Fire Up Your Hip and Leg Strength

Functionally, training your hips and legs runs hand in hand.  In general, gross movement of the legs originates from the hip joint regardless of whether it causes movement anterior, lateral, posterior, or medial (i.e., all three planes of the body, sagittal/frontal/transverse are possible at the hip joint). The TRX Suspension System Lunge-Knee/Pull exercise will fire up your hip and leg strength, as well as encourage significant nose to toes core engagement and subsequent strength improvements. Check out the detailed description of this exercise and consider adding it to your repertoire.  As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.

Hip and Leg Muscular Strength Training – TRX Suspension System – Lunge-Knee/Pull

• Prior to beginning this exercise, set up the TRX Suspension System according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Perform 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of this exercise on 2-3 non-consecutive days/week.
• The goal is to experience momentary muscle failure during each set by the 10^th-12^th repetition.
• The key is quality over quantity, stability prior to mobility, slow controlled repetitions.
• Again, lunges are a downward, not forward movement pattern even with the knee/pull action!

*Trains the quadriceps/hamstrings/glutes/hip abductors/hip adductors and nose to toes core.

**Seek the guidance of your certified/qualified trainer to determine the safest and most effective strap length and body position specifically for you during this exercise.

How to:

• Adjust the straps on the TRX Suspension System so that you are able to stand the appropriate distance from the anchor point with the straps completely taut and your arms completely extended in front of the body (*the entire body will be leaning back slightly, creating one straight line from the ankles to the top of the head, enabling the arms to fully extend).
• The handles are held with the palms facing one another and both feet begin on the floor shoulder distance apart.
• Rotate your shoulders down/back, rib cage lifted, navel pulled toward the spine, pelvic floor muscles pulled up and in, engaging the core throughout and the knees relaxed on both legs.
• Transfer the body weight into the right (the front leg) foot/leg with the weight predominately in the right heel and place the left leg into the trailing leg lunge position with toes of the left foot on the floor and the heel elevated establishing your stability and balance.
• Then, lift the left foot/leg off of the floor, keeping the left leg flexed back at the knee joint with the shin parallel to the floor and lower the body toward the floor “lunging” downward with the right leg to approximately a 90-degree angle at the knee joint.
• Once you have reached the lunge position with the right knee, drive through the right heel, and simultaneously bring the left knee up as you extend the right leg.
• The left knee will lift up and forward to approximately a 90-degree angle at the hip and knee joint keeping the torso erect.
• Then, lower the body back into the beginning position and repeat.  Complete the set and then repeat on the other side.
• Avoid permitting the torso to move forward or downward.  The key is to keep the torso erect and stable and focus upon flexing/extending the hip/knee joints.
• Also, avoid any pulling or rowing action with the arms.  The arms remain fully extended and stable throughout the exercise.