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Dumbbell One Arm Prone Curl

A single-arm biceps curl performed chest-down on an incline bench, which removes body english and keeps constant tension through the bottom of the curl.

ArmsDumbbellElbow flexion
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-one-arm-prone-curl

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Biceps brachii

Secondary

BrachialisBrachioradialisForearm flexors

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Elbow flexion

Setup

  1. 01Set an incline bench to roughly 30 to 45 degrees.
  2. 02Lie chest-down on the pad with your feet braced on the floor.
  3. 03Hold a dumbbell in one hand with a supinated palm-forward grip.
  4. 04Let the working arm hang straight down from the shoulder.

Execution

  1. 01Curl the dumbbell up by bending only the elbow.
  2. 02Keep the upper arm pointing at the floor throughout the rep.
  3. 03Squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the curl.
  4. 04Lower under control until the elbow is fully extended.

Checkpoints

  • -Chest stays glued to the pad on every rep.
  • -The upper arm hangs vertical and does not swing forward.
  • -The elbow reaches full extension at the bottom.
  • -The wrist stays neutral, not curled toward the shoulder.

Common mistakes

  • -Swinging the upper arm to lift heavier weight.
  • -Lifting the chest off the pad to shorten the range.
  • -Cutting the bottom of the rep short.
  • -Using a load that forces momentum from the shoulder.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps per arm as an isolation movement.
  • -Start with the weaker arm and match reps with the stronger side.
  • -Slow 3-second lowers work well since the stretch position is loaded.

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