Top 5 TRX Exercises I Use to Train My Legs at Home

It was always hard for me to build strength and intensity at home, as I always thought I had to own heavy weights and gym equipment to do so. When performing exercises such as squats and deadlifts, they can feel like a bit of a joke if you don’t add sufficient weight to them. After a few weeks of always training my legs in the gym with the TRX suspension trainer, I realized that sometimes you don’t need a gym to train your legs effectively.

I can’t believe that the TRX has become one of my favorite tools to do home workouts with, thanks to its versatility, portability, and affordability! It gives me an opportunity to construct a lower body challenge workout while also working on balance, coordination and stability all in one single exercise. These exercises have been helpful in my training for keeping leg workouts interesting when I was unable to get to the gym over the years.

Here are my top 5 TRX exercises for the legs that I perform at home.

1. Glute Bridge.

This is another exercise I like to incorporate into my workout routine when I am looking to train my glutes well, but also my core and hamstrings.

The movement I’m going to do for this exercise is flat on my back with my feet safely in the TRX handles. I push my hips up towards the ceiling, and squeeze my buttuts as tight as I can.

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From my experience, I have experienced the need to not lean too heavily on the lower back or hamstrings. There was a movement that was challenging for me at the start due to my hips shaking and a lack of stability, but after consistent practice, my glute activation has improved greatly.

This exercise has also increased my hip mobility as well as lower body stability, particularly after sitting for long periods.

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2. Jump Squat.

I personally use this TRX leg exercise at home that is one of the most intense leg exercises that will build strength and explosive power.

Squats are great for general quads and glutes development, but an explosive jump makes it more challenging and athletic. I really enjoy using the TRX handles for balance and support, particularly with the high rep sets.⁽¹⁾

In my experience, this movement will help build lower body strength, as well as increase stamina and coordination. Within minutes my legs start to burn.⁽²⁾

To avoid hurting my knees and ankles, I always make sure to land softly and control the impact as I land. When beginning jump training, gradually build up the intensity and focus on learning proper landing mechanics.

3. Front Squat.

The TRX front squat was one of my favorite quad exercises because it keeps maintaining proper posture and provides constant tension to the legs.

While doing this exercise I take the TRX handles in front of me and slowly lower myself, maintaining my chest up. I am able to squat deeper, with improved control and balance thanks to the straps.

In my personal experience, I had seen that this motion enhances the form and knee stability in my squat. It also put a strain on my core that was more than I was expecting: maintaining stability is a constant challenge when standing.⁽³⁾

I tend to do the concentric phase explosively and the lowering phase slowly to build the tension and control in the muscle.

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4. Sprinter Starts.

The lower-body power, coordination, and unilateral leg strength improvement achieved by sprinters starting TRX are remarkably effective.

This exercise is a little bit similar to a lunge but at the top of the exercise I drive my knee toward my chest explosively while balancing on one foot. The TRX straps are used to ensure stability throughout the movement.⁽⁴⁾

I can attest to from my own experience, that when it comes to sprinting, the HR picks up pretty fast and it does cause a major burn in the glutes, quads and calves. They also aid in maintaining balance and performance in athletics since each leg is used separately.

This exercise is a favorite of mine to add to my circuit training workouts as it provides strength work and cardio benefits.

5. Heel Raises.

At home, training calves without gym equipment can be challenging at times, but I have found that TRX assisted heel raises have been effective for me.

I do this by using a small elevated surface that will give me more range of motion and will give my calves more time to stretch at the bottom of the movement before I push them back up to the top.⁽⁵⁾

I actually found that the repetitions that are slower cause a lot more tension and activation in the calves than anything else, if you’re going through the exercise at a rush. After the move is feeling easy, I add single leg calf raises to increase the intensity.

This exercise has helped me to become more stable and stronger in my ankles and lower legs, particularly when running and hiking.

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My personal experience with using TRX for leg exercises.

I was very skeptical when I first began performing TRX exercises at home – I wasn’t sure if suspension training could work my legs as much as the traditional equipment. However, after a couple weeks of regular training, I saw improvements in my lower body strength, balance, flexibility and muscle endurance.

The main benefit I had was enhanced joint comfort. I felt that I was able to perform the TRX exercises more smoothly and with more controlled movement, as the straps provided less movement to put pressure on the joints compared to some heavy gym exercises that I have done that have occasionally given me problems in my knees or lower back.

I also learned that the stabilizer muscles are called on with a lot greater intensity in the TRX movements than in the machine movements. Simple movement was difficult because my body was constantly balancing and co-ordinating.

— Andrew Seipka, Fitness Enthusiast and TRX Training Practitioner

More advantages to TRX Leg Training.

• Develops stability and control of the body and feet.
• Enhances balance and coordination.
• Strengthens abdominal stability when the body is moving through the kinetic chain on the lower level.
• Needs to be easy to work out at home.
• A safe workout for those with beginner and advanced fitness levels.
• Enhances flexibility and mobility.
• Gives low impact but effective exercises.
• Excellent for strength and sports activities performance.

Bottom Line.

I’ve used the TRX for my home leg routine and it has made a difference! These exercises are designed to help build strength, increase stability, increase endurance, and activate muscles in my lower body with just body weight and suspension straps.

The most important exercises for targeting the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves with a TRX are listed above. I have personally seen some improvements in my leg strength, by being consistent and concentrating on correct form.

For anyone seeking to train at home without the need of heavy equipment, TRX training can be a great addition to your fitness toolbox.

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