Exercise of the Week: Inverted Row on TRX Straps

Instability exercises are essential for all athletes. They develop overall strength and stabilizer muscles, which allow you to execute your skills safely and powerfully without limitations. Instability is often incorporated in lower-body and upper-body pushing exercises; however, it’s important to employ it for those always-important upper-body pulling exercises as well.

Pulling exercises balance out the pushing exercises, which are frequently favored by many athletes. By substituting TRX Straps for a barbell in the Inverted Row, you constantly challenge your back muscles—the lats, scap retractors and other stabilizers—to keep you steady while completing the movement. Also, in this version of the exercise, a physioball takes the place of a bench or box, adding further instability to engage the core.

For athletes, it's important to challenge the body in ways that simulate game-time situations. That's why Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder G/F, uses this exercise to help him remain one of the best basketball players on the planet.

• Hold onto straps, then place heels on top of physioball, making sure body is in straight line
• Keeping body rigid, pull body up until chest is even with hands
• Lower with control until arms are straight
• Repeat for specified reps

Sets/Reps: 3-4x6-10