TRX Suspended Rows

Image courtesy of barbull.co.uk

There are a lot of unjustified myths and magic surrounding the TRX.  Despite all of this nonsense, I think one movement that it actually creates a decent resistance profile for is what is commonly referred to as "TRX Suspended Rows".

http://www.youtube.com/embed/T1LmbIL6a9U

Impeccable control displayed above.  Classic Charlie.

Okay, back to the story.

Relative to other popular forms of pulling exercises, such as single arm dumbbell rows and various versions of pull-ups, using this tool for rowing may be more mechanically advantageous for appropriately challenging a pulling movement over a relatively larger range of motion (depending on what kind of challenge you are wanting to create within the exercise).

Because you are pulling yourself towards an upright position from a more horizontal position, the percentage of your body weight that you have to pull decreases as you move from the starting position towards to the top of the rep.  Additionally, as you perform this motion, the mechanical efficiency of the resistance at creating rotation around your joints--and subsequently challenging your muscles--increases, while at the same time the ability of your muscles to generate tension and overcome the resistance decreases (due to the shortening of the muscle fibers).

**Side note:  You also may run into a situation where your hands are closer together when your body is more horizontal and farther apart when your body is more vertical.  This would mean instead of pulling straight back, you are pulling back and out, which is going to be a less efficient way to pull yourself up.  Also, it is potentially different than the other examples given of the dumbbell row and pull-up, so for this post we are going to say that the distance between your hands does not change throughout the motion.

What this means is, as you pull yourself upwards throughout the range, the resistance force is becoming better at challenging you while you are becoming worse at overcoming it, similar to the dumbbell row and the pull-up.  However, the cool thing about the TRX version of a row is a that you will be having to pull less and less of your body weight as you pull yourself up, which makes for a more favorable scenario if you are looking to challenge a larger range of motion while performing what is traditionally labeled as a row.

There are obviously limitations to this tool as far as being able to load the motion appropriately while still getting the desired drop off in challenge throughout the range, but for all of you who are gung-ho about the TRX, this exercise can actually be fairly favorable from the perspective of trying to adequately challenge your tissue throughout a larger range of motion.

And if you are not gung-ho about the TRX or are indifferent towards which tool you use to challenge tissue with but still want this kind of drop off as you pull, check out the Nautilus Nitro™ Compound Row.  The presented challenge can be seen in the video below, as discussed by some guy with weird facial hair.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/k1Jbt7LgCcI

Questions?  Drop a comment below or take RTS™!

Your body.  Your training.

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Step Off of the Treadmill

The only treadmills that will be allowed in Self Made will be used for sprint work or recovery work. I am so sick of seeing people tell me that they are going to get their cardio in by staying on the treadmill for 30 minutes while they zone out for an entire TV program. If you are that bored with your cardio routine that you have to watch the news or re-runs to pass the time, you are in serious need of a cardio overhaul. Stimulate your mind and your metabolism with these alternative forms of conditioning:

• Plate pushes
• Battling ropes
• TRX circuits
• Body weight circuits
• Kettle bells
  
• Jump rope
  

All of these should be done in a high-intensity fashion, going for a 1:1 to 1:2 work:rest ratio. That means if you jump rope all-out for 30 seconds each set, rest 30-60 seconds between sets. As your stamina and recovery time improves you can use a 2:1 work:rest ratio. If done at the correct intensity, you could easily burn three times the calories in half the time using these methods. That's a training session that's six times more effective. Boom.

Get big or die tryin'.

TRX Do's and Don't's

I see it everywhere--TRX in the gym, TRX at the park, under the tree, in the office, in your sleep. No, but seriously, I even used the TRX in the library during finals week. So yeah, clearly it can be used in a vast array of locations, but what is it actually good for?? I mean, what does it actually develop?? You see Drew Brees using it as A training tool, but believe me, I've worked with Drew and it is definitely not the only piece of equipment Drew uses. And yet it is proclaimed by some to be the be-all, end-all of training equipment.

After playing around with the TRX for countless hours, training myself and others (including Drew) on it, here is my list of what you DO use the TRX for and what you DON'T use the TRX for. The "Do" list is probably more complete than the "Don't", which could conceivably go on indefinitely.

• DO use the TRX to train your back.
• DO use the TRX to strengthen your rotator cuffs and the surrounding muscles.
• DO use the TRX to train the stabilizing shoulder muscles.
• DO use the TRX to train your rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, spinal erectors, and other lower back and ab muscles, but please, DON'T tell me you are "training core".
• DO use the TRX to psychologically mix up your training.
• DO use the TRX as a pre-hab/re-hab tool.
• DO use the TRX to liven up your warm-up.
• DON'T give me this crap about how the TRX develops lower body power and explosiveness and then show me a lung-hop or a runner's stride on the TRX.

So that's what I have for you. I'm going to stop the "Don't" list now before I lose my mind with all the claims that have been made about this device. The takeaway, though, should be that when it comes to working with competitive or everyday athletes, the TRX is just a piece of the puzzle, not the puzzle itself.

Get big or die tryin'.

5 TRX Move You Probably Haven't Seen

If you have used the TRX in your training routines you know that the various exercises you can do on it are limited only by your own imagination. Check out this article by my friend Doug Balzarini to see five new TRX moves that aren't your run-of-the-mill suspended row.

5 TRX Moves You Probably Haven't Seen by Doug Balzarini

Get big or die tryin'.