Barbell Spider Curl
Chest against an incline bench, arms hanging straight down; the shoulder cannot help, so the peak contraction is honest.
How to do it
Setup
Chest down on an incline bench, arms hanging straight toward the floor, bar in an underhand grip.
Steps
- Curl the bar up in front of the face.
- The upper arms stay vertical – the shoulder cannot cheat here.
- Lower to a dead hang.
Common mistakes
Swinging the bar: the bench removed your torso; do not reinvent it with the arms. Half bottoms: dead hang, every rep. Chest lifting: glued to the pad.
Breathing
Exhale on the curl, inhale lowering.
