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Exercise library / TRX Hamstring Curl

TRX Hamstring Curl

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This isolation exercise uses a suspension trainer to target the hamstrings, glutes, and calves by curling the heels towards the glutes.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Building
Equipment
TRX or suspension trainer, rings, A mat, A door or post to anchor a band or trainer
Load
Your body weight, adjusted by body angle
Stability
Unstable: single leg, suspended or on a ball
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A suspension trainer (such as a TRX) or gymnastic rings, hung from a secure anchor point that is rated to hold your weight, and a non-slip floor. A mat or a firm, clear patch of floor, and a sturdy chair or bench nearby to help you get up.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with heels in the suspension trainer cradles, knees bent at 90 degrees.
  2. Lift your hips off the floor, creating a straight line from knees to shoulders.
  3. Extend your legs forward, maintaining hip elevation and core tension.
  4. Pull your heels back towards your glutes, contracting your hamstrings forcefully.
  5. Control the movement, avoiding any drop in hip height throughout the set.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Keep your core braced to prevent your hips from sagging.
  • Focus on a strong hamstring contraction at the peak of the curl.
  • Control the eccentric phase by slowly extending your legs.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Check the straps, buckles and anchor point before every use. Pull hard on the straps to test the anchor before you put your weight on it.
More safety notes
  • Your body angle sets the difficulty: the closer your feet are to directly under the anchor, the easier it is. Start more upright than you think you need.
  • Keep tension in the straps throughout. Do not let them go slack and then jerk tight.
  • Move slowly and keep your body in a straight line unless the exercise says otherwise.
  • Getting down to the floor and back up is part of this exercise. Use a sturdy chair or bench to help you, and move slowly.
  • If you cannot get up from the floor on your own, choose a standing or seated alternative, or have someone with you.
  • Pad bony spots, such as knees, with a mat or folded towel.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A strap, buckle or the anchor shifts or creaks.
  • A strap slips off your hand or foot.
  • You feel pain in a shoulder, elbow or wrist.
  • You cannot get up from the floor without help.
  • You feel dizzy when you change position.

Other ways to do this movement

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Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.