Dumbbell Spider Curl
The dumbbell spider curl trains the elbow flexors with the chest supported on an incline bench and the arms hanging in front of the body.
BICEPS · PULL
How it is executed
- Set an incline bench to roughly 60 degrees and lie face down on it so your chest is supported and your arms hang straight down.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a supinated grip.
- Curl both dumbbells up by flexing your elbows, keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor.
- Squeeze the biceps at the top, then lower under control.
- The hanging position eliminates body english and isolates the biceps.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the chest off the bench: maintain support.
- Driving the elbows forward to finish: stop the rep earlier.
- Dropping the dumbbells: control elbow extension.
Frequently asked questions
- How does it differ from an incline curl?
- In the spider curl you face the bench and your arms sit in front of the torso. In an incline curl your back rests on the bench and your arms sit behind it.
- Should the elbows rest on the bench?
- Not in this version: support your chest and leave the arms free. A preacher curl supports the upper arms.
- Where does the lifting phase end?
- When you cannot bend the elbow further without moving it forward. The dumbbell does not need to touch your shoulder.
Sources and editorial approach
The explanation, variations and FAQs are Kaizer’s editorial synthesis. ACSM’s 2026 guidance provides general context on progression and resistance training in healthy adults; it does not independently validate the technique of each variation.
No individual professional review is recorded for this page.
Variations and substitutions
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