Dumbbell exercise

Spider Curl (Dumbbell) form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The spider curl is a dumbbell curl performed chest-down on an incline bench with the arms hanging vertically in front of the body, isolating the biceps with emphasis on the short head and peak contraction. Lifters use it for strict hypertrophy work because the supported torso eliminates momentum and the arm position keeps tension highest at the fully shortened top of the curl.

Spider Curl (Dumbbell) illustration

How to do Spider Curl (Dumbbell)

  1. 1Set a bench to about 45 degrees and lie chest-down against the pad with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms hanging straight toward the floor.
  2. 2Keep your chest pressed into the pad and your shoulders down away from your ears.
  3. 3Exhale as you curl the dumbbells up, keeping your upper arms vertical and motionless.
  4. 4Do not swing the weights or let your elbows drift back toward your torso.
  5. 5Squeeze the biceps hard at the top, then inhale as you lower slowly to a full hang before the next rep.

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Track Spider Curl (Dumbbell) in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.