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Spider curl

Also called spider curls, prone incline curl, dumbbell spider curl.

What is a spider curl?

The spider curl is a dumbbell curl performed chest-down on an incline bench with the arms hanging toward the floor. It mainly trains the biceps brachii, while the brachialis, brachioradialis and forearm flexors assist.

Anatomical illustration of a man lying chest-down on an incline bench and curling two dumbbells, with the front upper arms highlighted.

How do you perform a spider curl?

Set up

  1. Set a bench to a moderate incline and lie chest-down with a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Let both arms hang straight beneath your shoulders with the palms facing forward.

Execution

  1. Curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders without lifting your upper arms forward.
  2. Pause before the forearms press into the upper arms or the shoulders roll forward.
  3. Lower under control until the elbows are nearly straight again.

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the elbows toward the head

    Moving the upper arms shortens the curl and lets the shoulders help finish the rep.

  • Peeling the chest off the bench

    Losing chest support turns the movement into a swinging incline curl.

  • Dropping the dumbbells into the bottom

    A controlled return keeps each repetition consistent and avoids a sudden pull at the elbows.

Where it fits in a session

Usually placed after compound pulling or with other arm isolation work.

Choose a load that lets both upper arms remain vertical and the final lowering phase stay smooth.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Supporting the chest keeps the upper arms in front of the torso, while the biceps and other elbow flexors move the dumbbells.

Variations

  • Anatomical illustration of a seated close-grip EZ-bar preacher curl shown with bent and nearly straight elbows, with the front upper arms highlighted.
    Preacher curlSupports the upper arms on a pad rather than letting them hang vertically.
  • Anatomical illustration of a standing dumbbell biceps curl, shown in two frames side by side. On the left the man stands upright with a dumbbell in each hand at his sides, arms straight, palms turned forward. On the right both elbows are bent and both dumbbells have been curled up to shoulder height with the palms facing up. In both frames the front of each upper arm is shaded red; the forearms and the rest of the body are left in plain grey.
    Dumbbell biceps curlUses an upright position with the arms beside the torso.
  • Incline dumbbell curl — Faces upward on the bench so the arms begin behind the torso.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles do spider curls work?

They mainly train the biceps brachii. The brachialis, brachioradialis and forearm flexors also help bend the elbow and hold the dumbbells.

What bench angle should you use for spider curls?

Use a moderate incline that supports your chest while allowing both arms to hang freely without the dumbbells hitting the floor.

Should your elbows move during spider curls?

The elbows bend, but the upper arms should remain nearly vertical rather than swinging toward the head.

Are spider curls the same as incline curls?

No. Spider curls face down with the arms in front of the torso; incline curls face up with the arms hanging slightly behind it.

Sources

  1. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Biceps Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519538/
  2. Plantz MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Brachialis Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551630/

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