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Sample TRX workout

About 30 minutes is all it takes for a rock-solid, full-body workout, says Dr. Joe Martin, Fitness Anywhere’s top trainer.

Here’s one his favorites. Do two 60-second rounds of each exercise, alternating arms and legs when necessary, with a 60-second rest between rounds, and he guarantees you’ll feel the burn. If you don’t own a TRX — or you haven’t been issued one — check with the fitness center at your base or post.

Lunge

Facing away from the anchor with one foot in a strap pulling back behind you, knee bent at 45 degrees, throw the strapped foot farther back while squatting down on your other leg. Throw in a rotation to either side to amp it up.

• Benefits: “It’s a core and lower-leg exercise to start off with,” Martin says. “The rotation brings in more stability muscles and the lower back.”

Single-leg chest press

Facing away from the anchor, lean forward on one leg while holding the straps out in front of you. Bend your elbows and dip down so your chest is parallel with your hands. “It’s like doing a push-up off the kitchen counter, but without the stability,” Martin says.

• Benefits: “Your arms are suspended, they’re moving, so they have to stabilize your core — abs and lower back — and your glutes and quads are firing because you’re at this angle.”

Elevated back row

Facing the anchor, grab both handles, lean backward, keeping your body stiff, with heels locked in place. Now bring your fists to your chest.

• Benefits: “Works the rear part of shoulders and back muscles, but you’re firing from your pelvis. Your gut and lower back are tightening up. Your glutes, hamstrings, back of your legs, front of your quads are all tight as you pull your body back and forth.”

Torso rotation

Facing the anchor point, grasp the handles together using both hands. Lean back, like in the previous exercise, but this time come back up with a 45-degree turn to your side, your opposite foot pivoting on the toe.

• Benefit: “You’re isolating shoulders and back and rotating from torso, so it’s a good abdominal [and] lower back exercise because everything has to contract at the same time and initiates the kind of rotational patterns that we do throughout the day.”

Hip press

Facing the anchor, lie on your back with your heels in the handle foot cradles, knees bent at 90 degrees. Drive your hips to the ceiling.

• Benefit: “It’s a very hard exercise, relatively speaking. Everyone can do it, but you’ll feel it in your gut, and it’s a very good core stabilizer, hitting your abs, lower back, glutes and hamstrings.”

The ‘atomic push-up’

Facing away from the anchor, get in the push-up position with feet suspended from the straps. Do a push-up, then draw both knees in to your elbows like a crunch.

• Benefit: “It works everything — chest, abs, lower back — because you have to keep your butt from swaying.”

Overhead back extension

Facing the anchor point, extend your arms straight overhead, each hand holding a strap. Drop your butt back so your body forms a V, with your upper and lower body stiff. “Then — pow — bring your hands back up again.”

• Benefit: “Works the whole posterior chain from the top of your neck all the way down your back and then works on the abdominals as you try [to] pull forward.”

Body saw

Facing the anchor, place your feet in the straps in the push-up position, but with your forearms resting on the ground. With your forearms planted, push your body backward, then return to the original position. “It’s just like you’re pushing a saw back and forth over a log,” Martin says. Take it up to Superman level by doing it on your hands, or better yet, incorporating it into an atomic push-up or a reverse crunch. “Everyone hates this one, but it’s a great exercise,” Martin says.

• Benefit: “Before you do anything, you have to engage everything.” You’ll feel it most in the front hip flexors, front quads, lower back and lats.

Related reading

• Compactness, versatility drive popularity of TRX