Incline Dumbbell Curl

Lying back on an incline bench with the arms hanging behind the body; the long head starts stretched, which is the whole point.

Incline Dumbbell Curl, illustrated

How to do it

Setup

Lie back on a 45–60° bench, arms hanging straight down BEHIND the body, palms forward.

Steps

  1. Curl the bells without letting the elbows travel forward.
  2. Feel the long stretch at the bottom of every rep.
  3. Lower fully into the hang.

Common mistakes

Elbows swinging to the ribs: the behind-the-body hang is the point; they stay back. Shoulders rolling forward off the bench: pinned to it. Partial bottoms: the stretch is why you chose this bench.

Breathing

Exhale on the curl, inhale lowering.