Workout Wednesday - TRX Curl Ups

The final exercise of my top 10 TRX moves is the TRX curl up.  This is similar to a C-sit up in pilates but your feet are in the straps.  By keeping your legs straight and elevated, you challenge yourself because you aren't able to rely on your hip flexors to help you sit up.

The principle behind this move is to focus on using your abdominal muscles to lift you up off of your mat by focusing on one vertebrae lifting at a time.  While the lift is challenging additional work - and benefits can be achieved on the return to the mat if you focus on control your momentum and the speed you move.

So here are the steps to a TRX Curl up:

1. Begin with your straps set to mid-calf length.
2. Lying face up on your mat place your heels in the straps.  Legs should be fully extended with a natural bend at the knee.
3. Engage your abdominal muscles and begin curling yourself up off of the mat slowly -one vertebrae at a time until you are in a full sitting position.
4. Return to the mat in using the same rate of speed and thinking slow and controlled movements.
5. If this movement is difficult to complete in a smooth fluid movement or you find yourself 'stuck' at a certain point (typically just below the level of the shoulder blades) a yoga strap or band can be placed around your feet and held in your hands to provide assistance with this move.  Additionally you can removed your feet from the TRX straps and work to increase your abdominal strength with your feet on the floor.
6. To make this move more challenging extend your arms over your head while lying on the mat and focus on lifting up with the arms rotating through the should and extending your arms in front of you in the sitting position.