Back to library

Exercise Library

Dumbbell Prone Incline Curl

A biceps curl performed lying chest-down on an incline bench, eliminating all body english and forcing strict elbow flexion.

ArmsDumbbellElbow flexion
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-prone-incline-curl

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Biceps brachii

Secondary

BrachialisBrachioradialisForearm flexors

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Elbow flexion

Setup

  1. 01Set an incline bench to roughly 45 degrees.
  2. 02Lie chest-down on the pad with your head above the top edge.
  3. 03Let both arms hang straight down with palms facing forward.
  4. 04Plant the feet or knees to keep the body still.

Execution

  1. 01Curl both dumbbells up while the upper arms hang vertically.
  2. 02Keep the chest pressed into the pad the whole rep.
  3. 03Squeeze the biceps hard at the top.
  4. 04Lower under control to a full hang.

Checkpoints

  • -Chest stays glued to the bench with no push-off.
  • -Upper arms stay pointing at the floor.
  • -Palms stay supinated through the curl.
  • -Full elbow extension at the bottom of every rep.

Common mistakes

  • -Swinging the dumbbells forward to start the rep.
  • -Lifting the chest off the pad to shorten the range.
  • -Letting the elbows drift back toward the hips.
  • -Using loads that break strict form.

Programming notes

  • -Use 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with lighter loads than standing curls.
  • -Good as a strict finisher or a fix for lifters who swing every curl.
  • -Also called a spider curl when done on the vertical side of the bench.

Related exercises

Almost there

Coming soon to iOS & Android

GoLightWeight is in the final stretch. Free to download, no account required to start.

Coming soonApp Store
Coming soonGoogle Play