Exercises provided by Elite Trainer, Deuce McMillan; NASM-CPT and TRX Certified
Rep for rep, you burn a lot more calories squatting than churning out biceps curls.
Your legs are your body’s largest muscles and use the most energy, which equates for a larger calorie burn. But who doesn’t also want a perfectly sculpted upper body? You don’t have to choose – burn as much fat and calories during your upper body workout using the TRX.
Exercises done on the TRX suspension cables require you to activate several muscles at once. This requires more oxygen from your body as you hold a move or do your reps, which inturn increases your heartbeat and breath. This increased heart rate makes many TRX exercises super efficient, integrated strength and cardio moves.
So a TRX Bicep Curl not only activates your bicep muscles but targets your abdominal muscles as well as lower body to blast away more fat in less time. Want the results? Here are the moves to get you there.
Upper Body TRX Blast
Neutral Grip Row
Targets: Back, abs, shoulders, biceps
This move is the key to a strong back.
- Grab the handles with your palms facing one another in a neutral grip.
- Lean back until your weight is evenly distributed on your heels, arms extended out in front of you, and body forms a diagonal.
- Squeeze shoulder blades together, keeping your core tight as you bend your elbows and pull torso up to meet your hands.
- Lower to return to start.
Bear Hugs
Targets: Biceps, Chest, arms
- Start facing away from the anchor with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grip the handles with an overhand grip and extend arms in front of you at shoulder height. Lean forward so that your body’s at a diagonal. With control, spread arms out to a “T” (but keep elbows bent) as you lower your chest closer to the ground
- Reverse the movement by “hugging” your arms in where knucles face each other.
- Return to start.
Atomic Push-Up
Targets: Chest, shoulders, arms, and abs
- Hold your feet into the cradles so that the tops of feet face the floor.
- Lower body down into a push-up.
- As you press your body back up into plank position, bring knees in toward elbows, allowing legs to draw apart.
- Hold for a few seconds and then return to start.
Modification TRX Push-Up: Place feet through the TRX straps so that the tops of your feet face the floor. Lift your body up so that weight rests on the palms of your hands. Keeping core tight, bend elbows to lower your chest between hands. Push back up to start.
Y Pulls
Targets: Abs, biceps, back
You’ll feel your back muscles working as you move from the “down” position to the “Y” position, and your abs will help you maintain stability throughout the movement
- Grasp the TRX and extend arms overhead into a Y, palms facing.
- Lean back on your heels until body forms a diagonal line, pulling your arms in and out in front of you until your palms nearly touch.
- Leading with hips, pull your body back up to stand, spreading arms back into a Y as you do.
Knuckle Heads (Triceps Extension)
Targets: Triceps
- Start facing away from the TRX anchor point, feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the handles with an overhand grip.
- Shift weight to the balls of your feet as you extend arms out in front of you at eye level.
- Bend elbows until hands are behind your head, elbows framing either side of your face.
- Return to start.
Modification Kneeling Triceps Extension: Kneel down facing the anchor and grab the straps with an underhand grip. Stretch arms straight out in front of you and hold them shoulder-width apart. Bend elbows to lower your upper body toward the floor until hands are in line with your ears. Return to start.
