How do I make TRX rows harder without adding weight?

Walk your feet further forward to create a more horizontal body angle, which increases the percentage of your bodyweight you must pull. You can also elevate your feet on a box or bench to make the exercise significantly more challenging.

What grip should I use for TRX rows?

A neutral grip with palms facing each other is most common and shoulder-friendly, but you can also use an overhand or underhand grip to vary muscle emphasis. Experiment with different grips to find what feels most comfortable and targets your goals.

Should my body stay completely straight during TRX rows?

Yes, maintain a rigid plank position from head to heels throughout the entire movement. Any sagging or piking reduces core engagement and can place unnecessary stress on your lower back.

Row (TRX)

The TRX row is a bodyweight pulling exercise performed by leaning back while holding suspension straps and rowing your chest toward your hands. It suits lifters of all levels who want to build upper back and bicep strength with adjustable difficulty based on body angle.

Muscle group: Back
Primary muscles: upper back, biceps
Equipment: Other

How to do the Row (TRX)

Adjust the TRX straps to mid-length and grasp both handles with an overhand or neutral grip.
Walk your feet forward and lean back with arms fully extended, creating a straight line from head to heels.
Engage your core and pull your chest toward your hands by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Pause briefly at the top with your chest near the handles.
Lower yourself back to the starting position with control, maintaining full body tension throughout.

Form tips

Keep your body in a rigid plank position throughout the movement to prevent your hips from sagging or piking.
Pull your elbows back along your sides rather than flaring them out to maximize upper back engagement.
Walk your feet further forward to increase difficulty or step them back to reduce resistance as needed.

Common mistakes

Letting the hips sag or pike breaks the straight body line and reduces core engagement while limiting back activation.
Pulling with the arms only instead of initiating with the shoulder blades reduces upper back recruitment and overworks the biceps.
Using momentum or bouncing at the bottom wastes tension and increases injury risk to the shoulders.

Sets and reps

For strength, perform 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps with a more horizontal body angle, and for hypertrophy, use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with moderate difficulty.

Track the Row (TRX) in Gym Track

Log every set in seconds, see your last session's weight and reps as you train, and get a new PR flagged automatically. Free on iPhone and Android.

Get the app

Frequently asked questions

How do I make TRX rows harder without adding weight?: Walk your feet further forward to create a more horizontal body angle, which increases the percentage of your bodyweight you must pull. You can also elevate your feet on a box or bench to make the exercise significantly more challenging.
What grip should I use for TRX rows?: A neutral grip with palms facing each other is most common and shoulder-friendly, but you can also use an overhand or underhand grip to vary muscle emphasis. Experiment with different grips to find what feels most comfortable and targets your goals.
Should my body stay completely straight during TRX rows?: Yes, maintain a rigid plank position from head to heels throughout the entire movement. Any sagging or piking reduces core engagement and can place unnecessary stress on your lower back.

More back exercises

All back exercises →