TRX Full Body Workout: 8 Exercises to Stay Strong for Life

Most people think you need a gym and weights to build a strong body.

You don’t.

You just need two straps…

In this TRX workout, I’ll show you the simple training roadmap that’s helped over 8,000 busy men and women in my community…

Build a strong, athletic body using just a TRX suspension trainer at home.

It’s built for men and women over 40, 50 and 60.

Each exercise targets a muscle that modern life quietly switches off, from your grip and back to your glutes and core.

Want this workout laid out for you, week by week?

Grab the free 4-week TRX workout plan below...

It structures all 8 exercises into two progressive blocks, so you’re never guessing what to do next:

Below are the 8 exercises, how to do each one, and how to use the free 4-week TRX workout plan that puts them together.

First, the 8 TRX exercises overview (reps, sets, tempo)…

Don’t have time to read the post in full? Then watch the video below to see the TRX full body workout: 8 exercises to stay strong for life…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgyZDpM86Ik

The 8 Exercises in This TRX Full Body Workout

Here’s the full workout at a glance:

Exercise	Benefit	Sets x Reps
1. Reverse Curls	Arm stability	3 x 8–12
2. Reverse Grip Low Row	Back support	3 x 10
3. Reverse Lunge	Leg Balance	2 x 8–12 each leg
4. Supermans	Spine Strength	3 x 4–8 (5-second hold)
5. Mountain Climbers	Hip Stability	2 x 8 each leg
6. Face Pulls	Shoulder strength	2 x 8
7. Side Bends	Core rotation	2 x 6–8 each side
8. Glute Raises	Leg power	3 x 10–15

Use a slow, controlled tempo on every rep, and rest around 60 seconds between sets.

Here’s exactly how to do each exercise and why it’s so powerful…

Starting with the arm muscle everyone overlooks…

1. Arm stability: TRX Reverse Curls

Everyone trains their biceps, but never the muscle running along the top of the forearm…

Until their elbows are in pain.

That muscle is your brachioradialis…

It controls your grip strength and elbow stability…

And if yours is weak, tennis elbow and limited arm mobility become a real risk.

Reverse curls strengthen that hidden muscle.

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/8EOeFA4EPOY

1. Grab the handles with an overhand grip.
2. Curl up towards your nose over 2 seconds, keeping your wrists straight.
3. Pull on the straps to squeeze your forearms hard at the top, and hold for 2 seconds.
4. Slowly lower back down, resisting gravity.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8–12 reps to start.

That’s your grip and elbow stability locked in. Now let’s build some serious back support…

2. Back support: TRX Reverse Grip Row

Without strong lats, your upper body has nothing holding it upright.

They’re the large muscles on either side of your back that act like support pillars….

When they weaken, your pulling power goes and your upper body caves forward.

Rows are the fix, but with a reverse grip.

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/TP3Swv4kd3M

1. Grab the handles with your palms facing up.
2. Drive your elbows down and back, alongside your body, to pull up over 2 seconds.
3. Squeeze your lats extra hard at the top by pulling on the straps, and hold for 2 seconds.
4. Lower slowly, and actively push your arms forward at the bottom to stretch your lats for a bigger range of motion.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 reps to start.

Now that your support pillars are strong, let’s fix the imbalance in your legs…

3. Leg Balance: TRX Reverse Lunge

Most people only ever train both legs together…

Not realising the stronger leg is always compensating for the weaker one…

That imbalance quietly builds until simple single-leg tasks, like getting up off the floor or climbing stairs, get hard on one side.

Single-leg reverse lunges reveal and fix that weakness…

While the straps give you the support you need to progress…

Here’s how to do them:

https://youtube.com/shorts/lag5gkT4hV0

1. Place one foot in line with the anchor point.
2. Slowly step back as far as feels comfortable, over 2 seconds.
3. Lightly touch the ground with your knee, then drive back up through your heel.
4. Fully straighten your leg at the top, and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.

Sets and reps: 2 sets of 8–12 reps on each leg.

Now that you’ve got single-leg strength, let’s build the deep muscles that keep your spine stable…

4. Spine Strength: TRX Supermans (Extensions)

It’s easy to blame back pain on age, but the real cause is the muscles alongside your spine getting weak.

That’s your erector spinae.

Their job is to keep your spine upright and stable….

When they’re weak, standing for long periods or general lifting causes back pain.

Supermans strengthen those deep spinal muscles to fix it.

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/QSMlEKWolLg

1. Get the straps over your shoulders.
2. Slowly extend your arms out until your entire body is straight.
3. Hold that top position for 5 seconds. You should feel the middle of your back working hard to keep you there.
4. Squeeze your abs to curl back in.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 4–8 reps.

Now that your spine is protected, let’s work on your pelvic stability, so your whole body is in alignment…

Oh, and as a quick reminder…

I’ve put all 8 of these exercises into a free 4-week strength plan, structured to gradually build your strength, so you’re not guessing how to put them together.

Grab it below…

Now let’s train that pelvic stability…

5. Hip Stability: TRX Mountain Climbers

Without a strong core and hip flexors connecting it…

Your pelvis tilts forward.

That affects the mechanics of your spine and hips, and ultimately your balance.

Mountain climbers strengthen that connection to bolster your balance…

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/I774SMPFOMM

1. Get your feet in the straps, and get into a press-up position.
2. Squeeze your whole core to keep your body in a straight line.
3. Drive one knee towards your elbow, and hold it for a second.
4. Slowly lower, then repeat on the other side.

Sets and reps: 2 sets of 8 reps on each leg.

Too hard? See the “Mountain Climbers Too Hard?” section below for what to do instead.

Now that your pelvis and core are solid, let’s keep your shoulder girdle strong and pain-free…

6. Shoulder strength: TRX Face Pulls

Most people never train their rear shoulder muscle, so over time the whole joint stiffens…

Because it hasn’t got the support to hold it in place.

Left long enough, that stiffness can become frozen shoulder.

Face pulls strengthen your rear shoulder muscle to bulletproof your whole shoulder girdle and keep it moving freely…

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/5RX2hUhYyJk

1. Get an overhand grip on the handles.
2. Pull your hands past your nose over 2 seconds.
3. As you reach the top, rotate your knuckles upward for a full contraction through your rear shoulder and rotator cuff.
4. Slowly lower back down, stopping just before your arms straighten.

Sets and reps: 2 sets of 8 reps to start.

That’s your shoulders bulletproofed. Now let’s rebuild your rotational strength…

7. Core rotation: TRX Side Bends

The first time you notice weak obliques is usually when reaching across triggers a sharp pain you can’t quite pinpoint.

Your obliques run down the sides of your core…

And support your spine during any rotational movement…

Side bends target and strengthen them to reduce that risk of strain.

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/_57VyKEvOys

1. Hold the straps above your head.
2. Slowly extend your body out over 2 seconds, until you feel a deep stretch down your side.
3. Pause there.
4. Squeeze your entire core to drive your hips inward and pull yourself upright.

Sets and reps: 2 sets of 6–8 reps on each side to start.

Now that your core can absorb rotational force, let’s wake up your body’s biggest power engine…

8. Leg power: TRX Glute Raises

Most people think an aching lower back is a flexibility problem.

So they stretch, get brief relief, and feel it aching again an hour later.

But tightness isn’t the cause…

Weak glutes force your lower back to handle a load it was never designed to carry.

Glute raises switch your biggest, most powerful muscle back on.

Here’s how to do them

https://youtube.com/shorts/K4semOIlcMY

1. With both feet in the straps, lift your hips an inch off the ground. That’s your starting position.
2. Before you move, squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.
3. Drive your hips up over 2 seconds, and hold for 2 seconds at the top, keeping that glute squeeze strong.
4. Slowly lower back down.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10–15 reps.

And that’s all 8 exercises.

Now here’s how to put them together…

Your Free 4-Week TRX Workout Plan

These 8 exercises target every essential muscle that modern life has been quietly shutting down.

But knowing the exercises is one thing…

Knowing how to progress them is what actually changes your body…

That’s why I’ve mapped all 8 into a free 4-week TRX workout plan, split into two progressive blocks:

• Block 1 (Weeks 1–2): Nail your technique on all 8 exercises, with a slow, controlled tempo
• Block 2 (Weeks 3–4): Increase the challenge with more sets, harder angles or longer holds

Each block builds on the last, week by week, so you never plateau and never have to guess what to do next.

Now here’s the thing…

Mountain Climbers Too Hard?

All of that strength means nothing if your core can’t hold it together.

If the mountain climbers feel shaky or too hard, your core is too weak right now, and it’s affecting every other exercise you do.

The good news is it’s easy to fix.

Swap them for the standing version first: hold the straps under your armpits, facing away from the anchor, and drive one knee up and across towards the opposite side.

Build up to 15 controlled reps on each side, then work back up to the feet-in-straps version.

In my 7 TRX core exercises post, I show you all 3 mountain climber levels, plus the core workout that fixes the gap.

TRX Full Body Workout FAQ

How often should I do a TRX full-body workout?
3 times a week is ideal for most people, with a rest day in between each session. That gives your muscles time to recover and get stronger. The free 4-week plan lays out exactly which days to train and how to progress.

Can you build strength with just a TRX?
Absolutely. Your muscles don’t know what you’re holding. They only know the tension you place on them. With slow, controlled reps and a hard squeeze on every one, your bodyweight becomes a serious load, and you can make every exercise harder just by changing your angle.

Can beginners do this TRX workout?
Yes. Every exercise can be made easier by standing more upright, using a smaller range of motion, or using the straps for more support. Start with the lower end of each rep range, and focus on technique before intensity. If the mountain climbers are too hard, use the standing version above.

Is TRX good after 40?
It’s one of the best ways to train after 40. The straps take the pressure off your joints, so you load your muscles rather than your knees, shoulders and back. And because muscle loss speeds up with age, a workout that rebuilds your grip, back, legs and core like this one is exactly what keeps you strong for life.

How long does this TRX workout take?
Around 30–40 minutes, depending on your rest periods. All you need is your suspension trainer and a secure anchor point, so there’s no travel time and no waiting for equipment.

More TRX Guides

• Want to build your own plan? See how to create a TRX workout plan.
• For the complete exercise list, see my 16 best TRX exercises.
• Wondering if TRX really builds muscle? Here’s the exact method I use.

More TRX Guides by Body Part

• TRX Chest Exercises
• TRX Arm Exercises
• TRX Core Exercises
• TRX Back Exercises
• TRX Leg Exercises
• TRX Shoulder Exercises

Here’s to your Fitness Freedom!

Coach Adam, aka TRX Traveller