10 Best Incline Hammer Curls Alternatives for Home and Gym

Incline Hammer Curls are done lying on your back with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl, the Incline Inner Biceps Curl and the Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl.

Incline Hammer Curls

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do Incline Hammer Curls

The steps for Incline Hammer Curls themselves, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Biceps · Dumbbell · Intermediate · Isolation

  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.

The 10 Best Incline Hammer Curls Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches Incline Hammer Curls on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Dumbbell Incline Hammer CurlPlay demonstration

    1. Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

    99% match

    Biceps · Beginner · Isolation

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the biceps.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Primary muscle: biceps, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
  2. Incline Inner Biceps Curl

    2. Incline Inner Biceps Curl

    95% match

    Biceps · Intermediate · Isolation

    The same equipment, taken with an underhand grip.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on an incline bench.
    2. The dumbbells should be at arm's length hanging at your sides and your palms should be facing out. This will be your starting position.
    3. Now as you exhale curl the weight outward and up while keeping your forearms in line with your side deltoids. Continue the curl until the dumbbells are at shoulder height and to the sides of your deltoids. Tip: The end of the movement should look similar to a double biceps pose.
    4. After a second contraction at the top of the movement, start to inhale and slowly lower the weights back to the starting position using the same path used to bring them up.
    5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Primary muscle: biceps, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
  7. Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

    7. Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

    95% match

    Biceps · Intermediate · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a barbell to work with, and it still works the biceps.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Primary muscle: biceps, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Incline Hammer Curls
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Incline Hammer Curls

Incline Hammer Curls FAQ

What muscles does Incline Hammer Curls work?

Incline Hammer Curls target the brachialis and brachioradialis while also loading the biceps brachii. The incline position places the long head under a greater stretch, increasing tension across the biceps while the neutral grip shifts emphasis toward the forearm pronator-supinator complex.

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