With extensive experience in the fitness industry, I understand what it takes to reach peak performance.
So, I incorporate TRX chest exercises into my clients’ workout plans to help them activate pectoral muscle fibers intensely.
TRX chest workouts offer a more challenging and engaging way to work your chest muscles.
This article explores the benefits of the TRX workout and provides a step-by-step guide for some of the most effective movements.
Quick Summary
- To sculpt and define the chest effectively, incorporating TRX exercises like the chest press, chest flys, spiderman push-up, and clock press is highly beneficial.
- The TRX suspension trainer, leveraging body weight and gravity, offers a unique approach to improving strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability.
- A study in the Hindawi journal highlights that TRX exercises enhance pectoral muscle engagement more effectively than traditional exercises.
- Personally, I've found that combining TRX with other equipment and the use of safe, effective, and trusted pre-workout supplements provides a dynamic, challenging dimension to chest workouts and the burst of energy needed to maximize results.
4 Chest Building TRX Exercises
Before getting into our list, let’s quickly look at what the TRX is.
The TRX, or Total Resistance Exercise, uses a TRX suspension trainer created by former U.S. Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick.
TRX workouts use your own body weight to simultaneously improve strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability.
“TRX is a brilliant piece of kit – it’s a form of suspension training that uses your bodyweight and gravity as resistance.”
- Daniel Baby, Strength & Conditioning Coach
Here are the four best chest-building TRX exercises you shouldn’t miss out on.
1. TRX Chest Press
This traditional TRX exercise lets you deep press and works your chest using only your bodyweight.
Follow these steps to perform it:
- Stand with your back to the anchor and lengthen the straps.
- Keep weight on the balls of your feet, legs straight, and arms extended out in front at shoulder height.
- Bend your elbows to 90 degrees as you lower your chest toward the ground in the press-up position.
- Press yourself back up.
2. TRX Chest Flys
This exercise gives you a deep stretch over a larger area of the chest muscles.
From my own training, I've found the eccentric rep phase in TRX chest flys not only crucial for muscle building and strength improvement but also instrumental in reducing injury risks, a lesson learned through years of refining my workout techniques.
To do this exercise:
- Turn your back to the anchor point while lengthening the straps.
- When you start to lean forward, walk backward with your weight evenly distributed between your feet.
- From this position, pull your arms out to the side of the body so that you create a “T” shape and then descend.
3. TRX Spiderman Push-Up
The quality TRX suspension trainer destabilizes your leg as you perform a spiderman push-up, making this move a challenging one.
Here’s how to perform the TRX spiderman push-ups:
- Set the TRX to single-loop mode and insert one foot into the strap loop.
- Suspend your free leg next to the leg with the braces in a push-up position.
- Bring your free knee to your elbow as you descend into a push-up.
- Keep the hips square to the floor throughout the movement.
- Bring your leg back to the starting position.
4. TRX Clock Press
This exercise stretches the triceps of your arms outward and challenges your chest. It also exerts tension on stabilizing core muscles to help you achieve a well-rounded physique.
To perform this exercise:
- Stand facing the anchor point while maintaining the TRX straps at mid-length.
- Move your feet in its direction and raise your arms to chin level.
- Go low enough to test yourself, but keep your form tight.
- Perform a row with your arms extended before returning to the starting position.
Benefits of TRX Chest Exercises
A TRX workout for your chest has the following benefits:
- Activates pectoral muscles: A study published in the Hindawi journal has shown TRX exercises to be more effective than their equivalents in enhancing pectoral muscle engagement while reaching higher levels of core activation [1]. These workouts have been a cornerstone in achieving my fitness goals.
- Reduces risk of injury: TRX training has a lower risk of upper body injury than free weight training exercises because it’s gentler on the joints, making it a good alternative to the bench press.
- Better mobility: Many of the exercises improve mobility and flexibility while also boosting strength.
- Muscle growth and calorie burn: You will notice improved muscle growth and caloric burn due to a greater testosterone-to-cortisol ratio following the TRX workout, according to a study from Sports Journal [2].
Workout Split
We recommend the following chest workout split:
- Three to four sets of 15 TRX chest press reps and spiderman pushup reps with 30 seconds of rest
- Three to four sets of 15 TRX chest fly reps with 45 seconds of rest
- Three to four sets of 15–20 TRX clock press reps with 30 seconds of rest
Add a few sets of the TRX atomic press-up and some TRX tricep extension reps to target other supporting muscles.
In my own training, I've elevated TRX chest routines by creatively combining them with resistance bands, dumbbells, and kettlebells. This approach not only adds variety but also significantly enhances tension, weight variation, and stability challenges.
Related: Best TRX Back Exercises
FAQs
How Do You Use TRX Bands for Chest?
You can use TRX bands for chest movements like chest press, chest fly, spiderman pushup, and clock press.
Is It OK To Do TRX Every day?
It is not okay to do TRX every day, as it can lead to overuse injuries and prevent proper muscle recovery.
Is TRX Effective?
Yes, TRX is an effective workout kit for improving overall fitness, building strength, increasing endurance, and promoting weight loss.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4491390/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162535/
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