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Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl
A lying dumbbell curl performed with the arms angled out wide, biasing the short head of the biceps and reinforcing strict elbow-only flexion.
ArmsDumbbellElbow flexion
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-lying-wide-curl
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Biceps brachii
Secondary
BrachialisForearm flexorsAnterior deltoids
Equipment
Dumbbell
Pattern
Elbow flexion
Setup
- 01Lie face-up on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
- 02Let the arms hang down and out to the sides at roughly 45 degrees from the torso.
- 03Turn the palms up so the grip is supinated in the wide position.
- 04Pin the shoulder blades to the bench and plant the feet.
Execution
- 01Curl the dumbbells along the wide line toward the outsides of the shoulders.
- 02Keep the upper arms fixed on their outward angle as the elbows bend.
- 03Squeeze at the top with the palms still facing up.
- 04Lower back to full elbow extension on the same wide path.
Checkpoints
- -The wide upper-arm angle stays constant through the set.
- -Palms stay supinated rather than rotating to neutral.
- -Elbows stay pointed down, not sliding up toward the ceiling.
- -The bottom position reaches a complete stretch each rep.
Common mistakes
- -Letting the arms drift back to a narrow line as fatigue sets in.
- -Turning the grip to neutral and losing the short-head bias.
- -Cutting the eccentric short of a straight elbow.
- -Using momentum from the shoulders to start the rep.
Programming notes
- -Use 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps with dumbbells lighter than your normal curl.
- -Pair it with a narrow or hammer variation to cover both biceps heads.
- -Slow the lowering phase to 2 to 3 seconds to make light loads productive.
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