Exercise Tutorial: TRX Chest Press

TRX Training

The TRX chest press uses the TRX Suspension Trainer instead of traditional weights to work the chest while improving balance and overall muscle strength. The instability of the suspension straps forces continuous core engagement and shoulder stability, making the TRX chest press more challenging and effective than the traditional chest press.

If you’re looking to add this exercise to your routine, we’ll cover how to do chest presses with a TRX suspension trainer and some common mistakes to avoid. Let’s get started!

Benefits of TRX Chest Press

The TRX chest press increases upper body strength and stability, primarily targeting the chest muscles (large and small) while also engaging muscles in the shoulders, arms, and core. This exercise not only builds your chest, but also helps with overall muscle development, muscle strength, improved stability, and cardiovascular health.

All exercises performed on the TRX Suspension Trainer, like the TRX chest press, activate multiple muscle groups, making the TRX Suspension Trainer a great fitness tool. Regular work on the TRX Suspension Trainer improves your daily activities, functional fitness and overall strength, health and well-being. For example, one of the main benefits when using the TRX Suspension Trainer is a stronger core, which leads to improved posture, reduced back pain and reduced risk of injury.

Related: Chest press with bench press

How to perform the TRX chest press

How to do the TRX chest press:

1. Fully extend your TRX Suspension Training straps.
2. Stand away from the anchor point with the straps moving over and slightly above your shoulders.
3. Place one hand on each handle with your palms facing down, straighten your arms in front of you at shoulder height, and step your feet back toward the anchor so that you bend forward and up on your toes.
4. Drop your shoulders, engage your core, and form a straight line with your body from head to toes (standing plank).
5. Keeping the plank and base in a standing position the entire time, inhale as you bend your elbows, lowering your chest until it reaches the level of the handle.
6. Push yourself back to the starting position by extending your elbows and exhaling as you return.
7. This counts as a repeat.

Muscles Worked

Primary

• Chest (chest major and minor)
• Forearms
• Shoulders
• Abs

Secondary

• Middle back
• Glutes
• triceps
• calves

Avoid making these mistakes

The TRX chest press is performed in unstable conditions, requiring attention to proper form and technique. Common mistakes to avoid during this exercise are:

Wrong starting position

After finding the starting position for the exercise and before starting the TRX chest press, check body awareness. Make sure you are engaged, your body is in a straight line (standing plank) and your body angle (vector) is appropriate for your fitness level. Proper setup from the start is critical to avoid injury.

Rubbed with TRX straps

If your arms are not raised high enough, the TRX Suspension Training Straps will touch or stop your shoulders at the top of the movement and the shoulders and arms at the bottom of the movement. This will cause skin friction during exercise. If this happens, raise your arms slightly so that the straps are over your shoulders and forearms without touching them.

Loose Suspension Straps

For efficient TRX workoutIt is very important to keep the suspension straps tight during every movement. If there is slack in the straps, the intensity and effectiveness of the exercise is reduced. Pay attention to the tension on your straps during the TRX chest press and adjust as necessary to ensure they are taut.

Inadequate completion of exercise

Lack of strength to complete a workout is common, especially for beginners. If you find it too difficult to perform the TRX chest press correctly, consider adjusting your body angle (vector) and leg position. To reduce the intensity of the exercise, move your feet forward, away from the anchor point. This will help you stand up straighter by reducing the angle between your body and the ground, offering you a smaller range of motion appropriate for your current fitness level. Another way to reduce the difficulty of the exercise is to widen your leg stance. Increasing the distance between your feet will offer you more stability and core control when performing the TRX chest press.

Changes and Variations

For added stability and effectiveness, reverse your TRX chest press:

• Try a staggered stance that resembles a lunge position. This pose allows you to focus on effectively developing your upper body and core strength while enhancing stability and control.
• Limit range of motion by positioning your body more upright and bringing your feet under more (bring your feet forward). This reduces the angle between your body and the ground and makes the exercise more manageable depending on your fitness level.
• Choose a wide leg stance to reduce stress and tension during exercise. This positioning increases stability and provides a more controlled movement.

Ready for a Challenge?

TRX Suspension Training offers a versatile approach to training that adapts to different fitness levels. As you progress and build strength, you can enhance your workout using progressions for the TRX chest press.

• Place your feet closer to the anchor point. This leg placement will increase your vectoring and bring your body closer to the ground, strengthening core engagement during chest presses.
• Adjusting your posture so that your feet are closer together during the exercise will challenge your stability and core control.
• Perform the chest press while balancing on one leg, alternating legs with each complete repetition. This variation not only targets the chest muscles, but also works on balance, coordination and stability.
• Unilateral TRX chest presses will reveal strength differences between the right and left sides of the body and require even more core strength and control. Perform a one-handed chest press on both handles. As you bend and extend your working elbow, make sure your shoulders and hips stay square throughout the exercise. Note: compared to the bilateral TRX chest press, the unilateral TRX chest press will require a shallower vector to perform the exercise well.

Precautions and safety measures

Performing exercises using instability-specific equipment, such as the TRX Suspension Trainer, requires more core engagement and focus to correct form. If exercise movements are not done with purpose and control, injuries can occur.

Reduce your risk of injury by:

1. Maintain proper body position throughout your exercise routine.
2. Do not allow the core to sag (drop) while performing chest presses.
3. If you feel pressure in your lower back, move your pelvis into a more neutral position. Maintaining a neutral pelvis will help prevent back injuries.
4. Install the TRX Suspension Trainer and perform the TRX chest press correctly to prevent skin irritation and strap chafing. Avoid straps that rest on your arms during chest presses, as this reduces effectiveness and can cause post-exercise discomfort.
5. Perform chest presses in smooth, controlled movements to avoid jarring movements in the joints.
6. Modify the exercise as needed to match your fitness level (regressions and progressions).

Stop the activity, reset the exercises and leg placement, maintain a more neutral pelvis, and lower the shoulders if you experience back or shoulder pain or discomfort. Work slowly and with control, listen to your body. Your body will discover what works and what doesn’t. Pushing through pain is not recommended and causes injuries. If pain persists after exercise, consult a doctor.