Not got much home gym equipment? Not a problem use this TRX programme to progress yourself thought the early part of your fitness journey.
This programme is broken into two workouts, both working the whole body. You can do them twice a week with two days in between, e.g. Monday & Thursday. Or three times a week with one day in between, e.g. Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Or any variation of these.
DAY 1
EXERCISE 1: TRX Squats
Adjust the straps to mid length and stand facing the anchor point. Hands should be pulled tight into the arm pit. With your heels shoulder width apart and toes turned slightly out.
Lower your backside straight down allowing your elbows to move forward. If you can’t get that low don’t worry just go as low as you can.
Your feet should now be flat on the floor and you SHOULD BE lent forward a little, with hips below the top of your knees.
From the bottom of the squat KEEP the knees out with your mind, and drive the hips upwards. Let the shoulders come up with the hips so you remain lent forward until you reach the top. Pull as little as possible on the straps you want your legs to do the work, the TRX should merely guild the movement.
Lower yourself back down again keeping the knees out using your mind.
Do five reps and rest for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Next set do a little faster, until you feel light fatigue or slight loss of form. If you run out of weight start to gradually speed up instead.
Perform 2 more sets and the same intensity as the last with a 2 minute rest in between. If you can get to hips below knees just do 3 sets as low as you can then move to the next exercise.
EXERCISE 2: TRX Shoulder Press
Extend the straps to full length and face away from the anchor point. Stand upright with a handle in each hand at shoulder height (similar to the top of the dumbbell front squat). Lean slightly forward to place tension on the shoulder. Push the TRX handles straight up over head locking out the elbows and shrug in to the top of the press (as though you’re not quite there). Lower back down and breath out then repeat.
Do five reps and rest for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Next set take a small step towards the anchor point, about 6″ and repeat until you feel light fatigue or slight loss of form. If you run out of room go fast instead.
Perform 2 more sets and the same intensity as the last with a 2 minute rest in between. If you are doing partial range just do 3 sets and more to the next exercise.
EXERCISE 3: TRX row
Use a mid length strap facing the anchor point. With a handle in each hand lean back and lower yourself to full arm extension. Keeping the body ridged pull the hand back to the side of the chest.
Do five reps and rest for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Next set take a small step towards the anchor point, about 6″ and repeat until you feel light fatigue or slight loss of form. If you run out of room go fast instead.
Perform 2 more sets and the same intensity as the last with a 2 minute rest in between. If you are doing partial range just do 3 sets and more to the next exercise.
DAY 2
EXERCISE 1: TRX Squats
Repeat as per day one but try to go a little faster.
EXERCISE 2: TRX Chest Press
Lengthen the straps to full length. Place them over your shoulders facing away from the anchor point with a handle in each hand stick your elbows out away from the body somewhere between 45 and 85 degrees. At 90 degrees you risk shoulder impingement commonly known as rotator cuff syndrome. Your forearm should be near parallel with the TRX straps. The actual position the palm of the hand faces is inconsequential at this stage.
Keep the body straight though its full length and take a deep breath, bracing the body. Push the hand forward and bring them closer together, without cutting your ears off with the straps at the top.
Lower back down and breathe out. Then repeat.
Do five reps and rest for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Next set take a small step towards the anchor point, about 6″ and repeat until you feel light fatigue or slight loss of form. If you run out of room go fast instead.
Perform 2 more sets and the same intensity as the last with a 2 minute rest in between. If you are doing partial range just do 3 sets and more to the next exercise.
EXERCISE 3: TRX Row
Repeat as per day one but try to go a little heavier. If you run out of weight go faster.
PROGRESSION
The ideal progression would be an increase in angle by around 10 degree 6″ step each session. To progress these exercise in the absence of more angle to add you need to try and work faster.
When you can’t complete the exercise (all working sets and reps)
Increasing angle
Reduce angle by 20% and add 2 more sets. i.e. form 3 set of 5 to 5 sets of 5 and begin the progression again.
Increasing speed
If you can’t go at least 10 seconds faster maintaining the same length rest between sets, add another set. i.e. go from 3 working sets to 4, then 4 to 5 etc. You can do as many as 10 working sets of 5 reps.
DON’T BE TEMPTED TO DO MORE REPS YET THOUGH!!! The goal is strength to start with, a reps range of 1 to 5 reps targets strength, higher than that the body adaption becomes hypertrophy not strength. Doing more reps will make you bigger without becoming substantially stronger or faster. Stay at 5 reps you will get stronger, faster and bigger.
