TRX: 6 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE TRYING A CLASS
I came across this article for some who don’t know what TRX suspension training involves and how you can implement into a class setting.
EJNOY!
TRX: 6 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE TRYING A CLASS
Updated Oct 11 2012 – 3:10am · Posted Oct 11 2012 – 3:08am by Jaime Young · 2 Comments
- Individual or group: TRX sessions are available individually or as group classes, either at a gym or in a private training facility. Make sure you ask before jumping into the mix, as some facilities prefer to train beginners together for their first class.
- Movement on a plane: For the duration of this class your body will be suspended while moving forward, backward, or side to side. This class is made effective by its repetition of movement to tone the adjoining muscles.
- Freedom: The TRX bands give you the freedom of mobility. You are able to move around differently than you would be able to on your own, creating a foundation for core stability. The workout targets all of your muscles groups, but there is a lot of emphasis placed on the core.
Find out if TRX bulks you up after the break!
- Flexibility: Through the class you are constantly stretching between different intervals. Clients who take TRX often report feeling more flexible and gaining an increased range in motion. The breaks in a TRX class are focused on lengthening muscles while also using the straps for actions like opening up chest.
- No bulk: Like many women who start strength training, you might be concerned about bulking up. Rest assured you can put those worries aside. Kevin Symes, a former trainer forRiekes Center for Human Enhancement explains, “Using your own weight with more reps will help you to lengthen your muscles, not expand them.” Symes also reminds female clients that as long as they aren’t following the heavy weightlifting patterns of a football player, they won’t bulk up like one.
- No shoes, no gloves, no problem: TRX does not require you to bring any equipment or wear additional accessories. You can even do the class barefoot! “As long as you have hands and feet, you’re ready to try TRX,” says Polli.
TRX Movements for your Lower Body and Core Strength at PerformancEDU
At PerformancEDU, Marc Digesti show us how we use the TRX as one of our main training tools. Here are 4 movements that will strengthen your lower body and core:
-TRX Squat Mobility
-TRX Lunge to hip flexion
-TRX Knee Tuck to Rotation
-TRX lateral hip drops
Explode…TRX Style
Plyometric movements with the TRX are a great way to perform explosive movements in a safe and effective manner. This 3-movement circuit will really challenge your heart rate and test your mental toughness. At first, I would recommend performing each exercise for 20-30 seconds. Since these circuits are intended to test your abilities, try to keep the rest time between each exercise to 10 seconds or less. For example; performing bilateral jumps for 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then perform your lateral jumps for 20 seconds. After 10 seconds rest, go right into your burpees for 40 total seconds (20 seconds per leg). Rest for 1 minute and complete that circuit 2 more times.
Doug Balzarini | Founder of DBStrength
Doug Balzarini breaking down the TRX
Here are 5 TRX movements we utilize that involve alternating between two exercises. You will perform one rep of one exercise followed by one rep of another exercise and continue to alternate back and forth for the desired number of reps. Using the interchanging sequence requires a bit more coordination and core stability. We use these with healthy clients and feel that, as long as they are executed with proper form, are safe, effective movements that will challenge you in a fun, new way.
Here is a brief breakdown on the 5 exercises:
1. TRX Bicep Curl to Row
This is a pretty popular interchanging sequence that you may have seen before. Perform a TRX bicep curl with your palms up and your upper arm parallel to the ground. After one rep of your bicep curl, rotate your hands to a neutral grip and perform one rep of a low row with your elbows down by your side and your spine neutral throughout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_2eiv7lyeA
2. TRX Pistol Squat to 1-Leg Balance Reach
When performing the single leg squat (pistol), keep your arms relatively straight and try to keep your weight on the heel to the mid-foot while maintaining an upright posture. After each pistol rep – hinge from your hip, maintain pressure into the handles, extend your heel towards to back wall, and lower down into a balance reach or deadlift position with a neutral spine throughout the exercise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diGSr-P6KPA&feature=channel_video_title
3. TRX Curtsy Lunge to Lateral Lunge
Begin by lowering down into a reverse lunge position and reaching the rear leg diagonally back to the 4 o’clock position (if looking at a clock). On the way up bring that rear leg way out to the 9 o’clock position and line up the ankle, knee, and hip joint while keeping the trail leg straight. Head and chest should remain upright and feet should remain forward throughout the exercise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp7QNtauqJo&feature=channel_video_title
4. TRX Burpee to Scorpion
After the pushup portion of the burpee, you will perform the scorpion by rotating your torso and bringing the “free leg” under your body and then rotating your torso the other way to bring that “free leg” over your body. Next, return to the pushup position and drive that knee up before standing tall to complete one rep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_WlPsTHxEY&feature=channel_video_title
5. TRX Row to Triceps Extension
Keep a neutral grip for your row exercise and pull explosively enough to carry you through and under the anchor point where you will go right into an overhead triceps extension movement. This will also be done in an explosive nature so that you can return back to the row position. Make sure the strap length is fully shortened and only offer this to healthy and experienced TRX users.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83E5n_mlOsY&feature=channel_video_title
Get with these movements and let me know what you think!
Doug Balzarini CSCS DBstrength
About Doug
Doug currently works at Fitness Quest 10 as a personal trainer, strength coach, and Operations Director for Todd Durkin Enterprises (TDE). A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State College. Since moving to San Diego he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training, FMS training, and received his CPR/AED instructor status. He has also appeared in 8 fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.
Prior to working at Fitness Quest 10, Doug worked for the American Council on Exercise as the Continuing Education Coordinator where he was responsible for managing over 400 continuing education providers. For more information please visitwww.todddurkin.com, www.fq10.com, and www.dbstrength.com.
In-Season Movements to Enhance Recovery for Skiers in Stack Mag
We are now in the middle of ski season, which includes a mix of training and competition. As such, it is vital for skiers to learn how to properly mix recovery sessions into their training programs, in order to benefit their performance.
The demands placed upon the body during competition, on-hill training, powder days and hours spent on the groomers can affect the way your body recovers, which is why recovery days are vital. For Alpine racers and avid skiers, preventative movements are also a necessity.
Recovery Days
Activities on these days help the athlete physically overcome the stress of on-hill training or skiing. This is also called passive recovery.
During recovery days, we have a variety of aids to help enhance the recovery process, including:
• Rest
• Structural Massage
• Foam Rolling/Massage Stick
• Flexibility
• Hydrotherapy [Hot and Cold Tubs]
Here are some movements to help enhance recovery:
1. Foam Roll IT Band [shown below]
2. Foam Roll Quadratus Lumborum
3. Massage Stick Calf
4. Massage Stick Quad
Maintenance Days
This is a planned phase that helps the body recover from heavy training days on the hill. It is also known as active recovery.
For maintenance days, which are incorporated into in-season strength phases, we believe light movement is more beneficial than no activity. This includes aerobic activity as well as floor mobility and stability movements. Maintenance programs should be administered two to three times per week.
Here are some maintenance movements to help enhance the recovery:
1. Overhead Squat Mobility With Mini Band [shown below]
2. Full Kneeling Lat Stretch With TRX
3. 90/90 Hip Stretch With TRX
4. Quad/Hip Flexor Stretch With TRX
Recovery and maintenance days are critical for the success of recovery during in-season phases of skiing. Just keep in mind your body’s response will depend on your commitment to the recovery and maintenance phases of the program.
Photos: highschoolsports.mlive.com; exercise images courtesy of Marc Digesti
Marc Digesti is a Reno/Tahoe native. He received his bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Chico State University in 2004, and is certified as a USA weightlifting sports performance coach. Digesti’s professional experience in the performance field includes serving as head strength coach for the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, a performance specialist for numerous top training facilities, and trainer to pro NBA and NHL athletes. In January 2010, he founded PerformancEDU with the goal of merging performance and education.
Check out the full article at Stack Mag.
Emphasizing Ski specific movements through suspended training
The Ski Season is upon us here in the Tahoe/Truckee area and here is one of the best ways to create a ski specific program from an unbelievable training tool, the TRX:
TRX suspension: best training tool for travel
While with the US Disabled Ski team, I had great pleasure in being taught from one of the best in skiing, Kurt Smitz. Kurt and I spent long hours discussing what type of equipment would work best for the amount of traveling the team would be doing, but most importantly how we could incorporate ski specific movements into a program with limited space domestically and internationally.
Alpine skiing emphasizes core movements, which are critical in the adjustment and maintenance of the skiers center of mass. As such a dynamic sport, the movements of skiing involve vertical, lateral and rotational planes of movement. The TRX suspension trainer allows the athletes to incorporate both isolation of a movement, multiple applications of a movement, while using ones own body weight to balance in an efficient training model. Training all of these movements during a certain program, will allow the athlete to visualize themselves being in a race condition. The TRX is an invaluable resource in the world of Alpine Skiing.
