Your 20-Minute Total-Body TRX Workout

Straight from the Navy SEALs, TRX has been shown to increase strength, balance, flexibility and stability, all in one portable, lightweight package. This 20-minute TRX workout, created by master trainer Garson Grant, will target the core, glutes, chest, hamstrings and back — all with just the TRX straps, your bodyweight, and some good old-fashioned gravity. Each move can be modified to make it more or less challenging — just play around with the angle of the body or the distance to the anchor to reduce or increase tension on the straps. Hang on — you’re in for a serious workout!

Not sure how to perform a move? Scroll down below the infographic for detailed how-tos.

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Your Total-Body TRX Workout

TRX Exercises How-To’s

1. TRX Balance Lunge

Start with arms by the sides (not extended), holding a TRX handle in each hand. (a) Descend one leg back into a lunge — the knee just hovering off the ground at roughly 90-degrees. Arms will naturally fall away from the body during the descent. (b) Bring the lunging foot back to meet the non-lunging foot. Pro tip: Rather than use the arms to pull yourself up, push into the front heel to return to standing. Complete 12-15 reps.

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2. TRX High Row to External Rotation

For all those desk workers out there, this move is great for strengthening the back muscles that support good posture. Start in the end range of the external rotation (palms facing the wall), straps pulled back so they are on an even plane as the head, elbows forming a 90-degree angle. (a) Offset the feet (one foot in front of the other), and fall back slowly with control, allowing the wrists to realign with the arms. (b) Keeping the core engaged and the spine straight, pull the body back up to the external rotation. Repeat for 12-15 reps.

3. TRX Chest Press

Face away from the anchor point and lean into the straps like you’re about to complete a push-up, arms still fully extended. (a) Press the body toward the direction of the straps, descending with control. (b) Press back up to return to the start angled-plank position. The hands should stay a few inches from the body so the straps don’t scrape against the armpits or sides of the chest. Pro tip: To prevent the straps from scraping against the skin, try bringing your hands a little higher and further from the body. Complete 12-15 reps, or as many as you can complete with proper form.

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4. TRX Plank (Body Saws)

Begin with the knees on the ground, feet in the foot straps. (a) Press the body up into a plank position, forearms planted firmly on the ground, and hold for 30 seconds. Note: If 30 seconds feels pretty comfortable, challenge yourself with body saws. (a) Start in the plank position and shift your body back a few inches toward the anchor. (b) Return to starting position with control, maintaining a neutral spine.

5. TRX Knee Tuck

Start with the body in a shoulder plank position, palms flat on the ground, and feet in the foot straps (the straps should be perpendicular to the ground). (a) Bring the knees in to the chest, while engaging the core and keeping the feet side-by-side. (b) Return to start position and repeat for 12-15 reps. Note: This ab-torching move takes a lot of control. Make sure to maintain even tension on each foot strap to keep your legs from sawing back and forth.

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6. TRX Hamstring Curl

Start by lying on the back, and placing your heels into foot straps. (a) Lift your hips up, maintaining a neutral neck and spine, legs straight. The straps should be at 180-degrees. This is your start position. (b) Maintaining total-body control, drag your heels toward your butt, hold for a beat, and then return to the start position. Throughout the whole move, press the heels down into the foot cradles so there’s no slack in the straps. To make this move more challenging, raise the hips a couple inches higher. Complete 12-15 reps.

7. TRX Pec Stretch

Congrats, this is your rest! Take this 30 seconds to catch your breath and rev up for the next circuit. Standing tall, face away from the anchor, with a strap in each hand. (a) Hold the arms out like a “T” but make sure they are stretched out horizontally, rather than behind you (perpendicular to the body), which can be damaging to the shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds, maintaining tension in the straps.

Originally posted April 7, 2014. Updated July 2017. 

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