The TRX suspension trainer is one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment out there. While doing TRX shoulder exercises, we should target all parts of the shoulder muscles from different angles. Hence, it is vital to have some general knowledge about the anatomy of shoulder and different muscles in that area.
Shoulder strength is important for sports performance, injury prevention, and posture. Variations in TRX shoulder workouts prevent plateau and help to form proportional shoulder muscles.
Due to the wide variety of TRX shoulder exercises, we cover them in multiple posts which you can find their links in this article.
Table of Contents
TRX Deltoid Flies
TRX deltoid flies are a category of TRX shoulder exercises which are mostly perfrmed with extended arms or from elbow area. They range from TRX I, Y, T, W, to TRX M fly. For a complete guide to TRX deltoid flyers refer to TRX Deltoid Fly (I, Y, T, W, M).
TRX Face Pull
TRX face pull is a TRX shoulder workout that primarily targets posterior deltoid and rotator cuff. It also trains the traps and lateral deltoids. There is also an external shoulder rotation in this exercise.
- The starting position is similar to TRX I fly: Inclined backward with TRX handles in hands.
- Pull elbows back and up, followed by hands.
- Your hands come near both sides of your forehead.
- Return to the initial position.
Tips: TRX face pull starts with elbows leading the pulling motion, and then forearms come after that. Try not to engage your biceps in this exercise.
Avoid dropping shoulders during the pulling motion, as this engages back muscles. Try to bring your elbows at shoulders level. Shoulders are not elevated in this TRX shoulder exercise, so keep them down in natural position.
We can also do TRX face pull with one arm. In that case, we have TRX single-arm face pull.
Due to similarities between TRX face pull and TRX W deltoid fly, we can consider them in the same category of TRX shoulder exercises.
Shoulder Rotation Exercises with TRX
Many of TRX shoulder exercises engage shoulder rotator muscles. For this reason, beginner and intermediate athletes may not need to specifically work on those areas. However, advanced athletes or those who perform sports specific exercises can still benefit from TRX shoulder rotation exercises.
TRX Lateral Raises
This category of TRX shoulder exercises focuses on the mid section of deltoid muscle wich is known at lateral deltoid. Here you read a comprehensive guide to TRX lateral raises.
TRX Shoulder Press
In traditionally gym workout, shoulder press is the king of shoulder exercises. Nonetheless doing shoulder press with TRX requires some workarounds to make it an effective exercise. You can find a wide variety of this TRX shoulder exercise including new and innovative moves in TRX Shoulder Press with and without Weight.
TRX Shoulder Shrug
TRX shoulder shrug may not be much of a shoulder exercise. The main muscles targeted by TRX shoulder shrug are trapezius muscles or traps. Located on either side of your neck, traps are responsible for the movement of the shoulder blade and neck.
Research also showed that strengthening muscles responsible for neck and shoulder mobility can significantly reduce chronic neck pain.
For TRX shoulder shrug, we use low anchor point. Follow these steps to do the exercises.
- Hold TRX handles while facing the anchor point.
- Lean backward and drop your weight to create resistance.
- As you breathe out, raise your shoulders as high up as you can.
- Slowly bring your shoulders down while you breathe in.
A brief pause at the top makes the exercise more challenging. Aim for three sets of ten repetitions. As you build strength, you can scale to 4 sets of 12–15 reps for hypertrophy.
TRX Shoulder Shrug with Weight
We can also perform TRX shoulder shrug with weight. For that, attach weight to the anchor strap, hold handles with straight hands, and shrug your shoulders. When it is possible, doing TRX shrugs with weight is preferred.
TRX Shoulder Exercises with Weight
One of the ways to bypass the limitations of suspension training for shoulders is to combine it with weight. We can simply add external weight to TRX straps and use the TRX handles the same way we use barbells and dumbbells. We introduce many TRX shoulder exercises that can be combined with external weight for an efficient workout.
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For adding extra weight to TRX, you can use adjustable aqua Kettlebell weight,
or
sandbag and attach it to the TRX anchor strap. They have different weight measures. Sandbag is more suitable if you need heavier weight.
Combo TRX Shoulder Exercises
We can always make a combination of TRX shoulder exercises to add spice to the routine, such as TRX row to face pull, TRX I to Y, TRX Y Deltoid Fly to T Fly, etc. Shoulder exercise combos hit multiple angles, challenge your shoulders in more holistic ways, and build stabilized, resilient joint functionality.
However, for the purpose of hypertrophy, it is recommended to train each exercise individually, as it allows you to fatigue each muscle group adequately. For the best results, experts often recommend “pre-exhausting” a muscle individually, and then incorporating combo moves that tax the muscle from new angles.
Anatomical View of Shoulder Muscles for TRX Shoulder Exercises
The shoulders comprise multiple muscles and joints that provide a wide range of motion. This mobility comes at the cost of stability, making the shoulders susceptible to injuries if the muscles are imbalanced. TRX shoulder exercises are an excellent way to bolster rotator cuff strength while protecting the shoulder joint.
The deltoids are the first group of muscles around the shoulders. The anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (rear) deltoid heads are three parts of deltoids that we will target in various TRX shoulder exercises. These movements hit all the muscles of the shoulder complex from multiple angles.
TRX Shoulder Exercises Based on the Target Muscle
The table below shows some of the main shoulder exercises and their primary target muscle out of the three heads of the deltoid. You can use this table to find which TRX shoulder workout fits your exercise regimen and adjust your workout plan accordingly. Note that we exclude TRX shoulder rotation exercises that target rotator cuff muscles from this table. Hence, you may embed them separately in your routine.
Exercise | Anterior Deltoid | Lateral Deltoid | Posterior Deltoid |
---|---|---|---|
TRX l Deltoid Fly (standing, lying, single arm) | ✅ | ||
TRX Y Deltoid Fly (standing, lying, single arm) | ✓ | ✓ | ✅ |
TRX T Deltoid Fly (standing) | ✅ | ||
TRX W Deltoid Fly (standing) | ✅ | ||
TRX unilateral rear deltoid pull | ✅ | ||
TRX unilateral elbow deltoid fly | ✅ | ||
TRX Low Deltoid Fly | ✅ | ||
TRX Split Squat with M Deltoid Fly | ✅ | ||
TRX Face Pull | ✅ | ||
TRX Lateral Raises (Different variations) | ✅ | ||
TRX Upright Row with Weight | ✅ | ||
TRX Shoulder Press (Different variations) | ✅ | ✅ | ✓ |
TRX Plank to Pike Shoulder Press | ✅ | ||
TRX front shoulder press with weight | ✅ |
The back and shoulder muscles are close to each other. Often with training shoulders, we can do TRX back exercises as well. So, it is suitable to train both groups in one exercise. On the other hand, training upper chest muscles also engages front deltoids.
All in all, for naturalists and healthy fitness approaches, considering an entire body part is more beneficial than trying to isolate muscles. We can see faster results this way.