7 TRX Exercises to Build an Athletic Body

What if you could build a body that’s powerful, agile, and looks seriously athletic with just 7 TRX moves?

Most people waste hours sweating through random routines and never see real change.

But after coaching 8000+ with suspension training…

I’m going to show you the seven TRX moves that target every key muscle group for athleticism and exactly how to do them.

So you can train smarter and build a complete athletic body-whether you’re starting out or want to level up fast

To start, let me show how to build arms that look defined at rest…

Don’t have time to read the post in full? Then watch the video below to learn the 7 TRX suspension training exercises that build a complete athletic body

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3BBFGfMKbc

1. Arms That Look Defined at Rest

People treat arms like an iceberg.

Only training what they can see in the mirror, their biceps.

But the real definition is hidden on the back, your triceps.

They make up two-thirds of your upper arm mass.

Plus, strong triceps power every push in your life, from pushing yourself up off the floor to carrying your kids overhead.

And you don’t want to be that dad who can’t get out of a low chair at 50

But how do you build two-thirds of your arms mass in one move?

Let me show you.

https://youtube.com/shorts/rsvrx1vRJpo

1. Get the straps over your head with the handles together and create a slight angle
2. Push against the straps to squeeze your triceps
3. Then slowly bend your elbows to lower down over 2 seconds
4. Here’s the crucial part – at the bottom, twist your wrists so you can lower your hands further behind your head for a deep tricep stretch
5. Push back up over 2 controlled seconds, rotating your wrists as you go
6. Then squeeze your triceps extra hard at the top for another 2 seconds

Go for 2 sets of 8 – 12 reps.

With a 60-second rest between each set.

Next, let’s strengthen the leg muscle that creates fatigue resistance for walking, cycling, and running.

2. Athletic Leg Shape

Most people have chicken legs.

I know, I used to be ‘Captain Chicken Legs.’

And that’s because they ignore the one muscle that builds leg width, your vastus lateralis the outer quad muscle..

Without them, your legs look like lamp posts, narrow and deep instead of wide and athletic.

Plus, having a strong outer quad muscle powers you when sprinting after your kids…

Or climbing stairs without your knees feeling the burn.

So let me show you the single move that’ll build those outer quads fast

https://youtube.com/shorts/RbNIBdCCvPU

1. Start with your feet close together in a narrow stance, holding the handles at chest height for balance
2. Before you move, push your feet outwards against the floor and squeeze your quads hard
3. Then slowly squat down over 2 seconds
4. Keep pressing outwards as you descend. This is crucial because it shifts tension directly onto your outer quads
5. Pause briefly at the bottom, keeping that outward pressure strong
6. Drive back up over 2 seconds, still pressing outwards
7. Then squeeze extra hard at the top for another 2 seconds

These narrow squats also reduce stress on your knee joints, helping you build leg strength safely.

As you get stronger, you can add a weighted vest to increase the challenge.

Go for 3 sets of 10 – 15 reps with a 60-second rest between each set

Now let’s move onto the most popular muscle that every man wants to build, but most do it completely wrong.

3. Powerful Chest

Most guys train their chest like trains on a track, only ever doing one forward pressing motion.

But your chest muscles are also designed to bring your arms across your body powerfully…

Like when you give someone a strong bear hug.

The secret to a chest that’s broad and powerful isn’t pressing.

It’s activating the deep stretch across that horizontal plane.

Plus, this movement reduces shoulder injury risk and improves posture.

But how do you activate that bear-hug motion to build a powerful chest?

Let me show you.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4O_bDlZ0tTk

1. Set your straps to a long length, handles in front of you with arms straight and a slight elbow bend.
2. Create a small angle, then squeeze your chest hard by trying to make your elbows touch
3. Slowly lower over 2 seconds by opening your arms wide, imagine a bear hug.
4. Here’s the key: at the bottom, contract your shoulder blades back to open up your chest and feel a deep stretch.
5. Pause here for a second
6. Squeeze your chest hard by bringing your elbows together to rise back up over 2 seconds
7. Then squeeze extra hard at the top for another 2 seconds

Go for 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps.

With a 60-second rest between each set

Next, let’s build the small muscle that creates wide sport-enhancing shoulders…

4. Sport-Enhancing Shoulders

Ever notice how some people fill out a t-shirt and others look narrow?

That’s your lateral deltoids, the middle shoulder muscle.

Without them, you look narrow and weak, like a teenager in his dad’s suit.

But build them up and you instantly look like an athlete, even in a basic t-shirt.

Plus, they enhance your performance for sports involving throwing, swimming, and racket sports.​

So let me show you the move that’ll make your shoulders pop in every t-shirt you own.

This video first demonstrates the Y shape, then the T shape.

They use the same technique but target slightly different muscles…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hfcXfKo9y70

1. Grab the handles and lift your arms into a T shape, keeping your elbows slightly bent
2. Create a slight angle and slowly lower over 2 seconds, stopping just before your shoulders lose tension.
3. Go too far and you’ll start hanging – lose tension, lose growth
4. Pull back up into a T shape over 2 seconds, by driving the backs of your hands to the outer walls
5. Then keep driving outwards at the top to squeeze your shoulders

Go for 2 sets of 10 – 15 reps.

With a 60-second rest between each set

Next, let’s build explosive power

5. Explosive Power

Think of your legs like a coiled spring.

Training them slow with controlled movements is great

But real athletic power comes from explosive force.

That’s the difference between confidently keeping up with your kids at the park…

Versus watching from the bench, gassed after 30 seconds.

Explosive power keeps you young.

It’s developed from activating the fast-twitch fibres in your glutes, quads and calves by creating maximum force output.

Now let me show you how to build that explosive power without destroying your knees

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dx8qRl2E1tY

1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. This activates your glutes and hip stabilizers for better balance and stability
2. Lower into a deep squat and pause
3. Then explode upward as powerfully as you can
4. Land softly with control, absorbing the impact through your legs
5. Then immediately explode back up

Research shows that the fast-twitch muscle fibers used for explosive movements boost important hormones like:

• Testosterone
• Growth hormone
• While also helping with fat loss.

A lot of bang for your buck.

Go for 3 sets of 15 – 20 reps

With a 120-second rest between each set

Next, let’s strengthen the muscle that transfers that power through your entire body and protects your back from injury.

6. Core Agility

Most people do endless crunches with small ranges of motion,

Which is like doing bicep curls only halfway.

You’re leaving 50% of your core muscles unused and underdeveloped

Your abs are designed to move from a fully stretched to a fully contracted position.

Train them that way and you build real core strength that protects your spine…

And transfers power through your body for balance and stability in daily life….

But how do you train your abs through that full range?

Let me show you.

https://youtube.com/shorts/t_Al8-CLS38

1. Place both feet in the straps and get into a push-up position
2. Then gently lower your hips toward the floor to stretch your abs
3. Squeeze your core hard and bring your knees toward your chest over 2 seconds, curling your spine.
4. Then hold that squeeze for another 2 seconds at the top
5. Slowly extend your legs back out and gently lower your hips again

This gives you a much bigger range of motion than traditional crunches…

Building real functional core strength.

Go for 3 sets of 4 – 6 reps.

With a 60-second rest between each set.

Now let’s strengthen the muscles that keep you standing tall instead of hunched forward.

7. Bulletproof Back

There’s a big muscle in your back that works like a tent pole.

When it’s strong, it holds your posture upright and stable.

But when it’s weak, everything caves in and you end up hunched over.

Which is exactly what happens when you spend 8 hours a day slumped over a keyboard

That muscle is your trapezius.

When you build it up, it fills out your upper back and neck area, giving you that powerful profile from any angle.

But how do you do that?

Let me show you.

https://youtube.com/shorts/x79MBzleaGY

1. Start at the top, elbows up and pulled back, chest out.
2. Create a slight angle
3. Then slowly lower yourself down over 2 seconds
4. Don’t miss this – As you reach the bottom, actively push your arms forward to stretch your upper back muscles
5. Don’t just fall into a hang, or you’ll lose tension on your upper back muscles and limit your results. Control the stretch.
6. Then, focus on driving your elbows up and out to pull up over 2 seconds
7. Continue driving your elbows out at the top to powerfully squeeze your upper back for a 2-second hold

Go for 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps.

With a 60-second rest between each set.

There are only a couple more exercises I’d recommend adding if you’ve got a weak core,

Because your core is the kinetic chain that ties all of these together.

When it’s weak, you can’t transfer power, you’re unstable during movement, and all that strength you just built literally goes to waste.

So check out this post next, and I’ll show you 7 TRX moves that target every layer of your core right down to its deepest part

So you can pick the exercises that apply to you and build a core ready for athletic performance.

Here’s to your Fitness Freedom!

Coach Adam aka TRX Traveller