Hi guys! In today’s blog post, I want to share a really quick full body workout that you can do even if you don’t have time to work out. All you need is a TRX strap or a similar suspension strap. So let’s get started.
The thing I love about TRX is that you can ball up the TRX strap and travel with it. The suspension strap also comes with an additional attachment strap. Mine right now is attached to a really sturdy hook at the ceiling, so if you have one like that, use it. You can do it in house. Or you can use the additional strap and put it around a tree, a branch, or something at the park if you’re outdoors. Or you can attach it to a large machine at the gym if you’re traveling.So what we’re going to do first is just an upper body workout. I’m going to do the opposing muscles, chest and back, and then we’ll move onto legs.
1. Upper Body: Rows
Our first exercise is just a plain row. All you’re going to do is grab onto those handles, step yourself underneath and let yourself lay back. You’re going to draw your hands towards the chest and squeeze your shoulder blades at the back. Breathe out as you pull, breathe in as you release. Squeeze those shoulder blades. If it’s too much for you there, you can just step back a little bit and take off some of the weight. But make sure your chin is up so your head’s not pulling too far forward. That puts a lot of strain on your neck. You want to feel this in the upper back, the biceps, and right between the shoulder blades.
2. Upper Body: Push Ups
The next exercise, we’re using the opposing muscle groups by working the chest. First, get into a pushup position. You’re just standing, leaning forward a little bit. You’re going to bring your hands in in line with your chest, keep your elbows at a 90 degree bend and then press straight out. Breathe in on your way down, breathe out on your way back up. If this gets to be too much, you can always decrease your resistance and step forward a little bit, moving your hands with you so it’s not as hard until you get ready to push for some more.
3. Lower Body: One-Legged Squats
Now let’s move onto two exercises for your lower body. We’re going to start with a one legged squat, so take that TRX and get taught. Extend the arms. I’m going to first sit down so you know that you’re in the right alignment, in the right position. Pick up one leg. We’re going to come straight back up, so we’re not using the arms. We’re really just leaning back. Sit your hips back like you’re in a chair. Squeeze your glutes at the top and try to keep this other leg lifted. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up.
4. Lower Body: One-Legged Lunges
For the second exercise for your lower body, you’re going to get your foot into the double straps. Press strong into the toes of that strap and then lean your body back. You’re going to set up for a one legged lunge. Your front foot, you’re putting away into the heel, keeping your toes up. Keep your hands in the middle just to center and draw your core in. You’re going to drop down, breathe in, come up and breathe out. Try not to lean too far forward and really put the weight to the back so your body’s over the back knee. Of course change sides.
5. Abs: Knee Tuck Plank
For our ab work, we will perform knee tuck planks. First, place just your toes into the straps. Then, get yourself up into a plank and make sure you’re feeling a little stable, although it’s a little unstable and that’s part of the excitement. You’re going to draw your knees in toward the chest and then straight back out. Try to keep your upper body really still. Breathe out when you tuck your knees in, breathe in and as you shoot them back. So thing to remember here, we don’t want your hips moving up and down too much. You really just want to draw the knees in and really contract the core and look ahead.
6. Abs: Mountain Climbers
For the last exercise, still for the abs, we’re going to do some mountain climbers. So we’re actually still getting some arm work in here too. Position yourself into that high plank again and get your hips up in line. We’re just going to take your knees one at a time to the middle of the chest. And once you feel a little stable here, as you’re pressing your feet into the straps really strong, you don’t want them to move, then we need to start going a little faster. Again, keeping the hips really still, pull your toes back. I’m barefoot, but you can obviously do these with shoes. It would probably be a little easier. And then just stay right here, 30 seconds or a minute, and you have a great workout.
There you have it- a quick full body workout you can do at home, when you travel, or out at the park. What I would recommend starting out with is doing a super set of those first two upper body exercises. I would do ten to 15 repetitions until you get comfortable doing more. Do two to three sets, take your time in the middle, and same thing for the leg exercises. The one legged squats and the one legged lunges, just super set. Again, ten or 15 reps on each side for two or three rounds. Same thing with the ab exercises, the knee tucks and the mountain climbers. You can do that for time or you can do it for reps. I would recommend starting out with doing maybe ten to 15 knee tucks, and then for the mountain climbers, just do one, one, two, and two all the way, ten to 15 just to get started, two to three rounds.
So hopefully you enjoyed that quick workout. Challenge yourself!
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