ARGUABLY THE KING of all the TRX exercises that work the core muscles, pendulum swings are certainly not for the faint-hearted.
They require a huge amount of all-round strength and flexibility so don’t be worried or hard on yourself if you struggle to complete five at your first attempt.
One of the great things about having your own set of TRX straps is just how portable they are; they pack up pretty small and can be taken with you while travelling and used almost anywhere.
But having the motivation to attack a 15 minute circuit using them is an entirely different matter.
This exercise recruits the muscles of your core, those being the rectus and transverse abdominus and multifidus.
Here’s a video demonstrating the move:
Starting position: Get into the plank position. (Kneel on your hands and knees, facing away from a TRX with your feet hooked into the foot cradles.)
Action: Keeping your feet together, swing your hips from left to right and when you get to the top of the ‘swing’ tuck your knees into your chest. Keep your core tight and concentrate on the hips.
Tips: 1) Try not to let your hips dip as this places extra pressure on the lower back;
2) Do the movement slowly and correctly;
3) Only do as many as you can – correctly.
4) Aim for three sets of five on each side for the first two weeks if you’re a total beginner and work upwards, adding more swings to progress.