How is this different from the TRX Power Pull?

The TRX Power Pull rotates the torso open as you pull, while this row keeps the chest square so the shoulder and upper back do all the work. Choose the Power Pull for a rotational pattern and this exercise for rear shoulder strength.

Why does my free hand rest on my lower back?

It keeps the free arm out of the movement and lets you feel the torso start to rotate or the shoulder start to shrug. If you feel either, reduce the lean and slow down.

How high should my elbow go?

Drive it out to the side until it reaches about shoulder height, not higher. Dropping below that shifts the work to the lats, and going well above it adds stress at the front of the shoulder without extra benefit.

How many reps should I do?

Most people do 8 to 15 slow, controlled reps per arm for 2 to 4 sets. Pick the lean angle where the last reps are hard but the elbow still reaches shoulder height.

TRX Single-Arm High Row

What Is the TRX Single-Arm High Row?

TRX Single-Arm High Row is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, especially the rear deltoid and the small rotator cuff muscles behind the shoulder blade, and also engages the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids. It is an intermediate-level movement that you do standing and leaning back from a suspension trainer, pulling one handle with your elbow flaring out to the side while your free hand rests on your lower back.

The elbow path is what sets this row apart. A standard TRX Row keeps the elbows closer to the ribs and leans on the lats, while here the elbow rises out and back to shoulder height, which shifts the work to the back of the shoulder and the muscles that pull the shoulder blade back. A lab study of healthy adults using suspension straps found that a row with the arms out to the side recruited the rear deltoid and all three parts of the trapezius above 60% of a maximal contraction. That study tested a two-arm version, so treat it as support for the movement pattern, not for this exact exercise.

Working one arm at a time makes side-to-side differences easy to see and adds a small anti-rotation demand on the trunk, because the strap tries to turn you toward the working side. Unlike the TRX Power Pull, the torso stays square and does not open up, so the shoulder does all of the pulling. The two-arm version is the TRX High Row, and the TRX Reverse Fly trains the same posterior shoulder with straight arms.

This row suits lifters who want more rear shoulder and upper back work, desk workers who spend long hours with rounded shoulders, and anyone balancing a pressing-heavy program. Your foot position sets the load: stepping your feet back so you stand more upright makes it easier, and walking them toward the anchor so you lean further back makes it harder. If it is too hard, start with the two-arm TRX High Row or a more upright stance.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Infraspinatus: Primary
Rhomboid Major: High
Teres Minor: High
Upper Trapezius: High
Lower Trapezius: Medium
Biceps Brachii: Low
Erector Spinae: Low
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Teres Major: Low

Instructions

Set the suspension trainer to a high anchor, grip one handle with your working hand, palm down, and face the anchor.
Walk your feet toward the anchor and lean back with your feet together or hip-width apart, until the strap is taut and your body forms one straight line from head to heels.
Place your free hand on your lower back and keep your chest facing forward.
Start with the working arm fully extended in front of you at about shoulder height.
Pull by driving the elbow out to the side and back, rising to about shoulder height, until your hand is close to the front of your shoulder.
Squeeze the shoulder blade back and down without shrugging, and keep your torso square.
Pause briefly, then lower with control until the arm is straight again, without letting the shoulder roll forward.
Finish all reps on one side, then switch arms.

Common Mistakes

Dropping the elbow
Letting the elbow sink below shoulder height tucks it toward the ribs and turns the row into a lat exercise instead of a rear shoulder one.
Shrugging the shoulder
Pulling the shoulder toward the ear moves the work to the upper trapezius, so keep the shoulder blade moving back and down.
Twisting the torso
Opening the chest toward the strap makes this a rotating row and takes tension off the rear delt, so keep the chest square and use the free hand on your lower back to feel any turn.
Sagging hips
Letting the hips drop or the lower back arch breaks the straight line from head to heels and loads the spine instead of the shoulder.
Pulling with the biceps
Curling the handle toward the chest instead of driving the elbow out and back shifts effort to the arm.
Using momentum
Swinging the body or jerking the handle to start the pull cuts the work the shoulder does, so lower slowly and pull without a kick.

Injuries

TRX Single-Arm High Row is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load comes from your body weight and is easy to adjust with your foot position, which keeps the demand on the shoulder modest and controllable.

The most common strain points are the front of the shoulder, the upper trapezius and the lower back. The front of the shoulder gets irritated when the shoulder blade is allowed to roll forward at the bottom of each rep, or when the elbow is pulled well above shoulder height. The neck and upper trapezius tighten when you shrug, and the lower back complains when the hips sag or the ribs flare. To prevent this, keep the body in one straight line, stop the elbow at about shoulder height, and let the shoulder blade slide back and down instead of up.

If the exercise is too demanding, stand more upright with your feet further from the anchor, or build up with the TRX High Row. To progress, step your feet toward the anchor so you lean further back, slow the lowering phase, or add a pause at the end of the pull. Stop the set if you feel sharp or pinching pain at the front or top of the shoulder, or numbness or tingling in the arm. Anyone with a diagnosed shoulder problem should check with a physical therapist before adding this row.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders
Equipment: Suspension trainer and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is this different from the TRX Power Pull?: The TRX Power Pull rotates the torso open as you pull, while this row keeps the chest square so the shoulder and upper back do all the work. Choose the Power Pull for a rotational pattern and this exercise for rear shoulder strength.
Q: How do I make it easier or harder?: Foot position sets the load. Stepping your feet back so you stand more upright makes it easier, and walking them toward the anchor so you lean further back makes it harder.
Q: Why does my free hand rest on my lower back?: It keeps the free arm out of the movement and lets you feel the torso start to rotate or the shoulder start to shrug. If you feel either, reduce the lean and slow down.
Q: How high should my elbow go?: Drive it out to the side until it reaches about shoulder height, not higher. Dropping below that shifts the work to the lats, and going well above it adds stress at the front of the shoulder without extra benefit.
Q: How many reps should I do?: Most people do 8 to 15 slow, controlled reps per arm for 2 to 4 sets. Pick the lean angle where the last reps are hard but the elbow still reaches shoulder height.