Why do my hands finish beside my head instead of at my shoulders?

Your upper arms stay raised in front of you at about shoulder height for the whole rep, so when your elbows bend fully your hands arrive beside your forehead. If they finish at your shoulders, your elbows have dropped and the curl has turned into a row.

How do I make the TRX Biceps Curl harder or easier?

Walk your feet toward the anchor point to lean further back and lift more of your body weight, or step away from it to stand more upright and lift less. Slowing the lowering phase or curling one arm at a time also makes it harder without changing the angle.

Can the TRX Biceps Curl build bigger biceps?

It can, as long as the lean is steep enough that the last few reps of each set are hard and you keep leaning further back as you get stronger. Once the steepest angle you can control no longer challenges you, the Dumbbell Curl or Cable Curl lets you keep adding load.

Should I curl with my palms up or facing each other?

Palms up keeps the most work on the biceps, which is the usual way to do this exercise. Turning the palms to face each other or down shifts more of the work to the brachialis and brachioradialis, which is a useful variation but less biceps-focused.

Where does the TRX Biceps Curl fit in a workout?

Do it after your main pulling exercises, such as the TRX Row or Chin-Up, when your biceps are the target and heavier work is done. It also works as a station in a suspension circuit, since changing the angle takes only a step.

TRX Biceps Curl

What Is the TRX Biceps Curl?

TRX Biceps Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps and also engages the brachialis, the brachioradialis and the core muscles that hold the body in a straight line. It is a beginner-level movement when done from a fairly upright lean, and it becomes much harder the further back you lean. You hold the suspension handles with your palms up, lean back on straight arms, then bend your elbows to pull your body up toward your hands while your upper arms stay raised in front of you.

The resistance is your own body weight, and you set how much of it you lift by where you place your feet: the closer your feet are to the anchor point, the steeper the lean and the heavier the rep. That makes it a practical biceps exercise wherever a suspension trainer can be anchored, at home, outdoors or on a gym's suspension station, with no dumbbells needed. It usually comes after the main pulling work, such as the TRX Row or the Chin-Up, as arm work to finish a session or as a station in a suspension circuit.

The position of the elbows decides where the work goes. With the elbows kept up in front at about shoulder height, the movement happens at the elbow and the hands finish beside the forehead, which keeps the biceps and brachialis doing the lifting. Once the elbows drop toward the ribs, the lats and upper back join in and the exercise turns into a row. A palms-up grip keeps the most emphasis on the biceps, while a neutral or palms-down grip shifts more of the work to the brachialis and brachioradialis. The Ring Biceps Curl is the same movement on gymnastics rings.

It suits beginners and anyone training without weights, because the load can be dialed down simply by standing more upright. You do need to hold a rigid plank-like body line while you lean back. If your hips sag even at a gentle angle, build arm strength with the Dumbbell Curl or Cable Curl and core strength with plank work first, then come back to the straps.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Brachii: Primary
Brachialis: High
Brachioradialis: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Deltoid: Low
External Oblique: Low
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Gluteus Maximus: Low
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Minimal

Instructions

Set the straps to mid-length and stand facing the anchor point, holding a handle in each hand.
Turn your palms to face up and keep your wrists straight.
Stand with your feet together and lean back until your arms are fully extended toward the anchor at about head height, with your body in a straight line from heels to head.
Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so your hips stay in line with your shoulders and ankles.
Keeping your upper arms raised in front of you, bend your elbows and pull your body up toward your hands.
Keep your elbows pointing forward at about shoulder height as you curl, so only your forearms and your body move.
Finish when your body is nearly upright and your hands are beside your forehead, just in front of your ears, and squeeze your biceps briefly.
Lower yourself slowly by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully extended again, keeping tension on the straps and your body in one straight line.
Repeat for the planned reps, then step your feet back under you to stand upright before letting go of the handles.

Common Mistakes

Dropping the elbows
Letting the elbows sink toward the ribs turns the curl into a row, so the back takes over and the biceps do less of the work.
Sagging hips
Letting the hips drop or bend breaks the straight body line, makes the rep easier than it looks and strains the lower back.
Falling back on the way down
Dropping quickly onto straight arms skips the lowering work and jolts the front of the elbow at the bottom.
Stopping short at the bottom
Not straightening the arms between reps cuts off the stretched part of the range where the biceps work hardest to start the next rep.
Bending the wrists
Curling the wrists in or letting them fold back shifts strain to the wrists and forearms instead of the elbows.
Leaning back too far
Starting at an angle you cannot control leads to sagging hips, dropped elbows and shortened reps, so step back to a more upright lean.

Injuries

TRX Biceps Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. You lift only part of your body weight, your feet stay on the floor, and you can end a set at any moment by stepping forward. The places that take strain are the front of the elbow, where the biceps tendon is loaded in the straight-arm bottom position, the front of the shoulder if the shoulders roll forward as you lower, the lower back if the hips sag, and the wrists if they bend under the handles.

Lower yourself slowly instead of dropping back onto straight arms, and stop at full extension without snapping the elbows. Keep your shoulders back and down, your wrists straight and your body braced from heels to head. Start each session at a gentle lean and only step closer to the anchor once every rep looks the same.

To make it easier, stand more upright or take a split stance with one foot behind the other so the back leg can help. If the straps are still too much, use the Dumbbell Curl or Cable Curl until your core can hold the body line. To progress, walk your feet closer to the anchor, slow the lowering to 3 to 4 seconds, pause with your hands beside your forehead, or work one arm at a time as in the Ring Single-Arm Biceps Curl.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the elbow or shoulder, tingling or numbness in the hands, or if you can no longer keep your hips in line. A sudden pop at the front of the elbow, especially with bruising or a change in the shape of the biceps, needs prompt medical attention.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Suspension trainer and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do my hands finish beside my head instead of at my shoulders?: Your upper arms stay raised in front of you at about shoulder height for the whole rep, so when your elbows bend fully your hands arrive beside your forehead. If they finish at your shoulders, your elbows have dropped and the curl has turned into a row.
Q: How do I make the TRX Biceps Curl harder or easier?: Walk your feet toward the anchor point to lean further back and lift more of your body weight, or step away from it to stand more upright and lift less. Slowing the lowering phase or curling one arm at a time also makes it harder without changing the angle.
Q: Can the TRX Biceps Curl build bigger biceps?: It can, as long as the lean is steep enough that the last few reps of each set are hard and you keep leaning further back as you get stronger. Once the steepest angle you can control no longer challenges you, the Dumbbell Curl or Cable Curl lets you keep adding load.
Q: Should I curl with my palms up or facing each other?: Palms up keeps the most work on the biceps, which is the usual way to do this exercise. Turning the palms to face each other or down shifts more of the work to the brachialis and brachioradialis, which is a useful variation but less biceps-focused.
Q: Where does the TRX Biceps Curl fit in a workout?: Do it after your main pulling exercises, such as the TRX Row or Chin-Up, when your biceps are the target and heavier work is done. It also works as a station in a suspension circuit, since changing the angle takes only a step.