Even though TRX is a versatile piece of equipment, it has limitations. Doing TRX shoulder press is not the same as doing shoulder press with dumbbells or barbell but there are ways around this issue.
TRX shoulder press is a main TRX shoulder exercise that works all three deltoid heads at different ratios. Anterior deltoid takes the most emphasis. It also challenges lateral deltoid, but posterior fibers take the least emphasis.
With some alterations we can work around the limitations of suspension straps for this exercise and have an effective TRX shoulder press workout.
Table of Contents
TRX Pike Shoulder Press
This exercise is similar to normal pike shoulder press without TRX, but here instead of putting hands on the floor, hold TRX handles. It is important that your torso be in line with the strap as much as possible; otherwise, you end up targeting chest muscles. So, find the right spot before doing the exercise. You should sense that the tension is primarily on your shoulder muscles.
Adjusting the height of the anchor point in TRX pike shoulder press is also important. You may want to set the anchor point at about waist level to properly target shoulder muscles.
TRX Plank to Pike Shoulder Press
TRX plank to pike shoulder press is suitable for upper-intermediate and advanced trainees. It is better to strengthen shoulder muscles with other shoulder exercises before going for this exercise. It is a compound type exercise that targets chest, triceps, and mostly anterior deltoid.
In TRX pike shoulder press hands are at both sides of shoulders, but in TRX plank to pike shoulder press hands are in front of the body.
Here is the step by step guide:
- Bend your upper body and put yourself in pike position or reverse V.
- Hold handles in front of your body as opposed to both sides of shoulders.
- Extend hands above your head while keeping them in front of body.
- From the pike position, slowly bring hands backward.
- Once your hands reach the upper end, slowly open up the fold of your body to a straight plank position.
- Againg return to the pike position by folding your upper body into reverse V shape.
- Push handles towards above your head.
Tips: TRX plank to pike shoulder press is a bit more technical than other TRX shoulder workouts. It’s a combination of TRX pike shoulder press + TRX plank. Proper body positioning and suitable strap length are crucial for this exercise.
Use intelligent weight technique by putting one foot forward to control the amount of weight you impose on your shoulders and to direct the movement.
When you open up your pike position to plank position, this extra movement allows a wider range of motion for shoulders which is specific to this exercise. The target muscle in TRX plank to pike shoulder press is shoulder. So, during the hinging movement make sure you drive force from shoulder muscles rather than core.
You may find it more suitable to use negative training for this exercise which focuses on eccentric phase of movement.
TRX Low Anchor Shoulder Press
Use a low anchor point. Hold TRX handles and face away from the anchor point. Put one leg forward and bend your upper body until your upper body is in line with the strap. Push handles toward above your head which brings your body back to the vertical position.
In order to target shoulder muscles, we need to slightly bend our upper body forward until it is aligned with the strap. If we stand straight, we target upper chest muscles rather than shoulder muscles. We can bend our front knee to assist with the movement.
TRX Inverted Shoulder Press
Body positioning in TRX inverted shoulder press is quite similar to TRX inverted push-up with more slope to target shoulder muscles. TRX inverted shoulder press is an advanced exercise. There is no way to adjust the weight since your entire body weight is on your shoulders. Therefore, make sure you have enough preparation for this TRX shoulder exercise.
This exercise is also called TRX handstand shoulder press, because it’s a combination of TRX handstand and shoulder press. Hence, we can also practice TRX handstand before going for a complete TRX handstand shoulder press.
Remember to put only one foot inside the foot loop. In case you topple over, you need your other foot to support yourself. The same is true when you want to finish the exercise and return on your feet.
TRX Single Arm Shoulder Press
TRX single arm shoulder press is a unilateral exercise which requires standing with one side of the body facing the anchor point. For TRX single arm shoulder press, height of the anchor point is very important. If we use high anchor point, the pressure shifts to the bicep. Hence, we use a vertical post and anchor the strap at a height that is almost equal to our height. The key is to keep the tension on shoulder muscle and reduce engagement of bicep. For that, forearm should be in line with the strap as much as possible.
- Stand with one side of body towards the anchor point and hold one TRX handle.
- Bend your forearm above your head and bring your bicep close to your ear.
- Lean toward the other side and allow your hand to be pulled by the strap.
- Controllably return to the initial position.
Repeat this exercise with the other hand. We can bend one knee to help with the leaning movement.
TRX Shoulder Press with Weight
Combining TRX shoulder press with weight can compensate for the limitation of TRX for this shoulder exercise. For this exercise, we attach weight to the anchor strap and stand and push handles upwards.
Body position in TRX shoulder press with weight is similar to traditional shoulder press with dumbbells and barbell. We can perform it with a single arm or both arms.
In single-arm, one-arm-at-a-time, it resembles dumbbell shoulder press. When we do this with both arms simultaneously, TRX shoulder press with weight resembles barbell shoulder press.
Different grip positions are possible, including: supinated, pronated, neutral, and twisting grip.
TRX Front Shoulder Press with Weight
For TRX front shoulder press with weight, hold arms in front of your body with hands pointed upward and push TRX handles above the head. TRX front shoulder press with weight targets front deltoid. We can do it in single-arm or double-arms modes and all grip positions are applicable to this exercise.
For dedicated exercises on medial shoulder muscle read, TRX Lateral Raises with Different Forms. You can also refer to the table of all TRX shoulder workouts to design your workout plan accordingly.
