A shaping
Superweapon

Longing for a rock-solid core and sexy six-pack? Want to get rid of flapping upper arms? Or would you rather show off a toned bum?

Well, you can have it all.

The shaping superweapon is called TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise) and it comes in the form of two straps that you either wrap around your feet or hold onto with your hands.

The other end of the straps is anchored to a mounted bar or wall. The point is that you perform exercises using your own body weight as training resistance while standing or lying down.

„Due to a high training intensity, an effective full body workout can be done in only 20 minutes,“ says Thomas Sommer, TRX Trainer and certified Health & Fitness Coach, who has been running TRX classes at PUMA’s Headquarters in Herzogenaurach for more than three years.

During your TRX workout, individual muscles will never be used in isolation, but only within the entire muscle chain, says Thomas. As the TRX straps are loose and therefore constantly moving, more muscle groups are engaged at the same time. Even the small muscles near the joints are being activated. Through this instability, a simple exercise such as a chest press becomes a core stabilization workout.

There is a variety of more than 300 TRX exercises that effectively train every part of your body. Thomas has picked ten of those and demonstrates with Anna Christgau (18), Apprentice at PUMA in Herzogenaurach, how to do them properly.

1. Overhead Squat

for strong thighs (targets the quadriceps muscle)

∂ Place your feet hip width apart on the floor

∂ Reach overhead and place the back of your hands in the foot cradle

∂ Make sure the TRX stays tight throughout the whole movement

∂ Bend hip and knee joints as you squat down

∂ Try to keep your upper body as vertical as possible and your arms up

∂ Keep both feet firmly on the floor, don’t let your heels come off the floor

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat twice 12 times. If you are a beginner, 5-6 repetitions are just fine.

2. Suspended Lunge

defines your upper legs (targets the quadriceps muscle)

∂ Stand on one foot, about one metre in front of the TRX

∂ Stand facing away from the anchor point

∂ One foot is placed in one TRX strap

∂ Your body is held in a tall, erect posture

∂ Engage core and lower body into lunge position, while pushing your suspended leg back

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat once 12 times for each side. If you are a beginner, 5–6 repetitions are just fine.

3. Hamstring Curls

for sexy legs (target the hamstring muscles) 

∂ Lie down on your back with both heels placed in the foot cradles

∂ Lift your hips up off the ground

∂ Keep your feet flexed towards your shins

∂ Maintain a body alignment

∂ Engage your core

∂ Pull your heels in toward glutes

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat once 12 times for each side.

If you are a beginner, 5-6 repetitions are just fine.

4. Glute Bridge

tones your bum (targets glute, hamstring and lower back muscles)

∂ Lie down on your back with both heels placed in the foot cradles

∂ Pull your knees in to create a 90 degree hip angle and keep your feet flexed toward shins

∂ Lift hips up as high as possible to the point, where you can lock out your hip joints while maintaining alignment in your shoulders, hips and knees

∂ Engage your core

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat twice 12 times. If you are a beginner, 5-6 repetitions are just fine.

5. Suspended Crunch

to get THAT six-pack (targets rectus abdominis muscles)

∂ Your body is in a prone position in front of the TRX Suspension Train

∂ Place both feet with toes first deeply into foot cradles

∂ Assume a plank position supported by your forearms or hands in a push-up position, where your tailbone is the highest point

∂ Lift your hips up and pull both knees under your body

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat twice 12 times. If you are a beginner, 5-6 repetitions are just fine.

6. Body Saw

makes your core rock-solid (targets transverse abdominis muscles)

∂ Your body is in a prone position in front of the TRX Suspension Trainer

∂ Place both feet with toes first deeply into foot cradles

∂ Assume a plank position supported by your forearms or hands in a push-up position, where your tailbone is the highest point

∂ Stabilize your upper body and keep alignment unchanged

∂ Slowly rock body back and forth as though your body was sawing wood

∂ Repeat once 12 times. If you are a beginner, 5 – 6 repetitions are just fine.

7. Elevated Back Row

gives you that desired V shape (targets latisimus dorsi and rhomboids muscles)

∂ Sit down under the TRX with neutral grip on handles and extended arms out in front of your body at chest height

∂ Lift your hips up as high as possible to the point, where you can lock out your hip joints while maintaining alignment in your shoulders, hips and knees

∂ Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift chest to handles by drawing elbows back

∂ Lower slowly to the starting position

∂ Repeat twice 12 times. If you are a beginner, 5-6 repetitions are just fine.

8. Standing Back Extension

for a healthy back (targets erector spinae muscles)

∂ Stand facing the anchor point with a pronated grip on the handles

∂ Extend your arms overhead keeping them shoulder width apart

∂ Distribute your weight onto heels and make sure your entire body is aligned

∂ Transfer more body weight onto heels and allow tailbone to drop back and toward floor

∂ Keep your arms next to your ears and bent 90 degrees at your hips

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat once 12 times.

9. Bicep Curl

defines your upper arms (targets biceps muscles)

∂ Stand facing the anchor point with a neutral grip on the handles and extend your arms out in front of your body

∂ Keep your arms close together and at shoulder height

∂ Lean back, find the appropriate angle, distribute your weight onto your heels and make your sure your entire body is aligned

∂ Stabilize your upper arms and flex elbows pulling your body in towards the handles, which are in line with your forehead

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat once 12 times.

10. Triceps Press

waves your flapping arms good-bye (targets triceps muscles)

∂ Stand facing away from the anchor point

∂ Have a pronated grip on the handles with your arms extended out in front of your body at shoulder height and your elbows pointed to the floor

∂ Lean forward, find the appropriate angle

∂ Distribute your weight onto the balls of your feet and make sure your entire body is aligned

∂ Stabilize your upper arms and flex your elbows, lowering your forehead towards the handles

∂ Keep your body aligned

∂ Keep your elbows pointed to the floor

∂ Return to the starting position

∂ Repeat once 12 times.