TRX High Row
What Is the TRX High Row?
TRX High Row is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and upper back, with the rear deltoids and the trapezius doing most of the work. It is a beginner-level movement because the straps let you set the difficulty with nothing more than where your feet stand.
What sets it apart from a standard TRX Row is the elbow path. Instead of staying tucked beside the ribs, the elbows flare out to shoulder height and the hands finish in front of the shoulders. That shifts the work from the lats toward the rear shoulders and the mid and lower back. In a study of 28 healthy adults using suspension straps, a high row with the arms pulled out to shoulder height recruited the rear deltoid and all three parts of the trapezius more than a low row did, while the low row recruited the lats more.
It also differs from the TRX Face Pull, where the hands travel to the ears and the forearms rotate upward, and from the TRX Reverse Fly, where the arms stay nearly straight. Here the elbows bend to about a right angle, so you can usually handle more load than in either of those.
The high row suits beginners and desk-bound clients who need stronger rear shoulders and shoulder blade control to balance a lot of pressing and sitting. Anyone who cannot keep the body in one line yet can start with the feet further back from the anchor point and build up with the standard TRX Row first. Slow reps with a pause as the shoulder blades squeeze together make it feel more like a back exercise than an arm exercise.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Upper Trapezius
- Primary
- Infraspinatus
- High
- Lower Trapezius
- High
- Rhomboid Major
- High
- Teres Minor
- Medium
- Brachialis
- Low
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Minimal
Instructions
- Adjust the straps to a mid-length and hold a handle in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
- Face the anchor point, walk your feet toward it and lean back until the straps are tight and your arms are straight out in front of you at about chest height.
- Place your feet about hip-width apart, squeeze your glutes and keep your body in one straight line from heels to head.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down to start the movement.
- Pull the handles toward you by flaring your elbows out to the sides at about shoulder height, keeping your wrists straight.
- Finish with your hands in front of your shoulders, your chest close to the handles and your shoulder blades squeezed together.
- Pause for a moment, then straighten your arms slowly to lower yourself back to the start while keeping the straps tight.
Common Mistakes
Shrugging the shoulders
Pulling the shoulders up toward the ears shifts the work to the upper traps and neck, so keep the shoulder blades down and back as the elbows travel out.
Dropping the elbows
Letting the elbows sink toward the ribs turns the movement into a standard row and takes the work off the rear shoulders.
Sagging hips
Letting the hips drop breaks the straight line from heels to head and loads the lower back, which usually means the feet should step back, away from the anchor.
Using momentum
Swinging the torso or driving the hips forward to start the pull removes tension from the target muscles, so keep the body rigid and pull with the arms and upper back.
Jutting the chin
Poking the chin toward the handles instead of lifting the chest strains the neck and shortens the range of the shoulder blades.
Injuries
TRX High Row is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. You only lift a fraction of your body weight, and the angle of the body controls how much of it the arms and back must pull.
The most common trouble spots are the front of the shoulder, the neck and the lower back. Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears, letting the shoulders roll forward at the end of the pull, or pulling the hands higher than the shoulders can irritate the shoulder joint. Sagging hips load the lower back, and jutting the chin toward the handles strains the neck. Keep the elbows at about shoulder height, the shoulder blades down and back, and the body in one straight line from heels to head.
If the exercise is too hard, walk the feet back, away from the anchor point, so the body is more upright. To progress, step the feet toward the anchor so the body is more horizontal, slow the lowering phase, or add a pause at the end of each rep. Stop the set if you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder, sharp pain or tingling in the arm, and see a clinician if it lingers.
- Equipment
- Suspension trainer and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the TRX High Row
The TRX High Row is also known as:
- TRX Rear Delt Row
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is the TRX High Row different from the TRX Row?
In the TRX Row the elbows stay close to the ribs and the lats do more of the work. In the high row the elbows flare out to shoulder height, which puts more demand on the rear deltoids and the upper back.
- Q: How is it different from the TRX Face Pull?
The TRX Face Pull brings the hands to the ears and adds external rotation of the shoulders. The high row stops with the hands in front of the shoulders and the elbows bent to about a right angle, so there is no rotation at the end.
- Q: How do I make it harder or easier?
Change the angle of your body. Step the feet toward the anchor point to lean further back and make it harder, or walk them back, away from the anchor, to stand more upright and make it easier.
- Q: How many reps and sets should I do?
Most coaching guides suggest 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps with controlled tempo. Choose a body angle at which the last reps are hard but your hips stay level and your shoulders stay down.