Spider Curl
A curl done lying chest-down on an incline bench: your arms hang straight toward the floor in front of your body and you curl the weight up, working your biceps with nothing to swing.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
Spider curls suit anyone who wants a strict curl with a strong squeeze at the top. With your arms hanging in front of your body, nothing can swing and the biceps works in a shortened position, the opposite of an incline curl, where your arms hang behind you for a deep stretch. Dumbbells let each wrist settle into its own angle and work the arms independently; the EZ bar is quicker to load heavier and keeps both arms moving together. Expect to use less weight than on standing curls.
How to do it (Dumbbell)
Set an incline bench to 45-60 degrees and lie face down with your chest against the pad and your feet on the floor.
Let your arms hang straight down, a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward.
Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders, moving only your forearms.
Lower them slowly to full extension. With your arms hanging in front of you, there's nowhere to hide; no swing, no shoulder assistance.
Lie face down on an incline bench with your arms hanging straight down holding an EZ bar in an underhand grip.
Curl the bar up toward your shoulders without moving your upper arms.
Squeeze the biceps hard at the top.
Lower slowly until your arms are fully straight. With your upper arms hanging vertically, there is no way to swing the weight.
Common mistakes
Lying too low on the bench
If your chest slips down the pad, your arms end up angled back toward the bench. Position yourself high enough that your arms hang straight down past the top.
Swinging the elbows forward
Bringing your elbows forward to finish the curl turns it into a front raise. Keep your upper arms vertical and move only your forearms.
Skipping the squeeze at the top
The top is where this curl earns its place. Hold a brief squeeze before you lower instead of letting the weight drop straight back.
Lifting your chest off the pad
Raising your torso to help the weight up adds a little body swing. Keep your chest on the bench throughout.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
