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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
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Primary
Biceps
Secondary
BrachialisForearms
Equipment
Dumbbell
Pattern
Isolation curl
Setup
- 01Set an incline bench to about 45 degrees and lie chest-down against the pad.
- 02Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the arms hanging straight down, palms forward.
- 03Plant the feet and press the chest into the pad.
Execution
- 01Curl the dumbbells up while keeping the upper arms pointed at the floor.
- 02Supinate fully and squeeze the biceps at the top.
- 03Lower slowly to complete elbow extension.
- 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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