5 TRX Exercises That Actually Build Shoulder & Back Muscle

Most people training their shoulders and back with a TRX just pull mindlessly back and forth…

And wonder why their shoulders still look narrow and rounded forward.

The problem isn’t the TRX….

It’s that your shoulders and back are made up of several smaller muscles, and most routines only hit one or two of them…

Your shoulders have 3 heads: the front, middle and rear.

And your back is a web of muscles, led by your lats (for the V-shape) and your traps and upper back (for thickness and posture)…

So in this post, I’ll show you the 5 best TRX exercises to hit all of them:

1. TRX Low Row: lats, for the V-shape
2. TRX High Row: traps, rear shoulders and upper back, for posture
3. TRX T’s: rear shoulders, for 4D shoulders
4. TRX Front Raises: front shoulders
5. TRX Side Raises: middle shoulders, for width

Plus a simple workout that puts them all together.

But first you need to understand the key technique to build shoulder and back muscle with a TRX…

For the complete TRX exercise list, see my 16 best TRX exercises post

The Key to Building Shoulder & Back Muscle

Focusing on time under tension is the key to building muscle and functional strength in your shoulders and back.

But it’s not as easy to fully lengthen and shorten your shoulder muscles as it is your chest, thighs or back.

They’re smaller, and they’re split into 3 heads.

The good news is you can still develop each head by keeping it under constant tension…

So with these exercises, don’t lose tension by going too far down and resting, or by locking out.

Instead, focus on a slow, controlled pumping action…

Next let me show you how to use muscle-centric TRX technique and your mind-muscle connection to activate each muscle effectively…

Back: TRX High & Low Row

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c01IC-ir7Sk

Two simple but effective TRX back exercises are the high and low row (or TRX Pulls).

In this video, we look at the high row and its benefits along with the correct technique…

The TRX Low Row

The TRX Low Rows are the ones where you drive your elbows back and down along the sides of your body. They’re really good targeting your lats to give you that V shape physique.

Think of your lats as the two foundational pillars at the sides of your body. Important to build strength there.

Technique Points

• Think of your hands as just hooks.
• It’s your elbows that lead. Focus on them.
• Drive your elbows back and down along side your body.
• Really squeeze your lats at the top of the exercise and stay there for 2 seconds.
• If you feel confident, you can stretch at the bottom, to create a bigger range of motion. You must stretch and NOT hang… Keeping tension on your lat muscles is essential throughout the entire set.

The TRX High Row

These are really good for strengthening your shoulder girdle to improve overall posture and stability. Your traps, rear shoulder muscles and a web of upper back muscles get developed with this TRX exercise.

Technique Points

• Elbows: The focus again, is to drive with your elbows up and out.
• Arm position: Keep your arms parallel to the floor.
• Squeeze: At the top really squeeze your upper back muscles and stay there.
• Stretch: If you feel confident you can stretch at the bottom, to create a bigger range of motion. You must stretch and NOT hang.

For more back exercises, see my 5 TRX exercises to bulletproof your back.

Rear Shoulder: TRX Ts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP-8Z5nGbgk

If you’re looking to build your middle and rear shoulder muscles for a 4d physique and shoulder girdle strength. This is the exercise for it… TRX Ts.

Think zombie with this suspension trainer shoulder exercises. Loose grip and allow the elbows to lead with a pumping action.

Technique points

• Shoulder Position: keep your shoulders slightly pulled forward. This helps isolate the rear shoulder muscle and stops your upper back muscles from helping out.
• Mindful Focus: Focus on slapping the backs of the hands to walls whilst holding the TRX.
• Squeeze at the top of the T’s: lock in and focus at this point.
• Elbows: Keep them slightly bent. Straightening them brings in your back muscles. Taking tension away from the rear shoulder muscles.

Front Shoulder: TRX Raises

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTfz6gfHxY

If you want to build your front shoulder muscles, you need to feel the burn. Again, act like a zombie with these TRX Front Shoulder Raises to maintain a pumping action and keep tension on muscles.

It’s a small range of motion, but wowzers. You’ll feel that burn, it feels awesome. And you can be assured that the burn leads to muscle growth.

Technique Points

• Start With Tension: Start by squeezing your arms hard before you begin the movement. And maintain this squeeze throughout. Helps maintain tension on the front shoulder muscles
• Hands and Elbows: Slight bend in your elbows. The hands are just hooks, it’s the shoulders that lead the pumping action.
• Don’t Hang or Rest: Don’t go all the way down and just ‘hang’ from the TRX. You will lose tension in the muscle and thus lose the muscle-building growth stimulus.

Middle Shoulder: TRX Side Raises

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEqNaP36QfI

Similar to the front raises, these TRX Side Raises require keeping tension on the muscle by using a shorter range of motion. Focus on that pumping action and chase the burn.

They target your middle shoulder which gives your physique width. And helps to give the V shape look.

Technique Points

• Motion: Keep the range of motion short, this ensures a constant tension is placed upon the muscle⁣
• Don’t relax: Keep the shoulder muscle and your entire arm contracted throughout⁣. Squeezing the TRX handle hard will help with this⁣
• Elbow and wrist: Slight bend in the elbow⁣. Keep the wrist just in front of your peripheral vision⁣

For a deeper dive into building wide, strong shoulders, see my 4 best TRX shoulder exercises.

TRX Shoulder & Back Workout

Here’s how to put all 5 exercises together into one session.

Start with your back, while you’re fresh, because the rows work your biggest muscles. Then finish with the three shoulder raises back to back to build that burn.

1. Back

• Low Rows: 3 sets of 10–15 reps
• High Rows: 3 sets of 10–15 reps
• Take each rep slowly, with a 2-second squeeze at the top. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

2. Shoulder Finisher
Do these back to back, with no rest in between:

• Side Raises: 12 reps
• T’s: 12 reps
• Front Raises: 12 reps

That’s one round. Rest 60–90 seconds, then repeat for 3 rounds. Keep the short pumping action, and don’t hang or rest at the bottom of any rep.

How to progress:

• Stick with a small angle until you can do 15 clean, controlled reps (or all 12 reps of every raise in the finisher).
• Then take a small step towards the anchor to make it harder.
• Your shoulders are small muscles, so even a tiny step makes a big difference. If your form breaks down, step back again.

Do this workout 2–3 times a week, with a rest day in between.

More TRX Guides by Body Part

• TRX Chest Exercises
• TRX Arm Exercises
• TRX Core Exercises
• TRX Back Exercises
• TRX Leg Exercises
• TRX Shoulder Exercises

FAQ

Should you train shoulders and back together?
Yes, they work brilliantly together. Your back and shoulders share many of the same movements, and your rear shoulders in particular work in every row. Training them in one session builds a strong shoulder girdle, balances out all the pressing most people do, and saves you time.

What is the best TRX exercise for shoulders and back?
The TRX High Row. It hits your traps, rear shoulders and the web of upper back muscles all at once. Lead with your elbows, drive them up and out, and squeeze hard at the top. Pair it with Low Rows for your lats and you’ve got the foundation of a strong upper back.

Can TRX exercises fix rounded shoulders?
They can make a big difference. Rounded shoulders usually come from weak rear shoulders and upper back muscles, and hours of sitting. High Rows and T’s strengthen exactly those muscles, pulling your shoulders back into place. Be consistent, and you’ll notice your posture improving within a few weeks. For a dedicated routine, see my 3 TRX exercises to fix rounded shoulders and bad posture.

How often should you train shoulders and back with a TRX?
2–3 times per week works well for most people, with a rest day in between. Your shoulders and back also work in most other TRX exercises, so keep your focus on quality, slow reps rather than adding more sets.

Why use a short range of motion for TRX shoulder exercises?
Your shoulder muscles are small, so it’s easy to lose tension by going too far down and hanging on the joint. A short, controlled pumping action keeps constant tension on the muscle, and that’s what builds the burn and the growth. Once you’ve mastered holding tension, you can gradually increase the range.

But here’s the thing…

A strong back and shoulders only covers your pulling muscles. If you want a balanced, athletic upper body, you need to match it with your pushing muscles too.

So check out this post next, and I’ll show you the 5 TRX chest exercises that hit every part of your chest.

Here’s to your Fitness Freedom!

Coach Adam, aka TRX Traveller