is not a deejay, but music sets the tone for a workout. While your personal taste in music will come into play, curating a playlist for a class or client session isn’t just about queuing up your favorite jams. Your music should appeal to your clients.
One of the most important things you can do is know your audience and offer variety—not just in genres, but in artist selection. In some markets, an artist’s personal life may factor into how your clients perceive the music. (For example, playing an R. Kelly track may not go over well given the abuse allegations against the artist.)
As you create a playlist, match the tempo of the beat to the speed you’re looking for in a specific exercise. Make sure that you can access your playlist without an Internet connection. When WiFi goes down, the show must go on. Many trainers use a service like Spotify Premium ($9.99/month) because it allows you to upload your own music—outside the Spotify library—to a playlist and download your playlist locally to a device.
Working as a personal trainer is rewarding, but it is work. Seek out industry-leading education, specialize, and build your network and brand connections, and you’ll be well on your way to success.
Ways To Build Mental Strength
Moving on our Suspension Trainer always puts us in a good mood, but working remotely and not being totally sure about what’s going to happen next always looms over our minds.
Basically, it’s a lot. Good news is, the human spirit is indefatigable—we rounded up a few tips to help reframe your days and shift toward a healthier state of mind.
SET ASIDE TIME TO MOVE YOUR BODY
Here’s something that’s always in our control—fitness. The beauty of building strength is it builds resilience in every other aspect of our lives. The ability to cope, persevere, feel more positively about the day-to-day when we literally see change happen before our eyes. Plus, staying fit strengthens our immune system, naturally lowers blood pressure, and, once a routine is set in place, instills a sense of calm. As for motivation, it’s never easy, but breaking it down is–every step is a step in the right direction. Start off with 10 minutes of movement and go from there.
Need a gym? Our TRX® PRO4 SYSTEM is made for everyone.
Need more gear? Round out your workout with TRX Strength Bands.
Need workout ideas? Our TRX app has everything from HIIT to strength training.
CHALLENGE YOUR MIND WITH SOMETHING NEW
Sometimes, all we need to instantly shift our mindset is to try something out of our comfort zone. Trying new things not only positively distracts you by mixing up the usual go-tos, it keeps your brain healthy, young, and vibrant. Not a baker? Try making a sourdough starter (if you missed the bread boom back in March, now’s your chance). Never tried HIIT before? Carve out 20 minutes with you and your mat and our trusty TRX app. Read a new book, brush up on your ever-more-important Spanish with Duolingo, order a pottery kit online and try your hand at throwing clay. The options are as limitless as your imagination.
CARVE OUT “SELF CARE” TIME
It sounds buzzy, but it matters—every little bit of nurturing adds up to a greater whole. And a 2-month holistic yoga retreat or 12-step nightly skincare regimen isn’t necessary either. “Self-care” is simply any action or behavior that keeps you healthy by nurturing better self-esteem, stress management, and overall well being. Your “me time” arsenal can include getting in enough ZZZ’s, eating healthfully, connecting with others, meditating, and maintaining as much of your normal routine as is safe and possible. And while it may be tempting to refresh the news every few minutes to stay up to date with what’s going on, give yourself permission to take a break.
PRACTICE ACCEPTANCE AND MINDFULNESS BREAKS
Struggling against unhappiness, sadness, etc—by resisting and rejecting it—can create more undue suffering. Acceptance isn’t about liking, wanting, or supporting your anxiety, feelings of isolation, and everything else; rather, you’re choosing to yourself permission to be as you are, feel what you feel, or experience what you’re experiencing without creating unproductive shame or anxiety or judgement. Focus on the things you can do. Practice gratitude and write down 10 things every day that bring you joy, or check in with your body, and take a moment to assess how you’re feeling. Daily mindfulness meditation practice has been found to produce significant improvements in attention, energy, and stress.
Stick to a mix of these methods above and give it time—just as fitness takes time to build, so does encouraging a happier, more content present. The only truth: you’re not alone! We’re all experiencing this collective whirlwind together, so remember that any time you’re feeling less inspired than usual.
- Published in TRX
How Trevor Anderson Uses TRX® To Coach Golfers
In his early days of coaching golf performance, Anderson focused on rotational movement, since that’s the foundation of the golf swing. He quickly realized that stability was just as important because a golfer can’t generate rotational power without connecting to the ground properly. “I don’t care how much range of motion you have or how much speed you have, it can’t be controlled or consistent without stability,” he explained.
Grounding the body requires posterior chain work, and that’s where TRX entered Anderson’s training program.
The Pilates instructor at a gym Anderson owned in the mid-Aughts introduced him to the TRX Suspension Trainer after she discovered the tool at a fitness conference. Anderson didn’t give it much thought until he saw her cuing a client through TRX Hamstring Curls.
“She had all the tools: She had the reformer, the chair, the little hoop thing that you do your inner thighs with. She had all these different Pilates tools, but she was using the TRX, and I couldn’t figure it out,” Anderson said.
He decided to try it out for himself when locking up the gym one night.
“I waited until everybody left, I snuck in there, put my heels in the straps, and I did a few hamstring curls. Literally, on the sixth rep, one of my hamstrings locked up and then on the eighth rep, the other one locked up. I could not believe the activation that was happening.”
Anderson was floored by how a tool as simple as the straps could challenge the posterior chain, and realized its potential for golfers. After some time experimenting with the straps, and using them with his golf clients, Anderson completed his master trainer certification and was recruited to develop Suspension Trainer golf programming for TRX.
Already a Suspension Trainer devotee, Anderson began experimenting with the TRX RIP TRAINER a few years later when construction work at his gym thwarted his usual medicine ball training. “I tried to replicate some of the [medicine ball] exercises that I was doing with the RIP Trainer, and the first thing I thought was, “Wow, I can do all this.. This is awesome.”
The more he worked with the RIP TRAINER, the more he understood how it actually complements medicine ball training.
“The majority of the tension when you have a medicine ball in your hand is on the backend, when it’s loaded back. When you throw the medicine ball at the end range, it’s unloaded; you just have to manage balance. With the RIP TRAINER, it was exactly the opposite: There was less tension in the back because of the variable resistance of the band so the majority of tension was at the end range, like an impact position.”
For athletes—like golfers, lacrosse players, and baseball players—who want to hit a ball further, Anderson said pairing medicine ball training with RIP TRAINER exercises can help create more consistent power and stability.
Now, more than 10 years later, Anderson is the authority on integrating the TRX Suspension Trainer and the TRX RIP TRAINER into golf strength and conditioning. He loves the Suspension Trainer for reinforcing stability and good play posture through moves like TRX Rows and chest opener exercises. Plus, Suspension Trainer moves like hamstring curls can help golfers fire up the posterior chain to improve their grounding on the green.
“Folks really don’t understand how to activate the posterior chain. If they’re not running sprints everyday, and things of that nature, they don’t really know what it takes to activate back there. I think that anytime you can strengthen your posterior chain, you’re going to be helping yourself in golf,” Anderson said.
With the TRX RIP TRAINER, Anderson likes to teach golfers how to resist rotation. “The golf swing is about aggressive acceleration, but then subsequent deceleration. Being able to manage deceleration and balance is probably the number one way to maintain any of the power that you generate,” he said.
Yes, strength matters, but Anderson knows it’s just one of the tools in a golfer’s arsenal. “There are a few more things on the list that I would consider enhancing before you focus on just getting strong. You’ve got to be able to move well through a range of motion, you have to be able to generate speed and power. You have to have great stability and finishing balance. Those are the types of things that get me fired up about golf and golf performance.” With the TRX Suspension Trainer and RIP TRAINER, Anderson is helping his golf clients improve in all of those areas.
- Published in TRX
TRX Tools Every Golfer Needs
It’s the marquis product in the TRX lineup because it’s portable, adaptive, and incredibly effective. Golf performance experts love the TRX Suspension Trainer both for cross-training the posterior chain—think TRX Rows, Squats, and Hamstring Presses—and for warming up before a round. Want to target your mobility before you head out to the course? Set up your Suspension Trainer up on a tree or your golf cart for a quick warmup.
TRX RIP Trainer
Golfers need rotational power, and the Rip Trainer is in a league of its own when it comes to core and stability work. A golf swing requires aggressive acceleration, followed by deceleration. With exercises like the RIP Trainer Lunge Press and Samurai Strike, golfers hone deceleration and balance, which, in turn, helps them generate power more effectively through their swing.
TRX Strength Bands
Strength Bands are the unsung heroes of the golf course. Whether you use them to partner up with a buddy and refine your drive or to improve your stance, these simple, affordable bands can help you train for a better drive.
TRX Wall Ball
Want to improve your swing and blow off some steam? Grab your TRX Wall Ball and wind up for a rotational toss. Instead of trying to max out your weight for this move, select a lighter weight ball that lets you test your reflexes while targeting the obliques and core.
TRX Rocker
Recovery is key! After a day on the course, taking time for myofascial release will help reduce muscle pain and improve later performance.
Standard foam rollers come in a uniform density or pattern: you either get a smooth cylinder, or a bumpy style. The TRX Rocker, by contrast, has three contact points: a low intensity, lightly-grooved side for more gentle massage, a medium intensity, more deeply-grooved side for deeper release, and the apex of the two sides, for high-intensity target areas. Instead of purchasing three foam roller styles, you get everything in a single tool with the Rocker.
If you want to be a better golfer, you have to develop a stronger posterior chain, active core muscles, and superior mobility. From warmup to cross-training to recovery, TRX has the full suite of tools to see you through training and recovery.
- Published in TRX
TRX® Workouts Every Runner Needs
We’re all born to run, right? We definitely are, except many of us spend our lives in office jobs, sitting in cars during heavy traffic, and other factors that all play a role in how our body responds to both running volume and intensity.
Training with your TRX® Suspension Trainer™ and other TRX weights plus resistance tools are a great way to add in running-specific strength, because while our bodies are highly resilient, over time, injuries can happen (like the dreaded IT band and achilles). The good news? Adding in strength training will make you a better, stronger runner by focusing on all the muscles that carry over into your running form and technique.
1) WARMUP ACTIVATION DRILL: BREAK OUT THE TRX® GLUTE BAND
Every run starts with a solid warmup, and a solid warmup can go beyond the usual run-in-place and stretch—it’s intelligently firing up the muscles you’ll use during running. Firstly and foremost, activating your hips and glutes (read: glute medius, glute minimus, glute maximus, adductors, and more) to help stabilize your pelvis for power. Our new TRX® Glute Bands are specifically designed for maximum glute strengthening in a comfortable design made with everyone’s needs in mind.
- Build up glute and hip strength to improve posture, pelvic stability, and low back pain.
- Soft fabric won’t bunch on leggings or tug hair when next to skin.
- 3 levels of resistance (light, medium, heavy) to best challenge you as you get stronger.
- Adjustable sliders offer even more customization.
- Mesh bag to carry with you wherever you go.
Perform the following moves back-to-back one time through to activate your entire lower body.
MOVE 1: MONSTER WALK, 20 STEPS EACH WAY
Wrap the TRX® Glute Band of your choice around your knees, hinge back into a quarter squat, and slowly step out to the left 20 times. Then step forward 20 times, to the right 20 times, then backwards 20 times to complete a square. The key? Keep your hips level and try not to shift your weight too much so your glutes and hips do all the work.
MOVE 2: SQUATS, 10 REPS EACH
With the Glute Band still looped around your knees, perform 10 bodyweight squats, then hold halfway down and perform 10 pulses (one inch up and down, no bouncing), and finish up with holding it at the halfway point again, this time pulsing your knees outward 10 times. The burn is SO real.
MOVE 3: GLUTE KICKBACKS, 10 REPS EACH
Get in a tabletop position, hands and knees on floor, Glute Band looped around your knees. Keeping the core tight and without letting the low back arch, lift one leg toward the ceiling—make sure you keep the knee bent the whole time. It’s a burner of a move and really teaches you proper glute and core activation at the same time.
Want to stop the workout here? Our TRX® Strength Bands are great for shoulder workouts, upper body moves, and all-around full body workouts.
2) STRENGTH SUPERSET: BREAK OUT THE MINI TRX® EXERCISE BANDS
Next up, we want to fire up the front of your hips, which includes your core. Why is this important? Lumbopelvic control and core muscles provide stability for better force generation and motion in the legs (read, less tight hamstrings and longer strides), as well as more controlled and efficient body movements. That’s definitely technical so here’s the gist: imbalances or weakness in the pelvic area and core can result in increased fatigue, decreased endurance, and injury in runners. Let’s add some resistance with our TRX® Exercise Bands, shall we?
Perform each move back-to-back, then rest for 30-60 seconds after the last move. Perform 3 rounds of the moves, then move on to the next Strength Superset, shown below.
MOVE 1: DEAD BUGS, 20 REPS TOTAL
Loop the Exercise Band of your choices (we recommend Lite or Medium) around the balls of your feet. Lie flat on your back and point your arms straight up at the sky. Lift your knees off the ground in a tabletop position (90 degrees). Tighten up your core and without moving anything else, straighten one leg out all the way, then slowly return it back to starting. Repeat on the other leg. Continue back and forth until you complete 20 reps. Feel free to add in this opposing movement to make it more challenging: straighten the opposite arm overhead and flat on the ground with each leg rep.
MOVE 2: HIP FLEXOR MARCHES, 20 REPS TOTAL
When your hip flexors are strong, you can bring your leg up higher for a better stride—plus it’ll take some of the stress away from your adductors so they don’t do too much of the work. With the Exercise Band still looped around the balls of your feet, stand up tall—as tall as you can, feet rooted into the ground—and lift one knee up as high as you can. Pause there for a second, then slowly lower it back down. Your opposite glute should be super fired up. Perform 10 reps on one side, then repeat on the other side. Extra challenge: Hold the last rep at the highest point for 10 seconds before returning to start.
MOVE 3: ADDUCTOR RAISES, 15 REPS TOTAL
Remember what we said about adductors doing too much of the heavy lifting? They should also be strong to keep your hips balanced (especially with all of the glute work). Take a page out of champion middle-distance runner & steeplechaser Emma Coburn’s book and perform this burner of a move: Lie on your side and keep the Exercise Band looped around the balls of your feet. Lift and bend your top knee toward your chest, thendrop your knee to rest on the floor, bottom leg stays straight. Lift your bottom leg up and down, resisting against the tension. Perform 15 reps on each side to feel the burn.
3) STRENGTH SUPERSET: SINGLE LEG MOVES WITH YOUR TRX® SUSPENSION TRAINER™
In the fitness trainer world, this is called “unilateral” strength and it’s important because, guess what? When you’re running, you’re suspended on a single leg the entire time. Perform these moves back-to-back on your straps (shop the HOME2 and PRO4 here), then rest for 60 seconds after the last move. Perform 3 rounds of the moves, then move on to the next Strength Superset, shown below.
WHAT IT DOES
- Excellent coordination and control challenge
- Improves power and strength that carries over into running form
- Using the straps also works your upper back and arms
MOVE 1: TRX LUNGE, 10 REPS
Balance and control is the name of the game (plus full leg strength and pelvic control) with this suspended lunge.
MOVE 2: TRX SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIDGE, 10 REPS
Feel free to go double leg with our standard TRX® Glute Bridge, but to really up the ante, try for a single leg bridge to really isolate your hamstrings, which are super important for every runner.
MOVE 3: TRX SKATER LUNGE, 10 REPS
Want to feel super strong on one leg? Build up your quad (and knee strength) with this powerful move.
4) STRENGTH SUPERSET: WORK THE CORE
Planks are challenging on their own, but add the suspended effort of your TRX® Suspension Trainer™? Boom—now we’re talking serious strength and control. When it comes to core workouts, there’s no need to overdo it. All you need are a couple back to really dial in on every last ab, oblique, and back muscle.
MOVE 1: TRX ROLLING PLANK, 10 REPS TOTAL
This fiery combo is just that, FIERY. Start in an elbow plank with your feet in the cradles. Hold each of the following for a few seconds before moving on to the next for one full rep: Elbow plank > left side elbow plank > right side elbow plank > back to elbow plank. You’re welcome.
MOVE 2: TRX PUSH UPS, 10 REPS
Stay in the straps and move from your elbow to your hands. Perform 10 pushups and then rest, then repeat the superset two more times.
5) HIIT FINISHER: BUST OUT THE TRX® KETTLEBELL + TRX® MEDICINE BALL
Now for the finisher. Turn a timer on for 8 rounds with 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Complete 8 rounds of the first move, then perform 8 rounds of the second move. Boom—your heart rate is up and your lower body fully torched. Make sure you have a TRX® Kettlebell and a TRX® Medicine Ball with some bounce before you begin.
MOVE 1: KETTLEBELL DEAD CLEAN
Place the Kettlebell between your feet then hinge back (like you’re about to deadlift), bending your knees to lower down when you can’t hinge back any further. Grasp the kettlebell by the horns, sit back a little deeper, chest up, lats squeezed like you’re holding a dollar bill there. Push through your feet and explode up, catching the kettlebell at chest height. Not sure how to perform this move? See a breakdown here. Not sure how to hinge? Try practicing with a broomstick first.
MOVE 2: SPLIT SQUAT HOLD + MEDICINE BALL SLAM
Hold a lunge position with both legs bent, back knee hovering off the ground. Slam the medicine ball down hard on your left side, catch it, then slam it down hard on your right side, catching it again. Repeat back and forth.
Congrats! Way to crush the whole workout. Feel free to do it twice a week to add in some serious strength to your running.
OH, AND JUST IN CASE…
If you don’t already have a set of straps, check out our HOME2 (best for those new to fitness) or the PRO4 (best if you need something more advanced), and shop them now. And, of course, behind every Suspension Trainer workout is the anchor that hangs it up—find the one for your training space here.
- Published in TRX
TRX Medicine Ball Ab Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
Wall balls and partner passes are great if you have a sturdy wall or a workout buddy, but they’re not the only moves you can do with a medicine ball.
This multitasking exercise tool is a superstar when it comes to strengthening your abdominals, and we’re proving it with these seven medicine ball ab workouts you can do anywhere.
The Tool
Before we dive into a few of the ways you can use a medicine ball for ab workouts, let’s talk about what makes a medicine ball special.
Medicine balls are effective because they target muscle groups through dynamic movement. A medicine ball can challenge your balance in side-to-side drills, or improve your stability through moves like offset push-ups. Because medicine balls come in a variety of weights, there’s room to progress or regress your exercises, as needed.
For this workout, we suggest the TRX XD KEVLAR™ Rubber Medicine Balls because they are the most durable medicine balls on the market. Using tire technology, natural rubber is combined with Kevlar® fiber, resulting in a grippy texture to aid in movements like catching, throwing, and slamming—all with a medium bounce that’s ready to withstand your toughest sweat sessions.
In ab workouts, try a medicine ball that’s in your medium range.
The Interval
There are lots of ways to build a workout, but we suggest sticking with either timed intervals of 30-45 seconds per move, or rep-based intervals of 12-20 moves per set in this medicine ball ab workout series. Experiment with both to find which style suits you.
Whether you opt for time or rep intervals, work through the circuit twice for an approximately 15-minute ab blast series.
Medicine Ball Alternating Knee Strikes
Muscle groups engaged: Lower Abs, Hip Flexors, Shoulders, and Triceps
You’ll keep your back on the ground for our second medicine ball ab exercise, the alternating knee strike.
Lie down with your lower back and shoulder blades pressed into the floor or mat. Start by holding the medicine ball straight over your chest, with your legs fully extended to the ground, then draw one leg toward your torso.
As you tuck your knee toward your chest, bend your arms and lower the ball to meet the knee. Fully extend your arms and leg, and repeat on the second side, alternating quickly between right and left knees.
Jackknife Passes
Muscle groups engaged: Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Lats, and Hip Flexors
For this move, we’re taking your ordinary jackknife to the next level by adding a medicine ball. Start lying on the ground face up. Your hands and feet should be extended in opposite directions, and your lower back should be glued to the floor.
With your feet parallel, use either your feet or your ankles to lift the medicine ball, and keep your “grip” tight! As you lift the ball up with your feet, lift your shoulders off the ground. Your arms and legs—both fully straightened—should meet overhead.
Once you’re “folded” into your jackknife, pass the ball from your feet to your hands, and extend back down to the floor with the ball in your hands. Repeat, passing the ball between your feet and hands each time.
Need to downgrade? Start with the ball between your knees, and pass the ball between your knees and hands in an accordion crunch.
Medicine Ball Offset Push-Up
Muscle groups engaged: Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Quads, Glutes, Shoulders
Most of our mat moves in this series are in the supine position, but we won’t pass up an opportunity to incorporate a medicine ball into a plank.
For this exercise, you’ll start in an off-set high plank position: one palm on the ground, the other on your medicine ball. The arm that’s connected to the medicine ball will remain slightly bent through the entire move.
Keeping your core tight, you’ll drop down for a push-up, and try to avoid letting the ball wobble. (That’s what makes the medicine ball challenge exciting!)
Once you’ve pushed back up to a straight arm (on the floor-touching side), roll the ball under your body. The palm that was on the ball will now be planted on the floor, and the hand that was on the floor should be on top of the ball. Repeat your push-up again on the second side, and continue—alternating between sides.
If you need to take the push-up from your knees, it’s abs-olutely fine to drop your knees to the ground for the push-up only.
Medicine Ball Oblique Twist
Muscle groups engaged: Upper Abs, Lower Abs, Obliques
Our final move on the mat is a weighted version of the oblique twist. Start in a seated position with a straight back, leaning back slightly to engage your abdominals. Your knees should be bent, with your heels resting on the floor. Hold the medicine ball in front of your chest with both hands.
To begin, rotate side to side. If you’re rotating to the right, your right elbow should touch the ground. When rotating to the left, your left elbow should touch the floor.
To progress this move, you can first lift your heels off the floor, and then—if you want a further upgrade—straighten your legs.
Get Up, Stand Up
Medicine Ball Muay Thai Knee Strikes
Muscle groups engaged: Shoulders, Obliques, Lower Abs, Quads
Similar to the alternating knee strikes you completed on your mat, we’ll start standing with feet hip distance apart and the ball overhead for this explosive move.
Keeping your arms straight, lower the ball to hip level while bringing one knee up to meet the ball. (A light tap is all you need to complete the rep; don’t slam the ball into your knee!) Repeat for a total of five reps on the right side before switching it up for five reps on the left side.
Want more leg action? Drop the traveling leg back for a lunge!
Start in your lunge position with your left leg forward and your right leg back. Your right knee cap should be hovering just above the floor. Drive up through your left leg while lowering the ball down and raising your right knee to hip level. Just as you did in the standing version of this exercise, your knee should meet the medicine ball. Repeat in five-rep sets, alternating between your left and right legs.
Medicine Ball Rotational Slam
Muscle groups engaged: Shoulders, Obliques, Triceps, Quads, Glutes
In a standard medicine ball slam, you follow a straight axis as you squat, lift, and slam the ball. With this move, we trade that vertical axis for a diagonal, working the obliques in the process.
Just like in the traditional ball slam, you’ll start holding the ball overhead with both hands. Your feet should be hip distance apart, and you’ll want to keep a light bend in your knees. Start by slamming the ball to your right side. Because this is a slam—not a drop—your torso should rotate slightly to the right, and your hands will follow through to the right side.
Squat down, pick up the ball, raise it overhead, and repeat on the left side.
The Results
It’s easy to fall into a bodyweight-only ab routine, but that means your workouts will eventually plateau. Challenging yourself with weight will help you continue to make progress with an efficient exercise schedule. Give these medicine ball ab workouts a try, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your own additions to this routine.