6 Best TRX Exercises for Upper Body Strength

TRX exercises are useful to build strength, endurance, and performance quality. However, they may not be enough if your eventual goal is to build muscle.

Nevertheless, TRX exercises are a useful tool for beginners to understand how to engage their muscle groups. They're also a great way for lifters to use their bodyweight as resistance for various exercises. They help add variation to the workout routine.

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Best TRX exercises you must do for upper body strength

TRX exercises can be done for every body part, and that includes the entire upper body. The following six exercises should be included in your workout routine if you have access to TRX bands:

1) Chest press

TRX chest presses (Photo via Unsplash/Anastase Maragos)

To do a TRX chest press:

• Adjust the TRX band grips at chest level.
• Hold the grips firmly.
• Keep your toes steady on the floor, and bend forward till you’ve formed an acute angle with the floor. At this point, your palms should be beside your chest.
• Engage your chest, and push yourself backwards till the arms are completely extended.
• Hold the position for a second before lowering yourself to the starting position.

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2) Chest fly

To do a TRX chest fly:

• Stand with the TRX band adjusted at hip level or slightly above.
• Hold the grips firmly.
• Keep your feet firmly on the floor, and bend your body forward while the arms extend to the sides.
• Engage your chest to push yourself back to the starting position while the arms come back to the sides.

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3) Back row

TRX back rows (Image via Pizaboy/karabulakastan)

To do a TRX back row:

• Adjust the band to chest level.
• Hold the bands so that your palms face outwards.
• Lower your body towards the floor, but ensure that the back is towards the floor.
• At the starting position, the arms should be completely extended and body slanted.
• Engage the lats, and pull yourself upwards.
• Hold the position for a second before steadily lowering yourself to the starting position.

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4) Face pull

To do a TRX face pull:

• Adjust the TRX bands at face level.
• Grip the bands, and lower your body towards the floor, with the back towards the floor.
• Your starting position is when the arms are fully extended.
• Engage your upper back muscles, and pull yourself into the starting position.
• Hold the position for a second before moving back to the starting position.

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5) Bicep curl

To do a TRX bicep curl:

• Adjust the TRX band at shoulder level.
• Hold the grips, and turn your palms towards yourself.
• Move your body towards the floor with your back facing the floor.
• Your starting position will have both hands completely extended.
• Keep your elbows stable, and engage your biceps to pull yourself back up.
• Squeeze the biceps for a second before slowly moving back to the starting position.

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6) Flutter

To do a TRX flutter:

• Adjust the TRX band near your hips.
• Keep the bands in front of you, and hold them.
• Slightly move forward, with your feet firmly on the floor.
• Engage your core muscles, and move your left arm forward.
• As your left hand comes to the starting position, move your right hand forward.
• Ensure to keep the core muscles engaged during the entire exercise.

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Takeaway

TRX exercises for strength (Image via Pixaboy/Antonel Burlibasa)

TRX exercises are essentially quite helpful if done with a resistance training routine. They can be used as a warm-up or a cool-down exercise. However, you can also use TRX exercises as part of supersets too.

Unfortunately, if the goal is to add proper mass, you shouldn’t rely solely on TRX exercises. It’s important to use free weight to add more resistance than just bodyweight to add muscle mass.

You must also have a proper diet in your overall routine along with sufficient rest for the recovery of muscle groups. Without nutrition and recovery, your muscles will not grow, or you will not witness the progress you wish to see.