5 Alternatives to Barbell Incline Lying Curls for Limited Equipment

If you can’t do Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline, use incline dumbbell curls, cable curls, preacher curls, concentration curls, or EZ-bar curls to replicate the long-head stretch and peak contraction. Cue: lie back with scapulae pinned and elbows fixed to emphasize the biceps long-head activation and controlled eccentric tempo.

Original Exercise: Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline

Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline
  1. Lie against an incline bench, with your arms holding a barbell and hanging down in a horizontal line. This will be your starting position.
  2. While keeping the upper arms stationary, curl the weight up as high as you can while squeezing the biceps. Breathe out as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Only the forearms should move. Do not swing the arms.
  3. After a second contraction, slowly go back to the starting position as you inhale. Tip: Make sure that you go all of the way down.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Ranked Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Lying Preacher Curl

1. Barbell Lying Preacher Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher bench with your chest against the pad and your arms extended over the edge, holding a barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the bar until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Barbell Preacher Curl

2. Barbell Preacher Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the pad and your chest against the support.
  2. Grasp the barbell with an underhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

3. Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the ez barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Rest your triceps on the pad and fully extend your arms, keeping your back straight.
  3. Slowly curl the barbell towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Lower the barbell back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Ez Barbell Seated Curls

4. Ez Barbell Seated Curls

99.9% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Rest your upper arms on your thighs, allowing the ez barbell to hang down in front of you.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the ez barbell upwards towards your shoulders.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell Curl

5. Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell Curl

98% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit down on a flat bench with a barbell or E-Z Bar in front of you in between your legs. Your legs should be spread with the knees bent and the feet on the floor.
  2. Use your arms to pick the barbell up and place the back of your upper arms on top of your inner thighs (around three and a half inches away from the front of the knee). A supinated grip closer than shoulder width is needed to perform this exercise. Tip: Your arm should be extended at arms length and the barbell should be above the floor. This will be your starting position.
  3. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps.
  4. Slowly begin to bring the barbell back to starting position as your breathe in. Tip: Avoid swinging motions at any time.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls

6. Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls

96% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Grab an EZ-bar using a shoulder width and palms down (pronated) grip.
  2. Now place the upper part of both arms on top of the preacher bench and have your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
  3. As you exhale, use the biceps to curl the weight up until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder height. Squeeze the biceps hard for a second at the contracted position.
  4. As you breathe in, slowly lower the barbell until your upper arms are extended and the biceps is fully stretched.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl

7. Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl

95.2% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher bench with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Grasp the ez barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Rest your upper arms on the pad, allowing your forearms to hang down.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Barbell Prone Incline Curl

8. Barbell Prone Incline Curl

92% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie face down on the bench with your chest and stomach resting against it.
  3. Hold a barbell with an underhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
  4. Extend your arms fully, allowing the barbell to hang down towards the floor.
  5. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
Ez Bar Seated Close Grip Concentration Curl

9. Ez Bar Seated Close Grip Concentration Curl

91.7% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold an EZ barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Rest your elbow on the inside of your thigh, just above the knee.
  3. Curl the barbell up towards your shoulder while keeping your upper arm stationary.
  4. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

10. Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

91.4% Match
Biceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face forward on a tall flat bench while holding a barbell with a supinated grip (palms facing up). Tip: If you are holding a barbell grab it using a shoulder-width grip and if you are using an E-Z Bar grab it on the inner handles. Your upper body should be positioned in a way that the upper chest is over the end of the bench and the barbell is hanging in front of you with the arms extended and perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  2. While keeping the elbows in and the upper arms stationary, curl the weight up in a semi-circular motion as you contract the biceps and exhale. Hold at the top of the movement for a second.
  3. As you inhale, slowly go back to the starting position. Tip: Maintain full control of the weight at all times and avoid any swinging. Remember, only the forearms should move throughout the movement.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline Alternative

You may substitute this exercise for several reasons: no incline bench, wrist or shoulder pain with a straight bar, a need for unilateral work, or to vary stimulus for growth. The incline position lengthens the biceps long head; some substitutes reproduce that long‑head stretch while others prioritize peak contraction. Use dumbbells to allow neutral wrist rotation if the barbell irritates your wrists, or switch to cables to maintain constant tension. Cue: keep upper arms vertical and avoid shoulder extension to keep load on the biceps, not the anterior deltoid.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Choose a substitute based on equipment, pain history, and training goal. For limited equipment, incline dumbbell curls reproduce the stretched long head, use full supination and a slow 2–3 second eccentric to maximize tension. If wrist comfort is the priority, pick hammer or neutral-grip dumbbell curls to reduce supination torque. For continuous tension and adjustable load, use single-arm cable incline curls with the elbow fixed against the bench. Prioritize exercises that let you control elbow position and ROM so the biceps, not the shoulder, perform the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline work?

It primarily targets the biceps brachii, emphasizing the long head due to shoulder extension on the incline. Cue: keep elbows stacked and avoid forward shoulder movement so the biceps, not the deltoid, take the load.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline?

A seated towel row with palms supinated is a strong bodyweight-style option that biases elbow flexion and biceps contraction. Cue: sit upright, pull elbows back while keeping forearms supinated to maximize biceps activation and avoid shoulder-dominant pulling.

Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline?

Yes. You can achieve equal hypertrophy with other curl variations that control elbow position and provide progressive overload. Cue: focus on full ROM, controlled eccentrics, and increasing load or reps over time to stimulate biceps growth.

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