TRX

Since the off season started (around October for me) I have been doing TRX about 3 times a week. It has been really great to get back into a strength training routine. Lifting and weight training was a huge part of being on the crew team at Colby. We did dead lifts, squats, rows, bench press, on and on with these intense barbells made with a pole and 2 rusty paint cans filled with cement....weird thinking back on that....But we got really strong. Since crew I stuck to the same routine (except with normal weights) and then pretty much stopped any weight training as triathlon training got busier. Last year for Christmas I got a TRX and have been hooked on it ever since. It is the perfect tool to get a full body work out based on functional exercises. It also targets a lot of smaller stabilizing muscles which is really important for injury prevention.

Here is what it looks like:

I liked this guy cause look! He is on the beach, working out, doing his TRX in his board shorts. That's how convenient this thing is. I also like the looks of his abs :)

OK here is a more helpful picture:

So the top of the TRX can be looped through some sort of eye hook or slung over a pull up bar in a gym or just anything stable. I have the door anchor as well so I can literally use it most places. You just have to shut it into a door and you are ready to go. The top part where the straps come together has a little see-saw type connector so the straps can even themselves out. With the yellow tabs you can adjust the lengths. There are the places for your hands and the craddle for your feet like Mr. Board Shorts is using.

I mean look at this guy. He was about to leave some stadium but decided it was time to TRX so he parked his truck next to some electricity tower. So he is doing a super inclined TRX push up. Based on his facial expresion he knows how hard core he is and is feeling pretty good about it.

He should have seen this guy first. I think that smirk would fade right off of his face:

Boom. That's about as hard core as it gets if you ask me.

It really is awesome and they even do it on the Biggest Loser and now Jilian has her own like knock off version of it that there are infomercials for.

During the season I didn't do it as much but I have been really consistent since October and it is paying off! I do a few different variations of work out with it but my favorite is called the Metabolic Blast Circuit. It comes on a card with the TRX. It goes as follows:

3 times through:
10 x 30 s of a TRX exercise, alternating legs, upper body, and abs. No rest inbetween each exercise.
      During each exercise focus on high intensity movements, really "blasting" everything
1 min SPRINT all out. If you don't have a track to sprint around you can do burpees, jumping jacks, jump rope or anything else awesome.

I have been TRXing with my friend meh and am going to start teaching TRX classes come January!