By Aaron Boike, B.S. Kinesiology, A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
It might be 10 degrees outside right now, but before long the temps will be warming up and we’ll all be anxious to get outside to enjoy the great outdoors again; be it for a run, hike, or playing our favorite sports. The common denominator for all of these activities is an element of strength, stability, and power through the lower body. Here are three of my favorite TRX movements to help you add some spring to your stride.
- TRX Sprinters Start
This exercise has a wealth of benefits for runners and athletes. First, is takes us into a deep lunge position to start, helping us build range of motion and flexibility. Second, it engages the hip muscles (glutes primarily) to propel us up into forward motion. These muscles are often the weak point in our running stride. Lastly, the powerful drive forward into the high knee at the top promotes stability and strengthens the core and hip flexors. Try adding a jump to this movement to increase the intensity even more.
- TRX Crossing Balance Lunge
This exercise promotes strength, stability, and range of motion through the both the hip flexors and extensors. I also helps to build good hip drive – essential to a good running stride. In addition, the crossing balance lunge crosses several planes of motion, helping to build muscles and movement patterns that are often missed in traditional weight lifting exercises.
- TRX Pistol Squat
Last but certainly not least, the pistol squat is a must do movement for any runners or running athletes. Single leg squatting is tremendously beneficial in developing good single leg movement patterns and helping to train the muscles to be able to handle loads on each side of the body. Specifically, the quads, the calves (especially the soleus muscle, which ties into the Achilles tendon), the hips, and the low back all experience strength and mobility improvements from this exercise.