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Dumbbell Spider Curl

A strict dumbbell curl performed chest-down on an incline bench, isolating the biceps with the arms hanging vertically.

ArmsDumbbellIsolation curl
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-spider-curl

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Biceps

Secondary

BrachialisForearms

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Isolation curl

Setup

  1. 01Set an incline bench to about 45 degrees and lie chest-down against the pad.
  2. 02Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the arms hanging straight down, palms forward.
  3. 03Plant the feet and press the chest into the pad.

Execution

  1. 01Curl the dumbbells up while keeping the upper arms pointed at the floor.
  2. 02Supinate fully and squeeze the biceps at the top.
  3. 03Lower slowly to complete elbow extension.
  4. 04Keep the head and chest supported throughout.

Checkpoints

  • -Upper arms stay vertical — only the forearms move.
  • -Full extension at the bottom of every rep.
  • -No shoulder shrug or pad push-off at the top.

Common mistakes

  • -Swinging the elbows forward to finish the rep.
  • -Half-repping the bottom to avoid the hardest range.
  • -Letting the wrists break backward.
  • -Lifting the chest off the pad with heavy loads.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with strict control.
  • -Dumbbells allow full supination — twist the pinky up at the top for peak contraction.
  • -Alternate arms if maintaining a level torso is difficult with both.

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