Dumbbell Prone Incline Curl
Trains the Biceps.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and an adjustable bench
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Set an incline bench to about forty-five degrees and lie face down on it, chest against the pad.
- Let both arms hang straight down with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Set the upper arms vertical and keep them there.
- Curl both dumbbells up until the forearms are roughly vertical.
- Squeeze briefly at the top.
- Lower under control to a straight arm.
Common mistakes
- Letting the upper arms swing backward. Lying face down leaves the shoulder free to extend, and using it is the only cheat available here — which is why the position is worth using and why the weight is modest.
- Lifting the chest off the pad. The pad is what fixes the torso; coming off it lets the back extend and turns the movement into a partial row.
- Expecting your standing curl weight. Face down, the shoulder cannot help at all, and the honest load is usually well below a standing one.
- Setting the bench so low that the dumbbells hit the floor at the bottom. The arm needs room to straighten, and a range cut at the bottom removes the part being trained.