Dough Balzarini, a personal trainer and strength coach at Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, flexes his creative muscles and demonstrates five innovative TRX moves to mix up your routine and take your fitness to a new level.
The untraditional, advanced TRX exercises in this video will definitely test your core strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination. “I occasionally incorporate these complex moves to challenge my athletes or clients beyond their comfort zones,” says Doug. “I only suggest these to clients in good health with no musculoskeletal issues.”
We don't recommend these moves for everyone, so please exercise caution and only attempt if you feel comfortable doing so.
1. TRX Plyo Hand Hops
This explosive movement helps develop pushing power through the shoulders and arms while keeping the trunk engaged the entire time. Doug uses this exercise with some of his MMA fighters, who need to develop explosive upper body strength to help push their opponents away during a scramble. We recommend you do not perform this move if you have any wrist or shoulder issues.
2. TRX Inverted Star
This great movement works the posterior chain from the glutes and low back all the way up to the traps and rear deltoids. Think of this move as a progression of the traditional TRX Y Deltoid Fly. By lowering the body under the anchor point, we’ve created a much more challenging angle. Doug likes this movement because it gets the posterior lower body and posterior upper body working together to create an explosive extension. He uses this movement with MMA fighters and some “overhead athletes” (volleyball, baseball, etc.).
3. TRX Inverted Gator Chomp
Similar to the TRX Inverted Star, this exercise requires core and backside strength. Control this movement on the way up and down to get the most benefit. Unlike the TRX Inverted Star, Doug slows this movement down a bit both concentrically and eccentrically to increase TUT (time under tension) and really challenge the backside shoulders. This exercise can be used with most clients who have healthy shoulders by using the appropriate foot position.
4. TRX Inverted Windshield Wiper
A spin-off of the traditional hanging windshield wiper, this exercise summons a true test of bodyweight strength and torso control. You must have sufficient grip strength and strong abs and obliques to perform this movement correctly. Focus on controlling your trunk rotation and keep your core braced the entire time. Doug likes to test his advanced clients with this move from time-to-time to see if they can get 10 reps.
5. TRX Pommel Horse
Derived from the gymnastics world, the TRX Pommel Horse challenges the core and shoulders. Doug does not actually perform this exercise with clients; he has only shown it to some of his most advanced, well-conditioned athletes who were unable to perform it because their fee and ankles were too big. To perform the TRX Pommel Horse, it helps if you have smaller ankles, so your feet will fit in the TRX foot cradles.
Tell us in the comments below if you have any innovative TRX moves to share. If you need a TRX Suspension Trainer, get yours here.
Doug Balzarini works at Fitness Quest 10 (www.fq10.com) as a personal trainer, strength coach and Operations Director for Todd Durkin. A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State College. Since moving to San Diego, he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training and FMS training. He has also appeared in eight fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.
