Similar to the Butt & Gutt class (go read the post), TRX uses various timing intervals. The focus is on core strengthening but works the whole body using your own body weight. Our trainer is the Fabulous Miss Sheila! This girl is high-energy and keeps up hopping (sometimes literally)
Here is last night's class. I'm not sure if the timing was 30seconds work/10 second break or 45 seconds work/10 seconds break on this one but here goes...
Warmup is typically 10 minutes and last night consisted of Jogging the length of the room, 15 Jumping Jacks, jogging back the length of the room, 15 High Knees on each leg, and repeating decreasing 1 rep each time until we arrived at 1.
Exercises are broken up into groups typically of 4 different exercises, the 4th including some cardio to bring your heart rate up. Each exercise is repeated 3 times (45 seconds of exercise, 10 seconds of rest between each set). The TRX Straps can be adjusted to Short, Mid, and Long depending on the exercise and the angle you need to have to complete it properly. The picture below shows the straps at Mid length.
Tuesday's Workout -
The first group of exercises included:
1. Squats - just like they sound, holding the TRX handles out in front of you, squat!
2. Chest Press - For this one, you hold the TRX handles out in front of you but you take a step back so that you are leaning at an angle looking towards the floor. Like doing a push-up in the air. The deeper the angle, the harder the workout.
3. Diagonal Reaches - Stand with the TRX handles outside your arms, elbows bent and hands at chest level. Stand on balls of your feet and reach out and up, keeping your TRX tight. You are actually reaching in an arc, up over your head towards the opposite side of the room from the hand moving. Return to start and reach with the other hand.
4. Sprinter starts - a HUGE favorite of the class, uh huh - TRX straps are under your arms from behind, elbows bent and hands at chest level. You lunge back with one leg and then stand back up, bringing your knee up high in front of you. Repeat for entire time interval on one leg and then switch to the other leg for the next set. Repeat 3x on each leg. If you want a bigger challenge, add a hop at the top of bringing your knee to the front... and try to stay balanced! :D
Second group of exercises:
1. Split Squats - Lunge one leg behind you and then drop your knee (that is behind you) towards the floor. Stand up again (still in lunge position) and repeat. Switch legs and do it again!
2. Bicep Curls - for this one you face your TRX, hold the handles at your shoulders with your elbows sticking straight out in front of you. You use your body to curl down, keeping your wrists straight and elbows in, until you are leaning back (dangling from the TRX). Now curl yourself up, using your biceps (Keep those elbows in!).
3. Overhead Back Extensions - This one looks crazy and the first time I saw it done, I said.."HOLY COW! I don't know if I can do that!!! But I did! - Stand facing your TRX, hold the handles straight up over your head. Next, bend at the waist, dropping your bum towards the floor, leaning back. Arms stay straight up over your head, glued to your ears as you look at the floor. Now, use your core to pull you back to standing with your arms still over your head. Your TRX stays TIGHT the whole time.
4. Jump Squats! - Same as squats except that once you have stood up, HOP. So a squat with a hop. Good to bring up the heartrate - and burn the quads!
Third group of exercises:
1. Crossing Balance Lunge - okay, this one is hard to picture and takes a lot of balance... Stand straight, facing the TRX, hands in front of you. Stand on your right leg only, take your left leg and drop your left hip, pushing your left leg behind your right leg and towards the wall on your right. After the set, repeat standing on your left leg, bringing your right behind you towards the left wall. Very hard to balance on this one (at least for me).
2. Tricep Press - the compliment to Bicep Curls! - Stand with back to TRX, straps over shoulders and hands pushed out in front of you at shoulder level. Straps are tight. Palms are facing down. Stand on balls of feet, lean forward while keeping core tight so that your hips don't bend and touch your forehead to the back of your hands. Now press back up to standing (on the balls of your feet). Repeat and feel the burn!
3. Standing Hip Drop - This is one of my favorites but the hardest for me to remember to BREATHE on. Stand sideways to your TRX, both straps together, held on top of your head. Keep straps tight, take a slight step towards the TRX so that you are leaning out at and angle. Now, stay in a straight line and drop your hip outwards, away from the TRX and then use your obliques to pull you back up to standing. Both sides do 3 sets each. BREATHE!
4. High Knees - just like they sound, jog in place while bringing your knees up HIGH, HIGH, HIGH! Cardio folks! (Oh, and hold your pants up while you do this, for some reason or another, pants always tend to try to slide away on this one).
Forth group of exercises:
This next group is done while your feet are suspended in the TRX and you are laying on the floor, I can't do many of these yet due to a lower back injury in 2011 but I'm getting there.
1. Hip Press - heels in the TRX handles, laying on your back, bring your knees in towards your chest until your legs are at a 90 degree angle - now lift your butt up off the floor and press towards the ceiling. Drop your butt (not all the way to the floor) and repeat.
2. Pushups - toes in teh TRX handles, facing the floor in pushup position - you do this pushup while your feet are suspended. Keep your core TIGHT in order to get this one done.
3. Side Planks - yes, you can do a side plank in a TRX, who knew? I can't really yet, it pulls on my lower back but I get a couple seconds in. Feet in TRX like in push up position but then flip to one side and with feet suspended, plank! Hold for 45 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.
Last but not least - LONG STRETCH! :D
By the end of class we are sweaty, our muscle groups have each taken a turn burning, and we generally have "Rubber Chicken Legs" while walking up the stairs. It is a lot of fun and a lot of work. Never gets easier, just more interesting and keeps you working.
No comments:
Post a Comment