How To Build Muscle & Strength With A TRX – Part 1: Range Of Motion

A full range of motion refers to how you take a muscle from its fully stretched (lengthened) position right through to its contracted (shortened) position.

However, it’s important to note everyone is built differently and so moves slightly differently.

We can refer to this as our individual biomechanics.

The awesome thing about suspension and resistance band training is that it works and moves with our biomechanics.

Not against them as a machine might.

Or even free weights to an extent.

We can adjust angles in very slight variations to get effective ranges of motion.

This is what you will learn and grow more comfortable with as we progress through the Programs.

Getting the most out of your suspension training will become second nature as you’ll understand exactly how to perform each exercise with your specific biomechanics in mind.

Now, don’t get me wrong.

We’re not all so wildly different, but it’s an important attention to detail to note.

Hitting these little nuances leads to small changes that constantly compound over time to bigger transformational results.

Because we are technique masters, we always look to perform every exercise with the biggest range of motion that we can.

Not only does this lead to a healthier body (specifically with your joints as you get older)…

But it also places the full surface area of the muscle we are training under intensity to re-develop fuller and be more balanced.

It ensures equal strength capabilities at all points of movement through the range of motion and allows for an efficient understanding of movement patterns.

Why is full range of motion important build muscle with a TRX

Imagine the muscle as a large landscape canvas ready to be painted.

Performing a full range of motion is painting across the entire canvas from left to right to create a masterpiece.

Not doing a full range of motion means you are leaving white space at the edges of the canvas and not painting on them.

It means the masterpiece is incomplete.

It’s not correctly developed.

The same happens with our muscles.

Depending on how bad the technique is performed will depend on how much white space is left at the sides of the canvas unfinished and undeveloped.

Think of your muscles as this canvas.

We don’t want to leave muscle undeveloped and unworked.

The muscle will not grow into a masterpiece.

It may develop something but it will never be a masterpiece.

You see people in the gym doing this all the time

An ineffective style of weight lifting.

Leaving huge areas of their masterpiece canvas unpainted…

I know because I’ve been there.

I’ve been the terrible painter and year on year never achieved a masterpiece.

I used to grab a weight that was too heavy for me to handle in a controlled manner.

And I would do partial rages of motion just so I could move the heavyweight and look strong.

Little did I know I was probably only recruiting 40-60% of the muscle as a whole.

That leaves up to 60% of the muscle that will never develop because it was never worked.

Imagine that compounded over time.

Imagine the imbalance that occurs in that muscle.

Now you understand why so many people get injured quite easily and consistently. It’s not a healthy well-formed muscle.

This type of muscle does not last nor is it functional or aesthetic.

The same can happen to you

The same can happen within our suspension training.

For example, on a TRX Chest Press, you may assume that you ought to have your body at a tighter angle to the floor since this will make the exercise harder.

However, because of this, you might only go halfway down before pushing back up to perform the exercise.

Because the intensity is hard and you don’t feel you can go right down.

This is painting half of your canvas.

Instead, if you were to utilise a full range of motion, which is more beneficial, you will find that to do a TRX Chest Press you will need to use a bigger angle.

Sometimes just slightly off from standing upright.

Heavier is not better for transforming our bodies.

Moving our joints and muscle through a full range of motion with control and correct technique is ALWAYS our primary goal (unless stated otherwise in the Programs).

We’re looking for quality throughout all of the exercises to develop a truly noticeable and healthy physique transformation.

That’s how you build muscle & strength with a TRX using range of motion

Here’s to your Fitness Freedom!

Let’s get to it!

Coach Adam