TRX Row
The TRX row is one of the best entry points to horizontal pulling because you scale the load simply by changing your foot position. It hammers the lats and mid-back while your trunk holds a rigid plank against gravity, so you build pulling strength and core control at once. It suits anyone from a rehab setting up to an advanced lifter chasing high-rep back volume.
- Equipment
- TRX
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
- Browse by movement
- Horizontal Pull
- Target
- Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
- Secondary
- Trapezius Lower, Deltoid Posterior, Infraspinatus, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head, Brachioradialis
- Tertiary
- Erector Spinae, Abdominal External Oblique
How to do it
- 1
Set the straps to mid-length and grip the handles with palms facing each other.
- 2
Walk your feet forward and lean back until your arms are straight and your body is a straight, angled line.
- 3
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips do not sag.
- 4
Pull your chest toward your hands by driving the elbows back and down.
- 5
Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top for a beat.
- 6
Lower under control to full arm extension and exhale as you pull the next rep.
Tips
- Walk your feet further forward to make it harder, or step back to make it easier.
- Keep a straight line from ear to ankle; do not let the hips pike or sag.
- Lead with the elbows rather than the hands to bias the back over the biceps.
- Keep the wrists neutral and the shoulders pulled away from the ears throughout.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Bending the knees and standing up a little when the last reps get hard. That shortens the lever mid-set and quietly makes the exercise easier; hold the foot position and end the set instead.
- Poking the chin forward to reach the handles so the rep looks finished. Your chest should arrive at your hands; keep the head in line with the spine and let the elbows finish the pull.
- Setting up in socks or on a polished floor so the heels creep forward rep by rep, flattening your angle and taking the load off halfway through the set.
- Falling fast to the bottom and using the strap's rebound to launch the next rep. The lowering half is most of the training effect, so take two seconds back to straight arms.
- Leaving the two straps at different lengths so one hand starts higher than the other. Check that the buckles match before the first rep, or the shoulders pull unevenly.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the TRX row should you do when you are new to the exercise?
- Three sets of 10 to 12 at a foot position where the last two reps are a genuine fight. Because the load is your bodyweight at an angle, you progress by geometry rather than plates: when 12 feels easy, walk your feet three or four inches farther forward and the reps drop back into range. Two sessions a week is plenty. If your hips start to sag before rep 8, the angle is too steep for now.
- What can I do instead of the TRX row if I have no suspension trainer?
- An inverted row under a bar set at hip height in a rack is the closest match and keeps the same body-angle scaling. At home, lie under a sturdy table and grip its edge, or thread a towel around a fixed pole. Gymnastic rings do the same job with more rotation at the wrist. A single-arm dumbbell row also trains the pattern, though you lose the plank demand that makes the strap version worth doing.
- What is the TRX row good for, and who should not use it?
- It is one of the easiest ways into horizontal pulling because the angle scales the load continuously, so it fits a rehab return, a beginner's first back exercise, or high-rep volume for an advanced lifter. The trunk works the whole time holding the plank. It is a poor choice when you want heavy, low-rep strength work: you run out of angle before you run out of back. It also needs an anchor you trust with your full bodyweight.
Related exercises
Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.