Like athletes in other sports, the boys and girls of summer are using the TRX to get in their best shape ever for America’s favorite pastime: baseball. But don’t bench yourself if you’re not a baseball or softball aficionado. The same movements that make you strong in baseball work for all spring sports such as golf, tennis, track and field or just day-to-day activities.
Late last year, I went to Tempe, Arizona to reacquaint the coaches and trainers of Athletes’ Performance, a premier training facility for sports performance. With the TRX. Mark Verstegen has built a fantastic reputation in the sports performance industry using a “systems” based approach to athletic development based on science, best practices and professional ethics. After a few hours on the TRX, Mark and his team were excited about the possibilities of using the TRX with their athletes. The philosophy and execution of the following exercises filmed at Athletes’ Performance are aligned with TRX's approach to multijoint, multiplanar movements which incorporate an effective and functional core strengthening component.
The TRX is used to develop strength and mobility needed for improved performance and to reduce the risk of injury for baseball players (or any sport that requires rotational force such as tennis or golf). Because you train in a standing position, traditional shoulder exercises become integrated movements from top to bottom of the kinetic chain. The first three exercises in the TRX Spring Training workout address the rotational and posterior (back) muscles of the shoulders, shoulder girdle and core. These muscles act as decelerators, or breaks, for the throwing and swinging associated with the game. Often, it is the imbalance of the stronger chest and anterior shoulders to the back muscles that can lead to reduced performance and injury. What makes the TRX Y, T and W Deltoid Flys more effective than isolative external rotation exercise is the integration of core or “pillar” strength and stability.
The TRX Acceleration Load and Lift exercise resembles the TRX Sprinter Start but takes the rotary stability component up a notch or two. Trying to steal second or making a dash to catch a deep fly ball requires you to have good acceleration mechanics to cover ground quickly. This exercise also trains core strength in a single leg stance. Do not be surprised to see one side stronger than the other. Identifying and training to reduce this bilateral asymmetry will improve performance and reduce injury risk.
The TRX Single Arm Row is another exercise similar to an exercise you TRX veterans have seen, the TRX Power Pull. Notice the TRX Single Arm Row demonstrated here separates the rotation from the row. This places a different demand on core, back and arm strength. Subtle differences in similar exercises create different training effects.
As with all TRX exercises and programs, intensity can be adjusted for all fitness levels by modifying body position and foot placement. The TRX is an incredible tool for the beginner up to the elite athlete. It is “easy to use but hard to master” and appropriate for everyone.
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TRX T Deltoid Fly
- Sets: 1 to 3
- Reps: 6 to 12
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TRX W Deltoid Fly
- Sets: 1 to 3
- Reps: 6 to 12
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TRX Y Deltoid Fly
- Sets: 1 to 3
- Reps: 6 to 12
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TRX Acceleration Load and Lift
- Sets: 1 to 3 each leg
- Reps: 6 to 12
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TRX Single Arm Row
- Sets: 1 to 3 each arm
- Reps: 6 to 12
As the TRX Head of Human Performance, Chris Frankel draws from over 25 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach. He earned an MS in Exercise Physiology from the University of New Mexico, where he is currently completing his doctorate in Exercise Science. Before TRX, Chris was an instructor in the Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of New Mexico.
Mark Verstegen is the President and Founder of Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance. He serves as the Director of Performance for the NFL Players Association, and is an athletic coach for the German national football team. He also set a Guinness World Record with Sheraton Hotels for the World's Largest Resistance Band Strength Training Class.
