TRX beginner workouts
TRX beginner workouts revolve around the use of the TRX system and the beginner’s bodyweight to create a challenging and convenient workout. This article provides TRX workouts for beginners who may already be on a weight training program. The beauty of TRX is that the intensity is dependent on a single factor: your effort.
This TRX beginner routine can be adapted to complement your strength training program, or as a replacement in cases where you cannot access gym equipment. The beauty of the TRX is that it is so convenient to get a workout in. That said, it is in my opinion that TRX beginner routines are not the best long-term option for continued growth and progression, as the loads are not heavy enough once you’ve progressed substantial.
Because the TRX relies on bodyweight, traditional methods of increasing resistance via weight do not work as well. A beginner TRX routine should be centred around work density; the amount of work done in a fixed amount of time, for progress. Along these lines, the TRX is excellent for HIIT-style training which will challenge your lactate threshold and speed up fat loss and improve your cardiovascular ability tremendously.
Key principles
- Start conservative. Your body needs time to get used to the instability of the TRX system. As you get more comfortable with the instability, you can begin pushing sets closer to failure.
- Keep the rest periods short. Since you aren’t doing low reps, long rest periods are unnecessary.
- Use supersets. Supersets involve you doing a exercise for a particular bodypart, and moving on to another exercise which hits an antagonistic bodypart without rest. For example, chest/back, biceps/triceps, quads/hamstrings are all common and popular supersets.
- Experiment with your stance and how you position yourself relative to the TRX. What this does it that it changes the difficulty of the exercise and you can determine from there something which suits your strength and fitness levels.
- Train frequently. Because the TRX does not allow for heavy loading, recovery is usually not an issue and you can afford to train more often.
The schedule
You will train on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. All sets are to be taken 1 or 2 reps from technical breakdown. One way to greatly increase the demand on your cardiovascular system is to incorporate supersets, i.e. supersetting the pushups and low rows, resting and continuing with pushups onto low rows without rest.
Exercise – Modifications to increase difficulty | |
Monday | Pushup – set the straps higher
Low row – set the straps higher Bicep curl – stand closer to the straps and suspend yourself closer to the ground Lunge – set up with your hips closer to the straps Squat – increase the time you take to descend to the bottom |
Wednesday | Chest fly – set the straps lower
Low row Squat |
Friday | Chest press – set the straps lower
Low row Tricep extension – set the straps lower Lunge Squat |
About the author
The author is a retired powerlifter who is now on a journey to fulfill his original aspirations of being a bodybuilder. Follow his 6 year (and ongoing) journey at http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/health-fitness-corner-48/derricks-training-log-3922068.html.
Alex Rogers is a supplement manufacturing expert. He has been formulating, consulting, & manufacturing dietary supplements since 1998. Alex invented protein customization in 1998 & was the first company to allow consumers to create their own protein blends. He helped create the first supplement to contain natural follistatin, invented whey protein with egg lecithin, & recently imported the world’s first 100% hydrolyzed whey.