TRX Upper Body Exercises: 8 Moves to Build Chest, Back, and Arms

These are the best TRX upper body exercises. With the same setup and just a few moves, you can target your back, chest, and arms.

Key Takeaways

• You can make TRX exercises harder or easier by adjusting your body angle.
• For muscle growth, aim to complete 8 to 12 reps in each set. 
• If you train your upper body once per week, alternate between Workout A and Workout B. If you train twice per week, perform both workouts each week.
• TRX can build muscle when the exercises are challenging enough, and you continue to increase the difficulty over time.

Why Use a TRX for Upper Body Training?

A suspension trainer is great for upper body training because it allows you to target specific muscle groups more effectively than many bodyweight exercises. Some bodyweight movements also require more strength and better technique, which can make them harder for beginners.

You also don’t need a lot of equipment. One TRX set and a single setup are enough for a complete upper body workout.

In addition, a suspension trainer like the TRX is excellent for activating stabilizing muscles and engaging your core during every exercise. Many movements require you to maintain proper body alignment, which is difficult to do without keeping your core tight throughout the exercise.

Make sure to check out suspension training core exercises.

How to Make TRX Exercises More Challenging?

The best way to make TRX exercises more challenging or easier is to adjust your body angle. The steeper the angle, the more body weight you have to push or pull, which increases the difficulty of the exercise.

You can also increase the number of reps, but the ideal rep range for muscle growth is typically 8 to 12 reps. If you can complete 12 reps and still feel like you have more left in the tank, try using a slightly steeper angle during your next set.

TRX Chest Exercises

It’s easy to target chest muscles with TRX. Just make sure that your form is always great, and you will see progress. 

TRX Chest Press

This is the best chest exercise you can do with TRX. It primarily targets the chest, but it also works the front shoulder and triceps. 

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face away from the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet back until your body is leaning forward.
3. Start with your arms straight and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Bend your elbows and lower your chest between your hands.
5. Once your hands are next to your chest, push through your palms and return to the starting position.
6. Repeat.

Form tips:

Focus on keeping your hands at chest level throughout the movement. If the handles drift higher toward your shoulders, the exercise starts to feel more like a shoulder press than a chest exercise.

As you press up, think about bringing your hands slightly toward each other. You don’t need to touch the handles together, but this cue can help you feel your chest working more.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is letting the elbows flare too far out to the sides. This can put extra stress on the shoulders and make the movement less comfortable.

Instead, keep your elbows at roughly a 45-degree angle from your body.

TRX Chest Fly

This one is for isolating the chest muscles. It primarily targets the chest, but the shoulders and arms also help stabilize the movement.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face away from the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet back until your body is leaning forward.
3. Start with your arms extended in front of you with a slight bend in your elbows.
4. Slowly open your arms out to the sides until you feel a stretch across your chest.
5. Bring your hands back together in front of your body.
6. Repeat.

Form tips:

Keep the bend in your elbows the same from start to finish. Your arms should move like a wide hugging motion rather than bending and straightening throughout the exercise.

Lower yourself only as far as you can control. A good chest stretch is fine, but you should never feel like you’re falling into the bottom position.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is opening the arms too wide and dropping the hands behind the shoulders. This can place unnecessary stress on the shoulder joints.

Instead, stop the movement once your hands are roughly in line with your shoulders

TRX Back Exercises

With TRX, you can make pull-ups feel easier, which is one of the best back exercises. 

TRX Inverted Row

This exercise targets the upper back and lats, but it also works the biceps and rear shoulders.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet forward and lean back until your arms are fully extended.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Pull your chest toward the handles by driving your elbows back.
5. Pause for a second at the top of the movement.
6. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
7. Repeat.

Form tips:

Think about pulling your elbows toward your back pockets. This can help you use your back muscles more instead of relying too much on your arms.

At the top of the movement, try to bring your chest to the handles instead of bringing the handles to your chest. This helps you maintain a better body position throughout the exercise.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is leading the movement with the chin and reaching the head forward as you pull up.

Instead, your head should stay in line with the rest of your body. Keep your neck relaxed and focus on moving your chest toward the handles. 

TRX Horizontal Pull

The TRX horizontal pull is a more challenging variation of the inverted row. Because your body starts closer to parallel with the ground, your back muscles have to work harder to pull your body up. It primarily targets the upper back, lats, and biceps.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet forward until your body is almost parallel to the ground.
3. Keep a slight bend in your knees.
4. Start with your arms fully extended.
5. Pull your chest toward the handles by driving your elbows back.
6. Pause briefly at the top.
7. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
8. Repeat.

Form tips:

Imagine trying to squeeze an orange between your shoulder blades at the top of the movement. This can help you get a stronger contraction in your upper back.

Keep your wrists straight throughout the exercise. If your wrists bend too much, your forearms can tire out before your back muscles do.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is using momentum by quickly dropping into the bottom position and then pulling back up.

Instead, lower yourself under control on every rep.

TRX Shoulder Exercises

These shoulder exercises are more isolation exercises, but as long as you do chest press, you can still engage and grow front delts. 

TRX Y Fly

This exercise targets the rear shoulders and upper back.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet forward and lean back with your arms fully extended.
3. Start with your hands in front of your shoulders.
4. Pull your body up while raising your arms overhead to form a Y shape.
5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
6. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
7. Repeat.

Form tips:

Keep your shoulders away from your ears throughout the exercise. If your shoulders start creeping upward, you will feel less work in your upper back.

Move your arms slightly forward instead of directly out to the sides. This will create the Y shape and place more emphasis on the muscles the exercise is designed to target.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is bending the elbows too much and turning the movement into a row.

A small bend in the elbows is fine, but the movement should come from raising your arms, not pulling with your elbows.

TRX Face Pull

This one is great for strengthening the rear shoulders. It also helps improve shoulder stability and balances out all the pressing exercises most people do.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet forward and lean back with your arms fully extended.
3. Pull the handles toward your face while driving your elbows out to the sides.
4. Continue pulling until your hands are next to your ears.
5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
6. Slowly return to the starting position.
7. Repeat.

Form tips:

Think about leading the movement with your elbows rather than your hands. This can help you feel the exercise more in your upper back and rear shoulders.

At the top of the movement, your forearms should be almost vertical. This is usually a good sign that you’re in the correct position.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is pulling the handles toward the chest instead of the face. This turns the exercise into more of a row and reduces the emphasis on the rear shoulders.

Instead, aim to bring your hands beside your ears at the top of every rep.

TRX Arm Exercises

Your arms are working with all of the upper body exercises, but if you want the real isolation, these are the two best options.

TRX Biceps Curl

It primarily targets the biceps, but the forearms also help throughout the movement.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles with your palms facing up.
2. Face the anchor point and lean back until your arms are fully extended.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Curl your body toward your hands by bending your elbows.
5. Continue until your hands are next to your temples.
6. Pause briefly at the top.
7. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
8. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Form tips:

Keep your upper arms in the same position throughout the exercise. Only your elbows should bend as you pull yourself up.

Try to finish each rep with your thumbs close to your temples. This can help you achieve a full biceps contraction at the top of the movement.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is letting the elbows drift backward during the curl. This reduces the work done by the biceps and makes the exercise easier.

Instead, keep your elbows pointing forward throughout the movement. Your upper arms should stay in roughly the same position from start to finish.

TRX Triceps Extension

This one is the best exercise for building stronger and more defined arms. It primarily targets the triceps.

How to do it:

1. Hold the TRX handles and face away from the anchor point.
2. Walk your feet back until your body is leaning forward.
3. Extend your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height.
4. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your hands are next to your forehead.
5. Push through your palms and straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
6. Repeat.

Form tips:

Keep your elbows as still as possible throughout the movement. The exercise should come from bending and straightening the elbows, not moving the entire arm.

Think about pushing the handles away from your forehead at the top of each rep. This can help you fully straighten your arms and get more work from your triceps.

A common form mistake and correction:

A common mistake is allowing the elbows to flare out to the sides during the exercise. This can make it harder to maintain tension on the triceps.

Instead, your elbows should stay roughly shoulder-width apart from start to finish.

Example of TRX Upper Body Workout

Here is how you can turn these exercises into TRX upper body workouts. If you train your upper body once per week, alternate between Workout A and Workout B each week. If you train your upper body twice per week, perform Workout A for your first session and Workout B for your second session.

Workout A

Workout B

For more ideas, check out this suspension trainer workout plan​.

FAQ

Can TRX build muscle, or just endurance/strength?

Yes, TRX can build muscle. The key is making the exercises challenging enough. By adjusting your body angle, you can increase the amount of weight you push or pull and keep your muscles working hard.

Can you do TRX upper body exercises every day?

It’s best to do upper body workouts 1-2 times a week since your body needs recovery time, especially if you are going hard and emptying the tank during a workout. 

How many TRX exercises should be in one workout?

5-7 exercises are enough in most cases. You should aim to do at least one exercise per muscle group.