Designed by TRX Master Trainer Jonathan Ross, this new challenge is advanced and requires many characteristics of fitness to be present all at once. It requires strength, stability, balance, power, coordination and endurance.
Success in fitness is found in developing the various parts of fitness without allowing anyone to dominate to the exclusion of others. This challenge does just that by asking for challenging exercises to be performed with rapid transitions and all exercises requiring full body stability with localized strength and power.
Set up for the TRX 10/10/10 Challenge:
- Perform 10 reps of three exercises as a circuit with 10 second transitions between exercises.
- Rest for 60 seconds and switch the TRX foot during the rest.
- Perform 10 reps of same three exercises with the other leg in TRX.
TRX Suspension Trainer Exercises (all in single handle mode):
- TRX Inverted Shoulder Press
- TRX Leg Extension
- TRX Elevated Lunge
"Intense" TRX Inverted Shoulder Press
This is a challenging frontal plane upper body exercise requiring a combination of shoulder stability, mobility and strength. It is critical to differentiate this movement from a chest press by performing a “vertical push” motion like an overhead dumbbell press.
Criteria:
- Torso must be parallel to arms, which are close to vertical.
- Range of motion on lowering must bring top of head close to ground.
Training Tips:
- Hold the inverted position statically to develop the strength and endurance of the stability in the shoulder. Maintaining the position takes strength initially but holding helps provide “stability endurance” that will be necessary to perform the exercise.
- Next, work on strength and mobility by dropping the free foot to the floor and perform the shoulder press movement, keeping the torso parallel to the arms.
"Extreme" TRX Leg Extension
Ross created this variation of a TRX Leg Extension to bring even more challenge to the quadriceps muscle for mobility and to the upper body and torso for stability. By having the feet significantly higher than the head, the leg extension must be performed “uphill” and thus the term “extreme”.
Criteria:
- Head must be directly under anchor.
- Thigh of free leg stays parallel to torso.
- Range of motion on knee of TRX leg must be from just above ground to full extension
Training Tips:
- From the standard leg extension position (feet under anchor), perform a leg extension from an elbow plank position. This lowers the upper body and provides more stability from the ground while creating more of an “uphill” push on the TRX leg.
- Move head closer to anchor and perform the exercise from an elbow plank position, then progress to a hand plank position. Repeat as necessary to bring head under anchor.
"Explosive" TRX Elevated Lunge
This is a classic TRX exercise performed with power, balance and coordination.
Criteria:
- TRX foot must be directly under or in front of anchor.
- Ground foot must completely leave the ground on each rep.
Training Tips:
- Perform an elevated lunge slow and controlled with the foot, knees and hips aligned. At first, use little to no arm movement.
- Gradually introduce arm movement in a gait-like pattern with the arms and legs moving in opposition. (i.e., when your ground leg is bent at the bottom position, your opposite arm is in front.)
- Next, perform the exercise more rapidly progressing to where your heel gets light and lifts slightly, but the toes stay down. The next step is lift off!
What are you waiting for? Grab your TRX and get started. You’ve got all weekend to practice this one. And of course, if you feel you’ve earned bragging rights, share your score below. And be sure to challenge your friends to the TRX 10/10/10 Challenge.
Jonathan Ross, ACE Personal Trainer of the Year, Discovery Health Fitness Expert, TRX Master Trainer and creator of the TRX Super Hero workout, brings a fresh perspective on fitness to the industry (www.AionFitness.com). His personal experiences help him to create exercise strategies that deliver big results for clients.
