Many believe that the only way to really develop muscles and get a defined look is by lifting weights.

There are alternatives though and in this Q&A session Aly, a professional PT in Dubai explains how TRX can help give you a more defined, muscular look.

TRX to build muscles

Question: Resistance training is a great way to improve muscular strength and increase endurance but can resistance training also help to build and define muscle?

You may have strength and endurance, but you don’t feel your body shows it. You want six-pack abs and arms that are cut and toned.

This kind of physique requires a targeted workout, combined with a high-protein diet that fuels muscle development.

If you want to sculpt a new shape, keep up a fat-burning, strength-building routine to define your muscles and ditch any empty calories that are causing fat to cover your ripped physique.

You’ll notice a difference in as little as eight weeks 1-

Use high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for the best fat-burning results 2- Do cardio exercises five to six days each week 3- Work out for at least 45 minutes,4 times a week 4- Make diet a priority 5- Drink more water before, during and after a workout

TRX compared to weights

Question: For building muscle in Dubai how does TRX resistance training compare with more traditional methods like lifting weights and weight training machines?

TRX was invented by a former U.S. Navy SEAL, the TRX (short for total-body resistance exercise) turns every exercise into a challenge for the core by using two very accessible resources: gravity and our own bodyweight.

All you have to do is anchor the TRX straps to a secure spot (think a weight machine, a door frame, or even monkey bars or a basketball hoop pole if you’re getting creative) and use either your feet or hands—depending on the exercise—to hold onto the straps.

In general, a part of your body will be suspended above the ground or you’ll be leaning into or away from the straps to create resistance and destabilization.

Knocking our balance out of whack gives us no other option but to adjust, which means engaging the midsection and back and firing up the shoulders and hips to maintain control throughout the movement.

Even better? Since the straps roll up into practically nothing, it’s a take-anywhere, do-anywhere kind of workout—provided you have somewhere stable to serve as your base.

Can TRX target muscle groups?

Question: As a professional personal trainer in Dubai who specialises in muscle building do you think you can target muscle groups with TRX resistance training, the biceps or triceps for example?

Yes sure you can target muscle groups with Trx resistance training and isolate the muscle and focus on it.

TRX for muscle building example workouts

Question: For people in the UAE who are new to TRX resistance training can you provide some example workouts and advise how each works/improves muscle definition?

Upper Body :

1. TRX Push-Up Targets: Shoulders, chest, arms

Difficulty: Beginner

How to: Here’s how you pump up the plain ol’ push-up.

To start, hook toes through the TRX straps so that the tops of your feet face the floor. Lift your body up so that weight rests on the palms of your hands.

Keeping core tight, bend elbows to lower your chest between hands.

You’ll feel your chest and shoulders working as you press back up to the start position

2. TRX Chest Press

Targets: Arms, chest

Difficulty: Beginner

How to: Forget lying down to perform the typical chest press.

Face away from the anchor with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Grab the handles with an overhand grip and extend arms in front of you at shoulder height. Lean forward so that your body is at a slight diagonal.

Bend elbows and lower chest between your hands. You’ll engage your chest and arms as you push yourself back up to the start position.

3. TRX Inverted Row

Targets: Biceps, lats

Difficulty: Beginner

How to: Row, row, row your… way to a fitter physique.

Lie directly underneath the TRX.

Bend knees and plant your feet on the floor. Reach up to grasp the handles, palms facing each other, arms fully extended, as you lift your body a few inches off the floor.

Keeping them close to your sides, bend your elbows to pull torso up towards the handles until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

Lower down to the starting position. You’ll put your biceps and back to work as you raise and lower your torso, slowly and with control.

You can also perform this exercise with straight legs, heels grounded to the floor, and your body at a diagonal.

Question: For the average man or woman in Dubai how much resistance training should they include in their overall exercise plan to see good muscle definition results?

Resistance training should be progressive in nature (for example, follow the principle of progressive overload – see below for an explanation), individualized, and provide a stimulus to all the major muscle groups (chest, back, shoulders, arms, abdominals, and legs).

They recommend that beginners do one set of eight to 10 exercises for the major muscle groups, eight to 12 repetitions (reps) to fatigue, two to three days per week (multiple-set regimens may provide greater benefits if time allows).

For older and more frail people (approximately 50-60 years of age and above), they suggest that 10-15 repetitions may be more appropriate.