TRX & Plyometrics
Third session in six days. Two circuits of TRX, plyometric bench jumps, and 16 press-ups at the end. The rain came three times. We sheltered twice and went straight back out. By the end the arms were gone — and it was the best session yet.
The Session
Third session in six days, and the body was already making itself known before we started. This one was built differently from the first two — a proper warm-up block through TRX squats and single-leg squats, followed by an upper body block, then two full circuits of four exercises each, with plyometric bench jumps between rounds. Structured, progressive, demanding.
The weather did its best to disrupt things. The rain came three times during the session. We took shelter twice, waited it out, and went straight back out each time. Those breaks were not wasted — the body got brief recovery windows that meant the effort on returning was genuine. On one occasion it was still pouring and we carried on regardless. That is on the video. Soaked, smiling at the camera, not stopping. That is the session in one image.
The TRX demands constant stabilisation throughout every single movement. There is nowhere to hide — the core is working on every exercise, the grip is loaded continuously, and the instability of the straps means muscles that a machine would bypass entirely are engaged from start to finish. Two full circuits of four exercises each, with a standing bench jump between rounds, compounds that fatigue very quickly.
Exercises
Warm-up block first, then upper body, then two circuits back to back. Each circuit finished with a standing jump onto the bench before moving to the next round.
How It Felt
Not going to pretend otherwise — this one hurt. The right knee was making itself known from the plyometric bench jumps. Loaded on landing, every time. Plodded on, as you do. After two ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstructions on the same knee you develop an accurate read on the difference between injury pain and work pain. This was work pain. You keep going.
The hands were gone by the end of Round 2. Grip fatigue from TRX accumulates fast — every exercise loads the hands continuously, and with no rest between movements it compounds round by round. By the final circuit the arms were jelly. Hands barely functioning.
Sixteen press-ups at the end. Not at the start when everything is fresh — at the finish, after the warm-up, after the upper body block, after two full circuits in the rain. Sixteen press-ups. Then it poured again and we called it, went inside and had food.
My training partner finished with 40 press-ups — and could have done ten more. That is not a small thing at the end of a session like this. It is the result of taking the principles seriously, training consistently and doing things the right way. He follows the oldschool approach and it shows. Genuinely impressed.
We had fun. That matters more than people think.
Coaching Note
A session that hurts, challenges you completely, and still makes you want to come back — that is a well-designed session. This was one of those. The rain, the knee, the jelly arms — none of it was a reason to stop. All of it was a reason to keep going.
The plyometric element deserves particular mention. Bench jumps demand explosive power, coordination and confidence. The body has to commit fully to the jump — hesitation makes it harder, not easier. Combined with TRX suspension work across eight exercises, the neuromuscular demand was substantial. The full-body ache that follows is entirely appropriate.
Thirty years of coaching and it still feels like this on the hard days. That is not a warning. That is the point.
Additional clips from this session — bench box jumps, TRX circuits and partner training — are available as YouTube Shorts on the oldschoolPT channel.
Watch on YouTube →