Prone Incline Barbell Curl

How to do it

1. Set an incline bench to about forty-five degrees and lie face down against it, chest on the pad.
2. Let both arms hang straight down over the low end with a barbell in your hands, underhand grip.
3. Set the upper arms vertical and keep them there.
4. Curl the bar up until the forearms are roughly vertical.
5. Squeeze briefly at the top.
6. Lower under control to a straight arm.

Common mistakes

• Letting the upper arms swing backward. Face down leaves the shoulder free to extend, and using it is the only cheat available — which is why the position is worth using and why the weight is modest.
• Lifting the chest off the pad. The pad fixes the torso; coming off it lets the back extend and turns the movement into a partial row.
• Setting the bench so low that the bar hits the floor at the bottom. The arms need room to straighten, and a range cut at the bottom removes the part being trained.
• Expecting your standing curl weight. Face down the shoulder cannot help at all, and the honest load is well below a standing one.

Muscles worked

Primary

• Biceps