Ring Biceps Curl
What Is the Ring Biceps Curl?
Ring Biceps Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps and also engages the brachialis, the brachioradialis and the core muscles that hold your body in a straight line. It is a beginner-level movement that uses a pair of gymnastic rings and your own body weight as the resistance: you lean back from the rings with straight arms, then bend only at the elbows to pull your head toward your hands.
The exercise gives you direct biceps work without dumbbells or a cable machine, which makes it a common choice in ring and calisthenics programs where the rings are the main piece of equipment. The load comes from your body angle. Walking your feet forward under the anchor tilts you further back and puts more of your body weight through your arms, while standing more upright makes each rep lighter, so the same rings suit a complete beginner and a strong trainee. It usually sits near the end of a session, after the heavier pulling work such as Chin-Up or Feet Elevated Ring Row.
Because your elbows stay parked in front of you at about shoulder height, the upper arm does not move and the work falls on the elbow flexors. The biceps brachii and the brachialis do most of it, the brachioradialis assists, and your forearm muscles work to hold the rings. Your glutes and abs keep the body rigid from head to heels. Once the elbows drop toward your ribs, the movement turns into a row and the back takes over part of the load, which is why elbow position is the first thing to watch on every rep. The rings also rotate freely, so your wrists can settle into a comfortable angle instead of being locked to a straight bar.
The Ring Biceps Curl suits anyone who can hold a straight-body plank and wants arm training at home, outdoors or in a gym without free weights. If it feels too hard even when standing nearly upright, build up with the Dumbbell Curl first. Once full sets at a steep angle become easy, the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl puts all of the load through one arm. Focusing on keeping the elbows still and feeling the biceps pull you up is what separates a clean curl from a disguised row.
Muscles Worked
- Biceps Brachii
- Primary
- Brachialis
- High
- Brachioradialis
- Medium
- Deltoid
- Low
- Erector Spinae
- Minimal
Instructions
- Set the rings at about chest height with both straps the same length, and stand facing the anchor.
- Grip the rings with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and walk your feet forward so you can lean back with straight arms. Keep your feet together and your heels on the floor.
- Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so your body forms one straight line from head to heels, with your arms reaching up toward the rings in line with the straps.
- Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows and pull your body up toward the rings as your hands travel toward your face.
- Keep your elbows high, at about shoulder height and pointing forward, without letting them drop or flare out.
- Finish when the rings are in front of your face and your body is nearly upright, and squeeze your biceps for a moment.
- Lower yourself slowly by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully straight again, keeping your body in one line.
- Repeat for the target reps, then finish at the top with your body upright and step your feet back under your hips before letting go of the rings.
Common Mistakes
Dropping the elbows
Letting the elbows sink toward the ribs as you pull turns the curl into a row and moves the work from the biceps to the back.
Sagging or piking the hips
Letting the hips drop back or bend breaks the straight body line, makes the rep easier and strains the lower back.
Curling the wrists
Bending the wrists in toward you at the top shifts the load onto the forearm muscles instead of the biceps.
Dropping into the bottom
Falling back to straight arms instead of lowering under control jolts the elbow and skips the lowering half of the rep.
Starting too steep
Walking the feet too far under the anchor on the first sets makes it impossible to finish reps with clean form.
Cutting the range short
Stopping before the arms are straight at the bottom or before the hands reach the face leaves part of every rep untrained.
Injuries
Ring Biceps Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is your own body weight at an angle you choose, and you can step out of the set at any moment. The most common strain points are the front of the elbow, where the biceps tendon attaches, and the forearm flexors, which get overloaded when the angle is too steep or the wrists curl in toward you. The lower back can also complain if your hips sag during the set.
Before you start, check that both straps are anchored securely and set to the same length, and dry your hands so your grip does not slip while you are leaning back. Begin with your body fairly upright and walk your feet forward only once every rep looks clean. Lower yourself under control instead of dropping into straight arms, since a sudden jolt that straightens a loaded elbow is the classic way the biceps tendon is injured. Keep your wrists straight and let the rings rotate with your hands.
To make it easier, stand more upright, bend your knees slightly, or do lowering-only reps by stepping in with your hands at your face and slowly straightening your arms. To make it harder, walk your feet further under the anchor, slow the lowering phase, or move on to the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl. Stop if you feel sharp pain at the front of the elbow or pain when turning your palm up against resistance, and see a clinician if you feel a pop at the elbow, notice swelling or bruising, or lose strength when bending the arm.
- Primary Focus
- Biceps
- Equipment
- Rings and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How do I make the Ring Biceps Curl harder without adding weight?
Walk your feet further forward under the anchor so you start closer to horizontal, which puts more of your body weight through your arms. You can also slow the lowering phase or pause with the rings at your face, and once that is easy, move on to the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl.
- Q: Should my elbows stay high or point toward the floor?
In this version your elbows stay up at about shoulder height and point forward for the whole rep, so the upper arm stays still and the biceps do the work. Some suspension-strap curls are coached with the elbows lower, which is also a valid curl, but whichever height you choose should not change during the rep.
- Q: Can the Ring Biceps Curl replace a dumbbell curl?
Yes, for most people it can be the main biceps isolation exercise, because changing your body angle scales the load from very light to very heavy. The trade-off is that the load is not a number on a dumbbell, so track progress by noting where your feet are, for example with a mark on the floor.
- Q: Why do I feel this more in my forearms than in my biceps?
Usually your wrists are curling in toward you as you pull, which hands part of the work to the forearm muscles. Keep your wrists straight, let the rings rotate with your hands, and stand a little more upright if your grip gives out before your biceps do.
- Q: Should I do ring curls before or after chin-ups and rows?
After them. Chin-ups and rows rely on your biceps too, so tiring the biceps first weakens those heavier pulls, while curls at the end of the session can take the arms the rest of the way.