The Back-Building Benefits of the TRX Power Pull
When choosing exercises for your workouts, opt for moves that give you the most bang for your buck. That’s why we recommend adding the TRX Power Pull to your training program.
The TRX Power Pull is essentially an exaggerated and more difficult Inverted Row. The primary benefit is back strength. It develops the large muscles in the upper back that you’d typically hit with other rowing variations, such as Dumbbell Rows.
What makes the TRX Power Pull such a special exercise? The many additional benefits it provides.
RELATED: Paul Rabil’s TRX Rip Trainer Workout
It Eliminates Strength Imbalances
The TRX Power Pull is a single-arm move, so it inherently reduces, and hopefully eliminates, strength imbalances on your right and left sides. You need balanced strength so you are equally strong in all directions in your sport. It also helps to fix weaknesses that can lead to an injury over time.
You Can Easily Adjust the Difficulty
You can and should always finish every rep in a set of Power Pulls. That’s because you can easily adjust the difficulty of the exercise mid-rep. If a set becomes too hard, take a step back away from the anchor point to decrease the angle of your body. If you were using weights, you’d have to change the weight, which is not always convenient.
You Experience a Greater Range of Motion
With rowing exercises, we often see a shortened range of motion, or worse, a jerking motion to make the exercise easier. The motion of the Power Pull eliminates these mistakes. It forces you to move in a full range through your back and shoulder to pull your body from the rotation up to the finishing point of the rep. This makes it a great move for developing a strong back and healthy shoulders.
It Strengthens Your Core
At the foundation of this exercise, you’re in an inverted Plank, which is unstable because of the Suspension Trainer. Your core muscles engage to keep your body in a straight line and stable. Since you’re holding onto the TRX with only one arm, your core must brace to keep your body from twisting. And it has to maintain this stable position throughout each rep as you rotate, almost as if you were rotating from a Plank to a Side Plank, which strengthens major core muscles such as your abs and obliques.
It Teaches Proper Movement
This is a rotational exercise, but the majority of the rotation should come through your upper back, or t-spine. Throughout the exercise, your core should be tight and your upper body should be doing all the work. This is a critical skill you need to learn to maximize your power and protect your lower back, which can be injured if you rotate improperly.
This is an advanced exercise. You should master the TRX Inverted Row and TRX Single-Arm Inverted Row before trying the TRX Power Pull. If you don’t have access to a TRX Suspension Trainer, you can do this move using a barbell, similar to a traditional Inverted Row.
How to:
-
Adjust the TRX straps to the shortest position and put the TRX in single-handle mode.
-
With the anchor point about 2-3 feet in front of you, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the TRX handle with your left hand and hold it next to your chest. Touch your right hand to the central loop on the strap. This is your starting point.
-
Keeping your core tight and body in a straight line, lower your body by slowly extending your left arm.
-
As you lower, rotate through your upper back and swing your right arm in a circular motion to form a T with your upper body at the bottom of the row.
-
Pull your left shoulder down and back to initiate the row. Powerfully pull yourself up and swing your right arm in a circular motion to touch the central loop, returning to the starting position.
Sets/Reps: 3×8-10 each side
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The Back-Building Benefits of the TRX Power Pull
When choosing exercises for your workouts, opt for moves that give you the most bang for your buck. That’s why we recommend adding the TRX Power Pull to your training program.
The TRX Power Pull is essentially an exaggerated and more difficult Inverted Row. The primary benefit is back strength. It develops the large muscles in the upper back that you’d typically hit with other rowing variations, such as Dumbbell Rows.
What makes the TRX Power Pull such a special exercise? The many additional benefits it provides.
RELATED: Paul Rabil’s TRX Rip Trainer Workout
It Eliminates Strength Imbalances
The TRX Power Pull is a single-arm move, so it inherently reduces, and hopefully eliminates, strength imbalances on your right and left sides. You need balanced strength so you are equally strong in all directions in your sport. It also helps to fix weaknesses that can lead to an injury over time.
You Can Easily Adjust the Difficulty
You can and should always finish every rep in a set of Power Pulls. That’s because you can easily adjust the difficulty of the exercise mid-rep. If a set becomes too hard, take a step back away from the anchor point to decrease the angle of your body. If you were using weights, you’d have to change the weight, which is not always convenient.
You Experience a Greater Range of Motion
With rowing exercises, we often see a shortened range of motion, or worse, a jerking motion to make the exercise easier. The motion of the Power Pull eliminates these mistakes. It forces you to move in a full range through your back and shoulder to pull your body from the rotation up to the finishing point of the rep. This makes it a great move for developing a strong back and healthy shoulders.
It Strengthens Your Core
At the foundation of this exercise, you’re in an inverted Plank, which is unstable because of the Suspension Trainer. Your core muscles engage to keep your body in a straight line and stable. Since you’re holding onto the TRX with only one arm, your core must brace to keep your body from twisting. And it has to maintain this stable position throughout each rep as you rotate, almost as if you were rotating from a Plank to a Side Plank, which strengthens major core muscles such as your abs and obliques.
It Teaches Proper Movement
This is a rotational exercise, but the majority of the rotation should come through your upper back, or t-spine. Throughout the exercise, your core should be tight and your upper body should be doing all the work. This is a critical skill you need to learn to maximize your power and protect your lower back, which can be injured if you rotate improperly.
This is an advanced exercise. You should master the TRX Inverted Row and TRX Single-Arm Inverted Row before trying the TRX Power Pull. If you don’t have access to a TRX Suspension Trainer, you can do this move using a barbell, similar to a traditional Inverted Row.
How to:
-
Adjust the TRX straps to the shortest position and put the TRX in single-handle mode.
-
With the anchor point about 2-3 feet in front of you, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the TRX handle with your left hand and hold it next to your chest. Touch your right hand to the central loop on the strap. This is your starting point.
-
Keeping your core tight and body in a straight line, lower your body by slowly extending your left arm.
-
As you lower, rotate through your upper back and swing your right arm in a circular motion to form a T with your upper body at the bottom of the row.
-
Pull your left shoulder down and back to initiate the row. Powerfully pull yourself up and swing your right arm in a circular motion to touch the central loop, returning to the starting position.
Sets/Reps: 3×8-10 each side