Steps
Step 1: Adjust the height of the TRX straps so that when you are in the beginning position (with knees bent), there is room for you to lower yourself down towards the floor without your knees touching it.
Step 2: From a standing position, place one hand in each of the TRX handles, and bring your arms in towards your sides to help brace your shoulders.
Step 3: From this position, remove your feet from the floor by bending your knees, in order to support yourself suspended. Make sure you are forcibly holding your arms by your sides, with your shoulders depressed firmly. Ideally, you want to keep your core engaged, your glutes tight, and your knees together.
Step 4: Now begin to lean slightly forward, and lower yourself toward the floor by bending your arms. Keeping your shoulders properly braced will help you avoid going too low or losing control of the movement, which could be harmful to the shoulder joint.
Step 5: Once you have lowered yourself as low as you can with control, push yourself back up to the starting position.
Step 6: Repeat the movement several times.
How to progress the exercise
This exercise is already advanced in level. However, in order to increase the intensity of this movement, tempo can be decreased, and the pike position can be held longer. This will be a form of a handstand that you will be holding, which will put more stress on the shoulders.
Additional Information
Maintaining proper alignment, or ‘stacking’ of the wrists, shoulders, and hips is essential for the proper execution of this exercise.
