By Brian Diaz
About a year ago, I covered one of the more traditional bicep movements as a substitute for that old preacher bench bicep curl that used to frequent every chain gym around the country until the last couple of years. This month, I will cover another modification of one of the most basic movements that also elicits a little core stabilization called a bear hug bicep curl.
Start standing and facing the anchor point with a handle in each hand and the straps fully extended. Remember, TRX is a great exercising tool to quickly adjust the resistance on the fly. This movement is another one of those that we will start out easy and then make more difficult. The closer your feet are to the anchor point, the harder this exercise is going to be.
With your out elbows flexed, palms facing in, and wrapped around you, one arm on top of the other in a type of bear hug, you are going to try to lower yourself with just your arms (an eccentric bicep movement). Slowly controlling the extension of the elbows, your upper body and torso will move farther away from the anchor point. Try to engage the core and keep the body as straight as possible as you extend the arms out in front of your body. Then eventually flex your elbows, pulling your body back to more upright, while alternating the top hand to the bottom and return to the starting position.
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Brian Diaz is the head physical therapist and sports specialist at ActivEdge Fitness & Sports Performance. He is a Level II Certified TRX Suspension Trainer and a USA Triathlon Certified Coach. Follow him on Twitter (@JediTriathlete) or go to his website at ExperienceTheEdge.com for more exercise ideas.
