How do I make the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl easier or harder?

Change your body angle. Walking your feet closer to the anchor makes you lean further away and puts more of your weight on the arm, while stepping away from the anchor stands you more upright and makes each rep lighter.

Why do you stand side-on to the ring instead of facing it?

Turning side-on lets the working arm reach straight toward the anchor with the upper arm at shoulder height, while the free arm stays out of the way by your side. It also makes your core resist the pull that tries to twist you toward the ring.

Is it harder than the two-arm Ring Biceps Curl?

Yes. At the same body angle one arm lifts the load that two arms share in the Ring Biceps Curl, and your trunk has to stop the body from rotating, so most people need to stand more upright to get the same number of reps.

Where should the ring end up at the top?

Beside your temple, with your palm facing your head and your elbow still at shoulder height pointing toward the anchor. If the ring ends up by your chest, your elbow has dropped and the rep has turned into a row.

Can it replace dumbbell curls?

It can be your main biceps exercise when you train with rings at home or while traveling, since leaning further keeps adding load. Dumbbells make it easier to set exact weights and track progress, so many people use both.

Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl

What Is the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl?

Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps and also engages the brachialis, forearms, shoulders and core. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you stand side-on to a single gymnastics ring, lean away from it on one straight arm and curl your body back up to standing by bending the elbow.

The exercise gives you a way to load the biceps hard with nothing but a ring and your body weight, one arm at a time. How much of your weight the arm has to lift depends on your body angle: the further you lean away from the anchor, the heavier each rep gets, so you can make it harder without adding any plates. It fits well at the end of a pulling session, in home and travel workouts, and in ring training programs that otherwise lack direct arm work.

The biceps do most of the work, with the brachialis and brachioradialis helping to bend the elbow. Your upper arm stays raised at about shoulder height and pointed at the anchor for the whole set, which keeps the shoulder from swinging and leaves the elbow flexors to move the body. Because the load hangs off one side, your obliques, abs and hip muscles have to stop the torso from twisting toward the ring or sagging at the hips, which makes this version a bigger core test than the two-arm curl.

This exercise suits trainees who can already do smooth, controlled reps of the Ring Biceps Curl and want more load without adding weight. Working one arm at a time also shows up any strength difference between sides, since the stronger arm cannot help the weaker one. If it is too hard, stand more upright or go back to the two-arm Ring Biceps Curl, and build a base with the Dumbbell Curl or the Cable Single-Arm Curl.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Brachii: Primary
Brachialis: High
Brachioradialis: Medium
External Oblique: Medium
Deltoid: Low
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Gluteus Medius: Low
Rectus Abdominis: Low
Upper Trapezius: Minimal

Instructions

Hang a single ring from a high anchor so the ring sits at about head height.
Stand side-on to the anchor with your right side facing it and your feet together.
Grip the ring in your right hand with an underhand grip, palm facing up.
Walk your feet toward the anchor and lean your body away from it until your right arm is straight and raised out to the side, in line with the strap.
Brace your core and glutes so your body forms a straight line from head to heels, and let your left arm hang by your side.
Keeping your upper arm pointed at the anchor, bend your elbow and curl the ring toward the side of your head, letting your body rise to upright.
Finish with the ring beside your temple, your palm facing your head and your elbow still at shoulder height.
Lower yourself back under control by straightening the elbow, without letting your hips sag or your torso twist toward the ring.
Complete your reps, then turn around and repeat with the left arm.

Common Mistakes

Dropping the elbow
Letting the upper arm sink toward your ribs turns the curl into a row, so the back takes over from the biceps.
Sagging or piking at the hips
Breaking the straight line from head to heels shortens the lever and puts strain on the lower back.
Twisting toward the ring
Rotating the chest toward the anchor to finish the rep lets the trunk do the work the arm should be doing.
Dropping into the bottom
Falling back and letting the elbow snap straight loads the biceps tendon and wastes the lowering phase.
Leaning too far too soon
Starting at a steep angle forces short, jerky reps and makes a slip or fall more likely.
Shrugging the shoulder
Pulling the working shoulder up toward your ear shifts effort to the upper trapezius and away from the arm.

Injuries

Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main strain point is the front of the elbow, where the biceps tendon attaches to the forearm. It takes the most stress when you drop quickly into the bottom and let the elbow snap straight, or when you lean much further than last session and suddenly ask one arm to lift far more of your weight. The shoulder of the working arm also has to hold the upper arm up at shoulder height for the whole set, so a shoulder that already complains in that raised position will feel it.

Lower every rep under control and stop just short of a hard lockout at the bottom. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, because letting the hips sag or twist puts the strain on your lower back instead of your arm. Make sure the ring and strap are secure and your grip is dry before you lean, since a slipping hand drops you sideways with only your feet on the floor. Start fairly upright and add lean a little at a time across sessions.

If the one-arm version is too much, stand more upright or go back to the two-arm Ring Biceps Curl, or use the Dumbbell Curl where the load is easy to set. To progress, walk your feet closer to the anchor for a steeper lean, or slow down the lowering phase. Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the elbow or in the shoulder, or if your grip starts to slip, and rest the arm if pain in the elbow crease lingers after training.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Rings and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I make the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl easier or harder?: Change your body angle. Walking your feet closer to the anchor makes you lean further away and puts more of your weight on the arm, while stepping away from the anchor stands you more upright and makes each rep lighter.
Q: Why do you stand side-on to the ring instead of facing it?: Turning side-on lets the working arm reach straight toward the anchor with the upper arm at shoulder height, while the free arm stays out of the way by your side. It also makes your core resist the pull that tries to twist you toward the ring.
Q: Is it harder than the two-arm Ring Biceps Curl?: Yes. At the same body angle one arm lifts the load that two arms share in the Ring Biceps Curl, and your trunk has to stop the body from rotating, so most people need to stand more upright to get the same number of reps.
Q: Where should the ring end up at the top?: Beside your temple, with your palm facing your head and your elbow still at shoulder height pointing toward the anchor. If the ring ends up by your chest, your elbow has dropped and the rep has turned into a row.
Q: Can it replace dumbbell curls?: It can be your main biceps exercise when you train with rings at home or while traveling, since leaning further keeps adding load. Dumbbells make it easier to set exact weights and track progress, so many people use both.