The single-arm dumbbell row is a classic exercise, but it's not always done correctly. You'll often see people rocking their entire upper bodies on the move, putting their lower back at risk for injury and not getting the most out of the row.
That's where this TRX row comes in, because it forces you to keep near-perfect form. It's an exercise that will keep you honest on all your single-arm rows, and combined with a dumbbell curl at the end that's also on the TRX, it makes a perfect finishing move to a pull-day workout.
The balance component that the TRX adds is a challenging but useful way to expose and correct any overrotation in your lumbar spine that may happen while you do your standard single-arm rows. You needall your weight on your supporting shoulder to survive here, so you're forced to limit a lot of the "rock" you see others using on the working arm of dumbbell rows.
Just to survive the balance component, you'll need to use less weight than you would on a normal dumbbell row—think half your normal row weight or less. And even then, only expect to get 6 to 8 good-form rows before your core taps out for a set.
To make this exercise even harder, after you've done as many good-form rows as possible, throw in a few spider curls on that same arm. The slight shift in body position will force your core to kick into overdrive, making it "smarter" overall at balancing on the TRX. Expect to do half as many spider curls as you did rows before your core turns to mush.
Spider Curl:
Two or three sets per arm of 6 to 8 reps at a moderate weight will crush most guys, making it a perfect finishing challenge. (For more exercises that will build muscle and burn fat, check out Metashred Extreme from Men's Health.)
But because this move is pretty advanced, it isn't for everyone.
If you want to try it, start by first getting comfortable with TRX single-arm plank holds. To do this, put one of your arms in the strap, get in a plank position behind the TRX, and keep everything still. This move will shred your core alone, and when you can work up to 20 to 30 seconds of that, you can start to add weights.
