The prone incline barbell curl, or spider curl, is a fantastic exercise for building the biceps and working the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles as well. It’s different than many biceps exercises but it really isolates the muscles and this is important for complete development.
Now, since the biceps are a smaller muscle, you don’t need to train them too frequently and/or with too much volume. So a few sets (3-4) of prone incline barbel curls should be enough to stimulate the muscles sufficiently. If you’re bored with your current bicep exercise then give the prone incline barbell curl a try and you may just make even more gains.
In this Exercise
- Target Muscle Group: Biceps brachii
- Type: Strength
- Mechanics: Isolation
- Equipment: Bench, barbell
- Difficulty: Beginner
Exercise Instructions
- Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and lie prone on an incline bench with the bottom of your chest just above the top part of the bench.
- Let the barbell hang down with arms fully extended to start the exercise.
- Exhale and curl the barbell and contract your biceps at the top.
- Hold at the top for a couple of seconds.
- Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down but don’t lock out at the bottom.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Variations & Tips
- You can also do the prone incline barbell curl on a preacher bench using the opposite side (Flat side not slanted).
- You can use dumbbells, an e-z curl bar or cables alternatively.
- The brachialis and brachioradialis muscles also get plenty of stimulation during the exercise.
- The prone incline curl is the perfect exercise to isolate your biceps because of the inclined position which gives the muscle a good stretch.
