What bench angle is best for spider curls?

Most lifters set the bench to 30 to 45 degrees, which supports the chest while leaving room for the arms to hang straight down in front of the bench. Any angle in that range works as long as the dumbbells clear the bench at the bottom of each rep.

Do spider curls target the short head of the biceps?

Not in any proven way. With the arms hanging in front of the torso the shoulder is flexed, which slackens the long head a little, so coaches often say the short head does more of the work, but both heads cross the elbow and both work hard in any palms-up curl. When a 10-week study in untrained young men matched the resistance profile of two cable curls, training with the shoulder flexed about 50 degrees built similar biceps and brachialis thickness and strength to training with the shoulder extended.

Is the spider curl a good substitute for the preacher curl?

Only partly. Both lock the upper arm in place, but the preacher curl is hardest near the bottom with the arms stretched, while the spider curl is easiest at the bottom and keeps the load on through the top half of the rep. Many programs use one of each, or pair the spider curl with the Dumbbell Incline Curl for the stretched position.

Should I use dumbbells or a bar for spider curls?

Dumbbells let each forearm rotate freely and stop a stronger arm from carrying a weaker one, which also helps lifters whose wrists dislike a straight bar. The EZ Bar Spider Curl works both arms on one bar, and its angled grip is a middle ground for the wrists.

How many sets and reps work for spider curls?

As an isolation curl it usually comes after heavier pulling or curling work, for 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps. Pick a weight you can lower under control on every rep without lifting your chest off the bench.

Dumbbell Spider Curl

What Is the Dumbbell Spider Curl?

Dumbbell Spider Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps and also engages the brachialis and the forearm muscles. It is an intermediate-level movement performed lying chest-down on an incline bench with the arms hanging straight toward the floor, a position that takes the hips, lower back and shoulders out of the lift.

The point of the setup is strictness. With the chest on the pad there is no way to lean back or swing the weights up, so the arms have to do all of the lifting. That makes the spider curl a good second or third biceps exercise after heavier curls or pulling work, usually done with noticeably lighter dumbbells than a standing Dumbbell Curl. Dumbbells also let each forearm rotate freely and make each arm lift its own weight, so a stronger side cannot carry a weaker one, and the curl can be done with both arms together, alternating, or one arm at a time.

Because the upper arms hang straight down, the dumbbells feel lightest at the bottom with the elbows straight, hardest when the forearms pass horizontal, and still heavy near the top, where a preacher curl goes slack. That top-half emphasis makes the spider curl a natural partner for an exercise that loads the biceps in a stretched position, such as the Dumbbell Incline Curl or the Dumbbell Single-Arm Preacher Curl. The brachialis and brachioradialis assist throughout, and turning the palms to face each other moves more of the work onto the brachioradialis, as in the Dumbbell Hammer Curl. The EZ Bar Spider Curl and Barbell Incline Curl are the bar versions of the same chest-supported curl.

The spider curl suits lifters who want strict biceps work and anyone whose standing curls turn into a body swing. Newer lifters should first learn to curl with control in a standing or seated curl, since the chest-down position offers no way to rescue a rep that is too heavy. Anyone who finds lying on the chest uncomfortable can get similarly strict work from the Dumbbell Concentration Curl.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Brachii: Primary
Brachialis: High
Brachioradialis: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Low
Deltoid: Minimal

Instructions

Set an incline bench to 30 to 45 degrees and stand behind it holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Lean forward and lie chest-down on the backrest so the top of the pad sits across your upper chest and your head clears the top of the bench.
Extend your legs behind you and rest on the balls of your feet to brace your body.
Let your arms hang straight down toward the floor on either side of the bench, palms facing forward and elbows directly under your shoulders.
Keep your neck in line with your spine and look at the floor ahead of the bench.
Keeping your upper arms vertical and still, bend your elbows to curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
Curl until your forearms pass vertical and the dumbbells are in front of your shoulders, then squeeze your biceps briefly.
Lower the dumbbells under control until your arms are straight again, keeping your chest on the pad.
Repeat for the desired number of reps, then set the dumbbells down on the floor beside the bench before you stand up.

Common Mistakes

Moving the upper arms
Letting the elbows swing forward toward the head or back toward the bench turns part of the curl into a shoulder movement and takes work away from the biceps.
Lifting the chest off the pad
Peeling the chest off the bench to heave the dumbbells up brings back the body swing the bench is there to remove.
Dropping the dumbbells
Letting the weights fall to the bottom skips the lowering half of the rep and jolts the elbows as they straighten.
Using standing-curl weights
Dumbbells that are fine for a standing curl usually force a swing or a cut-short rep here, so most lifters need a lighter pair.
Stopping short at the bottom
Starting the next rep before the arms are straight cuts off the part of the range where the biceps are at their longest.
Craning the neck
Lifting the head to watch the dumbbells strains the neck, so keep it in line with the spine and look at the floor ahead.

Injuries

Dumbbell Spider Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The bench supports the whole torso, so the lower back carries almost no load, and the weights are light compared with most upper-body lifts. The places that can complain are the front of the elbow, where the biceps and brachialis tendons attach, and the wrists, which hold the dumbbells in a fully palms-up grip.

Most problems come from letting the dumbbells drop into the bottom of the rep, which jolts the elbow as it straightens, and from loads heavy enough to force jerky reps. Lower each rep under control until the arms are straight, start with lighter dumbbells than you would use for a standing curl, and warm up with a light set first. The edge of the pad can press hard on the breastbone, so set it across the upper chest rather than the throat or the soft tissue under the ribs, and keep the neck in line with the spine instead of lifting the head to watch the weights.

If a palms-up grip bothers the wrists or elbows, use lighter dumbbells, work one arm at a time, or switch to the Dumbbell Hammer Curl. If lying on the bench is uncomfortable, the Dumbbell Concentration Curl keeps the arm just as strict while seated. To progress, add reps before adding weight, slow the lowering phase, or move to the EZ Bar Spider Curl to load both arms on one bar.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the elbow, a pop or sudden weakness in the arm, or pain or numbness spreading into the forearm or hand, and have a pop with weakness checked by a clinician, since it can signal a biceps tendon injury. Chest discomfort that goes beyond the feel of the pad pressing on it is also a reason to stop.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Dumbbell and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Dumbbell Spider Curl

The Dumbbell Spider Curl is also known as:

Prone Incline Dumbbell Curl

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What bench angle is best for spider curls?: Most lifters set the bench to 30 to 45 degrees, which supports the chest while leaving room for the arms to hang straight down in front of the bench. Any angle in that range works as long as the dumbbells clear the bench at the bottom of each rep.
Q: Do spider curls target the short head of the biceps?: Not in any proven way. With the arms hanging in front of the torso the shoulder is flexed, which slackens the long head a little, so coaches often say the short head does more of the work, but both heads cross the elbow and both work hard in any palms-up curl. When a 10-week study in untrained young men matched the resistance profile of two cable curls, training with the shoulder flexed about 50 degrees built similar biceps and brachialis thickness and strength to training with the shoulder extended.
Q: Is the spider curl a good substitute for the preacher curl?: Only partly. Both lock the upper arm in place, but the preacher curl is hardest near the bottom with the arms stretched, while the spider curl is easiest at the bottom and keeps the load on through the top half of the rep. Many programs use one of each, or pair the spider curl with the Dumbbell Incline Curl for the stretched position.
Q: Should I use dumbbells or a bar for spider curls?: Dumbbells let each forearm rotate freely and stop a stronger arm from carrying a weaker one, which also helps lifters whose wrists dislike a straight bar. The EZ Bar Spider Curl works both arms on one bar, and its angled grip is a middle ground for the wrists.
Q: How many sets and reps work for spider curls?: As an isolation curl it usually comes after heavier pulling or curling work, for 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps. Pick a weight you can lower under control on every rep without lifting your chest off the bench.