The incline dumbbell curl trains your biceps in a stretched position: your arms hang behind your body, so the bottom of the curl is the hardest part.
1Starting positionStart2End positionFinish
Setup
Set the bench back to 45–60 degrees and lie back on it. Let your arms hang straight down with the dumbbells, palms forward. Shoulders against the pad, head on the bench.
Execution
Sit back on an incline bench, dumbbells hanging straight down, palms forward — starting position.
Exhale and curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders, elbows still.
Inhale and lower them back down, feeling the stretch in your biceps.
Common mistakes
Bringing your elbows forward as you curl — your upper arms hang straight down, only your forearms move.
Lifting your shoulders off the pad — that kills the stretch this exercise is for.
Using your standing weight — go lighter here.
Jerking out of the bottom — start each rep smoothly.
Not sure about your form? Send me a video of a set — I'll take a look and tell you what to fix first.
