Traveling? Take Your TRX Workout With You

Are you ready for some holiday travel? Whether you’re packing for warm or cold weather, you want to make sure you save some room for your TRX Home2 System. This lightweight Suspension Trainer is everything you need to keep you honest and check your “fitness box” for your trip!

The whole point of a vacation is to enjoy your time away from home, so these workouts are not about setting “personal bests” in your training. Sometimes you need to stretch out from that long plane, train or automobile ride, and sometimes you just want to sneak in a good sweat before you start your adventure for the day. Whatever your goal is, this workout is going to be perfect (even in someplace as small as your hotel room).

This workout can be over in as little as six minutes but can last more than 30 minutes if you want it to! You will need a TRX Home2 System and a TRX mini-band. These are two small additions to your packing that will give you major rewards.

Your options:

1. If you are new to TRX or fitness training, perform each exercise for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds or as needed.
2. If you’re conditioned, perform each exercise for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds. The transitions are short, and the challenge is great!
3. The ultimate challenge will be to complete each exercise for 60 seconds and rest for 30 seconds and complete two to three rounds.

Lateral Band Walk

The lateral band walk is a great way to work your glutes, hips and thighs. This exercise strengthens the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus, helps to stabilize your knees and hips, and prevents injury.

Place the TRX mini-band around your knees or ankles. Get into an “athletic stance” with your knees slightly bent and shoulder-with apart.

• Without losing tension on the band, begin to take up to five side steps to the left, and take the same number of steps to return to your starting position.

TRX Squat to High Row

This exercise is your first combo move that is an awesome total-body warm-up. You will target your shoulders, back, arms, hips, glutes and all the way down to your ankles. I love this exercise because we mix mobility and strength into one move. It’s really important to focus on full range of motion in your squat and row, especially since you aren’t using any additional weight to challenge you.

• Lower your hips back and down into a low squat, extending your arms as you lower.
• Drive through your heels to stand, and as you stand, row the straps in toward your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades.
• Repeat, alternating the squat and row.

TRX Lunge to Chest Stretch

This is another great combo move that will focus on shoulder, hip and ankle mobility. It is a great stand-alone exercise before any activity you have planned because you want to make sure your ankles, hips and shoulders are ready for whatever trip, commute or activity comes your way. In today’s workout, we are looking for a total-body session, so this move ensures you can stand up to the upcoming challenges.

• Start with your straps at midlength.
• Stand facing away from the anchor point with the TRX straps in your hands, which are out in front of your chest. Step forward into a lunge, raising your arms straight overhead into a letter I-position.
• While still in the lunge, sweep your arms down—like a snow angel—to a T-position, holding each position for 10 to 20 seconds.
• Finally, chest-fly your arms back to center to return to a standing position, and repeat on the other side.

TRX Chest Press

The next move you will tackle is your first real strength challenge. Your shoulders are warmed up, and it’s time to push your strength limit with the TRX chest press. If you struggle with push-ups, this is the exercise for you. If you crush push-ups for breakfast, this is the exercise for you. Whatever your fitness level, you can personally adjust your “level” to make the most of your work. Whether you work for 30 seconds or 60, chase greatness with your plank. Ultimately, the better you get, the stronger your chest, shoulders and arms will be for lugging around your holiday gifts!

• Stand facing away from the anchor, hold the straps in your hands and extend your arms straight in front of you.
• Walk your feet back a few steps toward the anchor.
• Keep your core strong as you bend your elbows to lower your body until your arms are bent at 90 degrees and your chest is level with the handles.
• Press through your hands as you straighten your arms to return to your starting position.
• Make it harder: Stand under the anchor point, hold the straps in your hands with your arms extended, and walk your feet back until you are standing in a 45-degree plank. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and then push up into your plank position.

TRX Row

I love this exercise because it will challenge any fitness level. I bet you didn’t expect to feel your abs burning on a pulling exercise? Whether you take a really low angle close to the floor or a higher angle, you still have to have full-body alignment. That just means while your arms are moving, your core is working to stabilize the rest of your body through the movement. We don’t talk about “all core all the time for nothing!” When you get to the low row, just be sure to challenge yourself in waves. Too low too soon leads to poor form, and that is an easy recipe for injuries, and we don’t have any time for that!

• Begin with the TRX Suspension Trainer straps fully shortened and stand facing the anchor point.
• Holding on to the handles, your shoulders should be down and back, with the handles positioned at your rib cage.
• Walk your feet toward the anchor point to the appropriate angle for your fitness level (until you feel tension in your upper back).
• Bend your arms to 90 degrees as you bring the handles by your ribs and maintain your plank. Brace your core, forming a strong plank with your shoulders pulled down and back, and slowly lower your body by extending your arms.

TRX Cycle Jump

If you haven’t raised your heart rate yet, it’s go time! This exercise brings strength and conditioning to the workout by adding jumps into the program. Perform this exercise for 30 seconds, and you’ll be breathing heavy. Try it for 60 seconds, and I promise your legs will turn to Jell-O. We are challenging your hamstrings, quads, glutes and calves with this plyometric exercise. It’s at the end for a reason. Take a few extra seconds of rest to let your heart rate come down before you either repeat the round again, add on an additional training session like a run or bike, or just call it a day.

• Adjust the TRX straps to midlength and stand facing the anchor point.
• Hold the straps with your elbows under your shoulders, and step your right leg forward and left leg back.
• Lower your hips down and back, keeping your chest tall, until your left knee is an inch off the ground.
• Jump into the air, switch legs so your left leg is forward and your right leg is back as you land, and immediately dip into a lunge. Continue jumping and alternating legs.

I hope you enjoy this workout! If you aren’t sure how to perform the exercises in this workout, please check out the breakdown of each move here. You’ll also find plenty of other fun, quick workouts to do on the road, at home or in your gym! I can’t wait to hear what you think. Happy holidays and Stay Fit!

Photo credit: FXQuadro, Getty Images