Suspension hamstring curl

Also called TRX hamstring curl, suspension leg curl.

What is a suspension hamstring curl?

A suspension hamstring curl is performed lying on your back with your heels in the trainer’s foot cradles. Lift your hips, bend both knees to bring your heels toward you, then straighten your legs. This version keeps the hips extended through the curl.

Two side views of a woman lying with her heels suspended, first with straight legs and raised hips, then with bent knees and the hips still lifted in line with the thighs.

How do you perform a suspension hamstring curl?

Set up

Install the trainer on a secure anchor using its manufacturer’s instructions, check the straps and handles, and clear the floor around you. Set both straps to equal length.
Sit facing the anchor and place one heel securely in each foot cradle. Lie back with your head and shoulders on the floor, arms by your sides and legs extended. Set the cradles low enough that you can enter and leave them with your hips on the floor.

Execution

Press your heels into the cradles and lift your hips until your trunk and thighs form a line. Keep your head and shoulders resting on the floor.
Bend both knees to draw your heels toward your hips. Keep the hips lifted and let them rise with the thighs rather than folding at the waist.
Extend both knees slowly while keeping the hips off the floor. After the final repetition, lower your hips completely before taking your feet out.

Common mistakes

Dropping the hips as the knees straighten
Shorten the range or end the set when you cannot maintain the raised hip position.
Pulling one heel ahead of the other
Reset both feet in the cradles and curl the legs together. Alternating the legs is a different version.

Where it fits in a session

Include this movement where it fits the strength session you have planned.

Keep the cradle height and your distance from the anchor consistent. Record repetitions completed with both legs together.

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Primary

Secondary

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The hamstrings bend the knees, while the glutes help hold the hips extended. This is a list of roles, not a measured activation ranking.

Frequently asked questions

Should my hips stay on the floor?

Not in the version shown here. Lift the hips before curling and keep them raised until the set ends. A curl with the hips resting on the floor uses a different setup.

Is this the same as a suspension hip bridge?

No. In this curl you bend and straighten the knees while the heels move. In a hip bridge the main repetition is lifting and lowering the hips.

Sources

Betts et al. Anatomy and Physiology 2e. OpenStax, 2022. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/11-6-appendicular-muscles-of-the-pelvic-girdle-and-lower-limbs
Snarr and Beardsley. Hamstring curl with suspension device. Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning, 2014. https://strengthandconditioning.org/jasc-22-6/918-exercise-highlight-hamstring-curl-with-suspension-device