A First Look At The New TRX Home2 System With Strength Exercises For Runners

Photo: Courtesy of TRX

The TRX suspension system—which enables you to train functional movement patterns using your own body weight—is a complete home gym in a 1-pound box. It’s managed to pierce a lot of runners’ inner shields exactly because it builds light, lean muscle; can go anywhere your sneakers do; and brings total-body benefits—without the bulk.

What exercises best complement your running regimen is up for debate: “Do I do body-weight, HIIT, yoga, weights, TRX, or what?! True: There are almost too many choices. But TRX simplifies that—with a free 1-year subscription to their updated fitness app. Here is a first look at the new TRX Home2 System ($199.95, trxtraining.com) available for purchase today, the updated TRX app, plus the 4 Best TRX strength exercises for runners.

What’s New

Lighter than ever, the TRX Home2 weighs only a pound and packs really small, so you can take it anywhere. Out of the box, you can easily anchor this total-body training tool to sturdy tree limbs, roofing joists, pullup bars, ceiling anchors, or over doors. What stands out is the continued simplicity of the device and its attachments despite its wide range of uses.

Adjustable Foot Cradles: This new feature accommodates a greater range of foot sizes. Whether you wear a women’s size 5 or men’s size 14, you can adjust the Velcro foot cradle to fit, so your foot doesn’t slip. Yet, it’s still easy to get your foot out too. That quick change comes in handy when going from exercises like TRX Lunges (with a secure toe cradling) to a TRX Hip Bridge (with a stable heel platform).

Padded Straps System: The strap area just above the handle gets a lot of wear and tear, but with the added padding of the TRX Home2 System, your hands and wrists don’t. This makes for a more pleasant hand-feel as you’re pressing and pulling your body weight with each repetition. The foot cradles are padded as well.

Loop Stop Up Top: Depending on what suspension system you’ve tried, you may have encountered the dreaded not-quite-even straps. So you find yourself fiddling to get the handles even when you should be training. The TRX Home2 System attaches the straps to a shorter loop near the top that doesn’t allow as much play on each side. So even though you can adjust the strap length easily and quickly, the anchoring point has a smaller radius that keeps the straps in just about the same position, allowing you to get to work faster.

RELATED: How To Integrate Cross-Training Into Your Running

TRX App Updates

The TRX app has also been updated to provide new workouts for the TRX Home2 buyers, who get a free 1-year subscription to the app (normally $4 per month for more than 80 workouts in running, cycling, yoga and HIIT).

Throughout the training, you can view integrated video demos of the moves, making it easy to glance at your phone, tablet or computer and then follow along. The coaches give encouraging cues and really helpful form tips so you know why you’re doing what you’re doing. And if you’re wearing a heart rate monitor, the coaches prompt you with “custom” in-ear heart-rate-based pacing tips so you get the most out of your workout, as if you were working with a real trainer.

Only got 10 minutes? Or want to train slow and strong today? Want a running/cycling sprinting interval, or a TRX/strength combo workout that kicks your bum? The TRX app lets you scroll through workouts based on the time you have and the type of workout you want to do. You can also schedule workouts with reminders, record your own moves, and grow as an athlete with in-app progression algorithms to help you track your stats and exceed your fitness goals.

4 Best TRX Strength Exercises For Runners

Photo: Courtesy of TRX

These 4 TRX strength training exercises for runners will help power up your core, train under-exercised muscles, and strengthen your lower body all over so you’re running lighter (and longer) than ever before.

Side Lateral Lunge to Hip Hinge

• Adjust the TRX strap to mid-height. Stand facing the anchor point with feet wider than shoulder width, about 4 feet apart, lightly holding a handle of the TRX in each hand, arms slightly bent. Step back so straps are about 45 degrees to floor.
• Push your hips back and down and lower hips into a side lunge until your right thigh is about parallel to the floor, keeping your right knee tracking over your right toes as you lower; and keep your chest up throughout. The left leg should stay straight the entire time as the right leg bends.
• Keep feet planted but press up to center until both legs are straight and your arms are straightened and lowered in front of you to about hip level.
• Hinge forward at the waist, pushing your hips back and keeping your core tight, as you lower your chest until your torso and arms are parallel to the floor. Use your glutes and core to return to center.
• Grip handles and return to a right lateral lunge. Do all reps on one side and then repeat on opposite side.

 

TRX Lunge

• Stand facing away from a low anchored TRX strap, about 1 foot away from it, with the top of your right foot secured into the adjustable foot cradle. Place hands lightly behind head.
• Lower your right knee back and down toward the floor until your left thigh is parallel to the floor, making sure your knees track over your toes and don’t go past your toes.
• Fire through your left glutes to press back up to standing. Repeat.

 

Forward Lunge with Y Flye

• Stand beneath a TRX with the straps adjusted to their shortest point. Face away from the anchor point, with your arms straight in front of you parallel to floor, lightly gripping the handles. Straps will be at about 45 degrees to floor and feet should be hip-distance apart.
• Lunge forward with your right foot until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your back knee nearly touches the floor. As you lower, lift your arms out into a Y position to activate your back.
• Press through the heel of your front foot to return to standing.

 

2-Arm Row

• Stand facing the anchor point with the straps adjusted to short- or mid-length. Step away from the anchor point so that the straps are at a diagonal to the floor. And lean back so that your body forms a diagonal line to the floor, with arms straight, as you lean back holding the straps in front of you. Toes up. To make it harder, lower the straps and lean back farther.
• Row both of your arms in to your sides, tucking elbows into sides and pulling your torso up, keep toes up still. Keep body strong and activated throughout.
• Lower under control to start, with body at a diagonal to the floor.

 

RELATED: Strength Training Is Good For You, Runners—Here’s Proof