When it comes to selecting training equipment, I absolutely love anything that is simple to set up and use. That’s why, when suspension training equipment like the TRX started becoming common in gyms, I set out to learn a variety of effective TRX exercises that could help my clients achieve results.
This list of my top 5 TRX exercises is not exhaustive, but hopefully there will be one or two exercises you haven’t tried before. I’ll also answer some of the common questions about suspension training.
Note: I am not affiliated with TRX or any brand of suspension training equipment, and am not incentivised to promote them.
What is Suspension Training?
This training method involves supporting some of your bodyweight on strong straps. These straps allow you to position your body in ways that force you to resist gravity in different positions. You’re lifting your bodyweight (or a percentage of it), in positions and angles that target different muscles and joints.
The variety of movements, and the ability to make them easier or harder, allows for a very versatile piece of equipment – especially in home gyms. As you progress, you really get the sense that you’re mastering your bodyweight, which is always an empowering feeling.
Can Suspension Training Build Muscle/Strength?
It’s entirely feasible that you can build muscle and strength using suspension systems. We build strength by overloading our ability to produce force in challenging positions, and we build muscle by exposing a muscle to loaded stretch and fatigue. You can do both using a TRX or similar; you just have to be strategic with your use of load and positioning.
When choosing TRX exercises that stimulate strength and muscle development, you should look for the following qualities:
- Fairly simple to learn and perform – this allows us to focus on producing maximum force.
- Stable enough to overload the target muscle and handle fatigue.
- Exercises should be scalable, meaning we can make them hard/easy enough for the individual.
You’ll see these qualities present in most of the exercises listed today. Of course, they won’t be perfect for every training situation, but I have found a purpose for suspension exercises in most of my client’s programmes over the years.
Exercise 1: The Suspension Row
The suspension row (or TRX row) is one of my go-to pulling exercises. This is especially true for new clients because there’s such a breadth of difficulty options. Over time, you can progress from standing up straight to laying fully horizontal. There is a huge range of progression if you stick at it.
I also like the suspension row because, as you become more horizontal, you’re required to keep tension in your posterior chain to maintain a straight line (like an upside-down plank).
I always include a variety of pulling exercises in my training programmes, and this one is a favourite. It’s especially difficult to perform satisfying pulling exercises at home if you don’t have free weights, so the TRX row is a must for my home training clients!
Exercise 2: Suspension Pushup Variations
Suspension training equipment can be a great way of building towards difficult bodyweight exercises like pushups. Compared to a regular pushup, suspension straps can create a more vertical angle, reducing the amount of bodyweight you’re pushing. As with the row, you can eventually progress to raising your feet, making this variation harder than the regular pushup.
There’s more, though. Having the freedom to move the straps in and out as you push gives you a range of pushup angles to play with. In particular, I like using a narrow hand position to prepare for exercises such as dips.
Dips are notorious for being challenging on the elbows and shoulders, and it can be hard to build up a tolerance if you don’t have an assisted dip machine. In the second “dip” pushup in the video above, I lower my chest beyond the TRX handles. This pulls my elbows behind my body and lets my shoulders travel forwards.
Many people may refer to this as “bad” or “risky” technique, but these terms are not necessarily true or helpful. It may be a strenuous position for the shoulders and elbows, but the beauty of suspension training is that you can easily scale the exercise to my level. I can make the exercise easier and build up my tolerance to this position before I move on to bodyweight dips.
Exercise 3: Suspension Abs Exercise Series
Looking to make your abdominal and hip work harder? I take most of my long-term clients through this series of plank-style exercises once they reach a certain level in training. These exercises challenge your ability to hold your body in a plank position, while going through various types of movement and challenge.
Your abdominal muscles will work constantly to stop your belly button dropping towards the floor, making this a great series of TRX abs exercises. In later exercises, you also need to flex the spine (like a crunch or situp). This adds an extra level of challenge. By having to pull your knees and toes towards your body, the hip flexor muscles will have to work too.
You should aim to spend a few weeks to a month on each exercise in this list, before progressing to the next.
Exercise 4: Suspension Skull Crusher
Training the triceps through a full range of motion requires bending and straightening the elbow with the arm in a high position. The most extreme example of this would be an overhead triceps extension, but this variation on the TRX is a huge challenge that guarantees a good burn in the triceps every time.
Speaking of the burn, it’s time to talk about one of the other benefits of suspension training. During high-rep exercises, as the burn sets in, it’s very simple to perform a drop-set on the TRX. This is where you gradually make an exercise easier to accommodate your rising fatigue levels. With suspension training, you can easily perform a dropset by moving your feet. Usually, moving your feet towards the straps will make things harder, and moving them away will make things easier. With that being said, there is probably an exception to this rule!
Exercise 5: Row to Twist
The row to twist is the wildcard exercise on this list. It isn’t the simplest exercise, and it’s not the most straightforward for delivering overload to a specific muscle. However, it’s a great exercise for transferring force between the upper body and core as you pull and twist. At the top of the movement, this exercise really challenges your ability to resist rotation.
To make this exercise easier, pull hard at the bottom of the movement to add momentum into the twist. To make it harder, straighten you arms as early as you can in the movement.
Suspend Your Disbelief!
When it comes to building strength, people have been neglecting suspension training for too long. It offers plenty of great exercises options to accompany more traditional training methods. Try these exercises and get in touch if you’d like to learn more!