TRX Shoulder Workout | 5 Exercises for Strength

By Personal Trainer | Amy Golby

TRX is a suspension-training approach to strength training. A suspension device to allow you to use only your body-weight as resistance - which is a real test of strength!

Suspension training was founded by the Navy seals who wanted to develop strength, balance, flexibility as well as strong core stability all together.

The best thing about TRX suspension trainer is there is 100’s of exercises to work all parts of the body whatever the ability.

TRX Shoulder Workout

Concentrate on keeping your shoulders back and down as well as your core engaged throughout each movement; you can do this workout once to twice a week to build strength and flexibility within the shoulder!

1. TRX ‘T’ Delt Fly

a) Adjust your TRX to mid length, and stand facing the anchor point of the TRX. Walk your feet towards the anchor point and fully extend your arms to chin height.

Ensure you go low enough to challenge yourself but not to low that your form is lost.

b) Keep your core nice and tight, extend both arms to make a T shape pulling your body up right but keeping tension in the TRX.

c) Allow both arms to straighten and then lower the body back to start position between reps.

Note | Keep your shoulders down and back throughout the movement and your core engaged throughout.

Perform 10-12 reps

2. TRX clock press/pull

a) Keeping your TRX to mid length, and stand facing the anchor point of the TRX. Walk your feet towards the anchor point and fully extend your arms to chin height. Ensure you go low enough to challenge yourself but not to low that your form is lost.

b) Keep your core nice and tight, with your right arm, perform a row bringing, while extending the left arm out straight to the side to a T position.

c) Allow both arms to straighten and lower the body back to start position between reps.

Note | Keep your shoulders down and back throughout the movement and your core engaged throughout.

Perform 10-12 reps on the right side and then switch arms, this time performing a row with your left arm and extending the right arm out straight out to the side to a T position. Perform 10-12 reps on the left side.

3. TRX Y Deltoid Fly 

a) Keeping your TRX to mid length, and stand facing the anchor point of the TRX.

b) Set the arms into the Y position and adopt an offset foot stance - either right foot in front of the left or vice versa dependent on what’s more comfortable.

c) Engaging your core with the arms straight, slowly lower your body backwards until your arm are straight in fr ont of you.

d) Return to the start position but driving your hips forward, raising your arms and keeping the shoulder blades depressed and the chest up toward the anchor point.

Perform 10 -12 reps 

4. TRX swimmer 

a) Keeping your TRX still at mid length, stand facing the anchor point of the TRX.

b) Place your hands beside your hips, palms back, keeping tension on the TRX and adopt an offset stance – either right foot in front of the left or vice versa dependant on what’s more comfortable.

c) From standing lower your body down keeping your arms straight, maintaining a strong plank position, by keeping your core engaged.

d) Pull on the handles, and drive your palms down to allow your body to move up toward the anchor point, keep your core tight to allow a fluid body movement.

Perform 10-12 reps – keeping your shoulders down and back. 

5. TRX push–up

a) Adjust the TRX to mid-calf length and place feet/toes in the foot cradles, once on your hands and knees; lift our body up into a hand plank position.

Engage your core and lower your chest towards the floor, bending at the elbows to 90 degrees.

b) Once your elbows are at 90 degree at the bottom of the movement, drive through your palms and raise yourself back up into the plank position

c) Ensuring keeping your core and glutes again at all times to hold a strong plank position.

d) Once you reach the top of the movement again, push up a bit further than you would with a normal push-up - this will cause your upper back to round slightly and your shoulders to pull back

Perform 10-12 reps

Take Home Message

These exercises can also be used to rehab a shoulder if returning from injury, just ensure to lessen the load by moving feet further away from the anchor point.

If you feel the exercises are becoming too easy move your feet towards the anchor point to increase the difficulty of the exercise.