Why Your TRX Bicep Curls Aren’t Building Your Biceps (4 Fixes)

The TRX bicep curl is arguably the most effective choice for building your arms

That said, if you don’t do it correctly, rather than working your biceps…

You’ll end up working more of your other muscles, like your forearms and back…

And lose any growth stimulus from swinging momentum.

There are four mistakes that cause this to happen….

They’re easy to fix, but will make a massive difference in your bicep curls.

Let’s start with mistake number one…

Don’t have time to read the post in full? Then watch the video below to learn how to properly TRX Bicep Curl for growth (4 easy steps)

https://youtu.be/x4Jxl3QvF0s

Mistake 1 – Arm path

The first mistake has to do with your arm path.

Most people either hang at the bottom with straight arms, which completely loses tension on the bicep muscle…

Or they swing up and down without any control.

Neither of these build your biceps effectively.

If you’re just starting out, here’s what you need to focus on…

First, let’s talk about the bottom position.

The key thing is to keep tension on the bicep muscle at all times, which is what drives muscle growth

So at the bottom, stop just before your arms fully straighten…

Don’t let yourself hang there.

Or you’ll tension on the bicep muscle… lose tension lose growth.

Keep a slight bend just before you curl back up

Now let’s talk about the top position.

As you curl up, focus on squeezing the bicep muscle hard at the top and hold that position.

Really contract it.

That squeeze focus is your mind muscle contraction and the isometric tension it creates, builds bicep muscle.

Now, if you’re already doing those two pointers consistently,

here’s how to take it to the next level…

TRX Bicep Curl Progression

At the bottom, DO straighten your arms, but only by actively contracting your triceps.

When one opposing muscle contracts, the other muscle must lengthen, stretch.

So by contracting your triceps at the bottom, your biceps stretch out…

That means you maintain controlled tension on the bicep muscle through that stretch,

rather than just hanging and losing all tension.

This extra stretch at the bottom creates a bigger range of motion which leads to better muscle development…

Holding the handles correctly

Now at the top, first make sure you’re holding the handles correctly.

Hold them on the inside.

Then as you curl up, focus on using your, middle finger, ring finger and little finger to drive the curl.

And Then rotate your wrists so your little finger rises upwards and your thumb goes down.

Really focus on twisting with those three fingers to drive that rotation.

You’ll feel an incredible squeeze on the bicep muscle, which helps build that bicep peak.

Again you’re taking the bicep muscle through a bigger range of motion…

From a fully stretched to a fully contracted position.

Which means better muscle development across the whole bicep…

Now, mistake number 2…

Mistake 2 – Angle

The second mistake is using too big of an angle.

A lot of people lean way back and then swing their body to curl up.

They’re using momentum to help them out.

The problem with that is you’re not isolating the bicep muscle.

Multiple muscles and that momentum are coming into the equation:

• Your shoulders are helping you out
• Your hips as you swing forward
• Your back muscles
• Even your core comes into play just so you can curl up

So that means the load is shared across multiple muscles and momentum.

The bicep isn’t taking all the bodyweight load.

When that happens, the bicep loses tension.

Tension is transferred to those other ‘helpful’ muscles and momentum…

Tension is the number one muscle and strength-building stimulus.

You want to keep as much tension and bodyweight on the bicep muscle as possible.

So here’s what you need to do:

1. Reduce the angle.
2. And lock your body in stone.
3. Your body should only move by contracting—by squeezing really hard—your bicep muscle.

If you’re locked in and only your bicep muscles squeezing are causing your body to move…

Then you can be assured you’ve eliminated all other help.

No momentum, no swinging, no other muscles jumping in.

The target bicep muscle has to do all the work…

That’s when you get the biggest muscle-building stimulus…

So don’t think an easier angle means an easier exercise.

Let go of your ego.

Make a smaller angle and focus on only loading your bicep muscle.

Feel it squeezing, stretching, and burning throughout every single rep.

Now for mistake number 3…

Mistake 3 – Wrist Position

Mistake number three is wrist position.

This is a subtle one, but it makes a huge difference.

Most people curl their wrists forward as they curl up.

The problem with that is your forearm muscles come into play.

They’re helping out and taking load and tension away from the bicep muscle.

Instead, keep your wrists slightly bent back or straight throughout the entire movement.

Never curl them forward.

That way, all the work stays on the bicep muscle where it belongs.

The only time your wrists should move is at the top when you’re rotating them for that peak contraction squeeze we talked about in mistake number one.

But during the curl, keep them locked in that neutral position.

That ensures the bicep muscle is doing all the work, not your forearms.

Now, mistake number 4…

Mistake 4 – Speed

The fourth mistake is speed.

As we’ve talked about, Time under tension is the biggest key to muscle growth.

When people rush through bicep curls, they increase the chance of momentum and poor form.

Everything we just fixed in the previous mistakes goes out the window when you’re racing through reps.

You need to slow right down.

As a minimum, focus on 2 seconds for each of the three phases of the bicep curl.

• 2 seconds curling up, really squeezing that bicep muscle.
• 2 seconds squeeze at the top, rotating your wrists and bringing that little finger up for maximum contraction.
• 2 seconds lowering back down, maintaining control and tension the whole way.

That’s 6 seconds per rep.

Quality over quantity.

Slowing the movement down allows for…

• Better control for injury prevention.
• Better mind-muscle connection with that squeeze.
• And keeps tension on the bicep muscle longer.

That’s what drives growth.

Summary technique points for TRX Bicep Curls for growth

So on your next bicep curl, add all those elements together:

1. Keep constant tension by either stopping just before straight or contracting your triceps at the bottom.
2. Rotate your wrists at the top using those three fingers for maximum squeeze.
3. Lock your body in stone with a smaller angle so only your biceps do the work.
4. Keep your wrists neutral throughout, not curled forward.
5. And slow it right down with that 2-2-2 tempo.

Here’s the thing, though…

The bicep curl is only one arm move.

If you want full-body strength to back it up, you need to master the fundamental suspension training strength movements.

So checkout this post next and I’ll show you the 8 essential TRX moves every man must master and exactly how to do them to build full body strength, mobility, and confidence quickly.

I’ve also created a free 4-week strength workout plan for those 8 exercises that you can follow.

It’s waiting for you on that page to download for free.

Here’s to your Fitness Freedom

Coach Adam aka TRX Traveller