10 Best Dumbbell Incline Curl Alternatives for Biceps Size

Leave the Dumbbell Incline Curl out of your session and you lose the long stretch from letting your arms hang straight down off an incline bench before you curl. The closest swap is the Dumbbell Incline Inner Biceps Curl, keeping the same incline bench and dumbbells. Without a spare incline bench, the Lying High Bench Barbell Curl lets your arms hang straight down, but you lie face forward on a tall flat bench with a bar hanging in front of you.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Incline Curl

Dumbbell Incline Curl
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform Dumbbell Incline Curl
  1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
  2. Rest your upper arms on the incline bench and let your elbows hang down, fully extending your arms.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  6. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Dumbbell Incline Curl Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Incline Inner Biceps Curl

1. Dumbbell Incline Inner Biceps Curl

95% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Rest your upper arms on the bench, allowing your elbows to hang down and your palms to face forward.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl

2. Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl

95% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your back and head supported, and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl

3. Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl

95% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are 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 dumbbells back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl

4. Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl

95% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are 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 dumbbells back to the starting position.
Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

5. Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

94.4% 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.
Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl

6. Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl

91.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are 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 dumbbells back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

7. Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

91% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso and arms fully extended.
  2. Keep your back against the bench and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. While keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Incline Hammer Curls

8. Incline Hammer Curls

90.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Seat yourself on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. You should pressed firmly against he back with your feet together. Allow the dumbbells to hang straight down at your side, holding them with a neutral grip. This will be your starting position.
  2. Initiate the movement by flexing at the elbow, attempting to keep the upper arm stationary.
  3. Continue to the top of the movement and pause, then slowly return to the start position.
Barbell Seated Close-grip Concentration Curl

9. Barbell Seated Close-grip Concentration Curl

90% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  2. Rest your upper arms against your inner thighs, just above your knees, and let the barbell hang down in front of you.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Reverse Preacher Curl

10. Barbell Reverse Preacher Curl

88% 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 straight down, holding a barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell upward while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the barbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Incline Curl Alternative

You reach for a substitute for plain reasons: the incline bench is taken, you train at home without one, or your dumbbells don't go heavy enough for where your biceps are right now. The Dumbbell Incline Curl needs one incline bench and two dumbbells, and both of those are what change across the swaps. Some keep the same incline bench and two dumbbells and only change how your palms face, several move you onto a flat bench instead, and three trade the dumbbells for a single barbell so both arms work together on one bar. Pick the change you actually need rather than a completely different exercise.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Start with the Dumbbell Incline Inner Biceps Curl to keep the same incline bench and dumbbells, only your palms start turned in before they face forward as you hang your arms. For a flat bench instead of an incline one, the Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl has you lie flat on a bench with your palms already facing up and your arms extended before you curl. Without an incline bench, the Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl or the Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl have you lie flat on a bench the same way and still use two dumbbells. If your dumbbells are taken, the Lying High Bench Barbell Curl has you lie face forward on a tall flat bench with the bar hanging in front of you, and the Barbell Reverse Preacher Curl braces your chest against the pad instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do the Dumbbell Incline Curl at home?

Yes, with one incline bench and a pair of dumbbells. The Dumbbell Incline Inner Biceps Curl and the Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl use the same two dumbbells, so either one keeps you training biceps at home without buying anything new. If you don't own an incline bench, the Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl needs only a flat one.

Can I train biceps with a barbell instead of dumbbells?

Yes. The Lying High Bench Barbell Curl swaps a bar in for the two dumbbells, so you lie face forward on a tall flat bench and work both arms together against one bar instead of separately. The Barbell Reverse Preacher Curl also uses a bar, as you sit with your chest against a pad while your arms hang straight down, and the Barbell Seated Close-grip Concentration Curl rests your upper arms against your thighs instead as you curl.

Which swap should I use if my incline bench is busy?

Move to a flat bench instead. The Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl and the Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl use two dumbbells on a flat bench rather than an incline one, so you keep the exercise in your session without waiting. The Lying High Bench Barbell Curl also skips the incline bench, but you lie face forward on a tall flat bench with one bar hanging in front of you instead of dumbbells at your sides.

How does the grip change between these dumbbell curls?

The Dumbbell Incline Curl starts with palms facing forward as your arms hang off the incline bench. The Dumbbell Incline Inner Biceps Curl starts with palms facing each other, turning forward as you hang your arms. The Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl and the Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl lie flat on a bench, palms up, arms extended. The Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl and Incline Hammer Curls keep your palms facing your torso from the hang to the top.

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