anchor point. Essentially, the more the body is parallel to the floor, the more difficult the exercise. The third set of pictures shows two common

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Julianna Ramsey
5 years ago
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1 ST BOWLER SQUAT The bowler squat performed with a suspension trainer is a great little single leg squat/hinge combo! The suspension trainer assists with balance and I believe makes the exercise more effective. Stand with the suspension trainer behind you with your left foot in a strap. The length of the strap should be adjusted so that your shin is parallel with the floor in the starting position. Sit back into your right hip, allowing your right knee to bend as you counterbalance with your left arm. At the same time allow the left leg to push back, also serving as a counterbalance. Maintain good alignment throughout the movement. Push your right foot into the floor and contract your right glute as you reverse back to starting position. Repeat for desired reps.

2 ST OVERHEAD SQUAT Performing a bodyweight squat with arms overhead makes the entire body work harder. The upper back muscles must work to keep the arms overhead and the extended position fires up the core musculature. Using a suspension trainer can help with maintenance of proper alignment and execution of the movement. It may take a little tweaking to find the best position with regard to the suspension trainer. You do not want to be pulled forward. This happens when a person is standing too far away from the anchor point. Holding the suspension trainer handles, press your arms out to form a Y. Assume your squat stance. Make sure you are not shrugging your shoulders towards your ears. Keep them back and down. Reach your hips back and descend into the squat. Push the floor away to return to starting position. Continue for desired reps or time.

3 ST PUSH-UP The suspension trainer push-up can be tweaked up or down to increase or decrease difficulty. The unstable nature of the suspension trainer adds an element of instability which makes it more challenging than a regular push-up, but it is easy to adjust the angle of the body to accommodate the individual. Adjustments can be made on the fly, therefore if more reps are desired once fatigue begins to kick in, you can walk forwards a bit and continue the set. Note that the suspension trainer makes it possible for more range of motion to be achieved in the down position of the push-up. More range of motion is not necessarily a good thing if it means a loss of shoulder centration. In other words, if the head of the humeri (upper arms) are being jammed forward in the shoulder socket, the range of motion should be decreased. Set up in a high plank position with hands grasping the handles. Placing the feet closer together will make the exercise more challenging, while a wider placement will create more stability. Create and maintaining an external rotation force, which sets the shoulders and promotes integrity throughout the upper body. Perform a push-up, keeping elbows 45 degrees away from the body in the bottom position. Keeping the body aligned, push back to starting position. Essentially everything from toes to nose should be engaged!

ST RECLINE ROW Suspension trainer rows are one of my go-to exercises and I use them with almost all of my clients.

Rows may also be performed with a wider, pronated grip. Furthermore, supination as the row is performed is another option.

This position is maintained during the entire set.

4 ST RECLINE ROW Suspension trainer rows are one of my go-to exercises and I use them with almost all of my clients. I like the fact that it is easy to adjust the difficulty of the movement during a set. Shown here is a neutral grip row. Rows may also be performed with a wider, pronated grip. Furthermore, supination as the row is performed is another option. I have my clients set up with ankles dorsiflexed (toes pulled to shins) and body kept in a straight line with neutral pelvis and neck. This position is maintained during the entire set. Additionally, I have them perform the row up to a point where their upper arms are in line with their body (or slightly past this point) at the top of the movement. This keeps the head of the humeri centrated in the shoulder sockets. The first set of pictures shows a row performed with a starting position of 45 degrees. The second set of pictures shows an advanced position where the body is more underneath the

5 anchor point. Essentially, the more the body is parallel to the floor, the more difficult the exercise. The third set of pictures shows two common errors, both pertaining to maintenance of proper body position during the entire movement. You do not want to allow the hips to sag at the bottom of the movement, nor do you want to go into hyperextension of the lumbar spine at the top.

6 ST SPIDERMAN PUSH-UP The spiderman push-up executed with a suspension trainer is a challenging exercise that demands total-body engagement. It is a progression from the spiderman push-up performed on the floor. To regress the movement, perform a high plank spiderman, which takes the push-up out of the exercise. Assume proper alignment in a high plank with hands on the handles. Without losing position through the spine, descend into the bottom of a push-up while at the same time bringing your left knee towards your left elbow. Reverse the motion and repeat on the right side. Continue in an alternating fashion for desired reps or time.

7 ST SPLIT SQUAT JUMP Split squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that may be too advanced for some people. Being able to offload the movement by using a suspension trainer is a great intermediate variation. The handles assist with keeping good alignment and balance. From a standing position with feet hip width, step back with the left leg so your feet are no more than three feet apart. Perform a slight posterior pelvic tilt and maintain this positioning throughout the movement. Keeping the left heel up, lower your body towards the ground without any compensatory movement through the torso. The right knee should not fall inward. Everything should be aligned with the pelvis. Drive through the right foot explosively, coming off the ground and then landing softly and descending into the split squat position. You have the option of staying on that same side for desired reps or time OR switching legs in mid-air as shown above.

DB HAMMER CURL: 1-LEG SUPPORTED ALT- ARM + ISO-HOLD

DB HAMMER CURL: 1-LEG SUPPORTED ALT- ARM + ISO-HOLD The single-leg supported alternating-arm DB hammer curl with iso-hold requires you to maintain a stable position on one leg while performing a biceps