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The incline dumbbell curl is the go-to biceps builder for many savvy weightlifters.
That’s because it places tension on your biceps throughout the entire range of motion and allows you to train your biceps in a fully stretched position, both of which are highly beneficial for muscle growth.
In this article, you’ll learn what the dumbbell incline curl is, its benefits, which muscles it works, how to perform the exercise with proper form, the best incline dumbbell biceps curl alternatives, and more.
What Is the Incline Dumbbell Curl?
The seated incline dumbbell curl is a biceps isolation exercise. It involves sitting back on an incline bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand, lifting the dumbbells to your shoulders by bending at the elbows, then straightening your arms.
Some prefer a variation referred to as the “alternating dumbbell curl,” which involves alternating between your arms with every rep. Performing the exercise like this helps you to focus your attention on one biceps at a time, which may aid muscle growth in some scenarios.
The downside of the incline alternating dumbbell curl, however, is that it significantly extends the length of your sets, which isn’t ideal if you’re short on time.
That’s why most prefer to perform the incline dumbbell curl bilaterally (curling both arms simultaneously). As such, that’s the variation we’ll focus on in this article.
What’s the Best Incline Dumbbell Curl Angle?
As a general rule, an incline of 60 degrees works best.
Sitting more upright than this places your upper arms too close to your sides, negating the benefits of the exercise. Likewise, performing the exercise through a full range of motion at a lower angle requires a degree of shoulder mobility that most people lack, which may make it uncomfortable or force you to compromise form.
Still, everyone’s proportions, mobility, and preferences are different, so it’s best to experiment with various bench angles between 45 and 70 degrees to find what works best for you.
Incline Dumbbell Curl: Benefits
Research shows that using a variety of biceps exercises that place your upper arms in different positions relative to your torso is important for building proportional biceps.
The incline dumbbell curl is distinctive because it’s one of the few exercises that train your biceps when your arms are behind your body.
This makes it a valuable addition to your biceps workouts alongside exercises that position your arms by your sides, including the dumbbell and barbell curl, or forward of your torso, such as the preacher curl and chin-up.
Furthermore, placing your upper arms behind your torso fully stretches your biceps. This is noteworthy because research shows that training a muscle while it’s stretched is superior for muscle growth than training it while it’s relaxed.
Another benefit is that the incline curl places tension on the biceps throughout the entire range of motion. This may mean it’s slightly more effective for developing your biceps than other biceps exercises (the preacher curl, for example) that put little stress on the biceps at the top of each rep.
Incline Dumbbell Curl: Muscles Worked
The main muscles worked by the incline dumbbell curl are the biceps brachii (or “biceps”), the two-headed muscles on the front of your upper arms, between your shoulders and elbows.
Here’s how the biceps look on your body:
Incline Dumbbell Curl: Form
The best way to learn how to perform the dumbbell curl on an incline bench is to split the exercise into three parts: set up, curl, descend.
1. Set Up
Adjust a bench to around 60 degrees. Grab a dumbbell in each hand, sit on the bench with your feet planted on the floor, then lean back so that your back is against the backrest, your arms hang straight down, and your palms face forward.
2. Curl
Bend at the elbows to curl the dumbbells up until they’re in front of your shoulders.
Press your back against the backrest as you lift the dumbbells. This stops you from using momentum to “cheat” the weight up and ensures your biceps do the lion’s share of the work.
3. Descend
Lower the dumbbells and return to the starting position. Don’t let the weights fall back to the starting position or try to straighten your arms slowly. The entire “descent” should be controlled but only take about a second.
Here’s an incline dumbbell curl gif showing what it should look like when you put it all together:
The Best Incline Dumbbell Curl Alternatives
1. Prone Dumbbell Incline Curl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke2shAeQ0O8
In the dumbbell prone incline curl, you perform a dumbbell curl with your chest against an incline bench, instead of your back. This keeps your arms in front of your body, which trains your biceps slightly differently than the incline dumbbell curl.
2. Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaKl9YOCB_c
The incline dumbbell hammer curl is similar to the regular incline dumbbell curl, only your palms face each other, not forward. This wrist orientation emphasizes the brachialis, a small muscle beneath the biceps that significantly adds to the biceps’ size and circumference.
3. Bayesian Curl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEPp1Fh96X0
The main difference between the Bayesian cable curl and incline dumbbell curl is execution: in the Bayesian curl, you train each arm independently using a cable machine and while standing, whereas in the incline curl, you train both arms simultaneously using dumbbells and while seated.
However, both exercises work your biceps similarly and comparably, so you can use them interchangeably.
+ Scientific References
- Marchant DC, Greig M, Scott C. Attentional Focusing Instructions Influence Force Production and Muscular Activity During Isokinetic Elbow Flexions. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2009;23(8):2358-2366. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181b8d1e5
- Lohse KR, Sherwood DE, Healy AF. Neuromuscular Effects of Shifting the Focus of Attention in a Simple Force Production Task. Journal of Motor Behavior. 2011;43(2):173-184. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/00222895.2011.555436
- Marchant DC, Greig M. Attentional focusing instructions influence quadriceps activity characteristics but not force production during isokinetic knee extensions. Human Movement Science. 2017;52:67-73. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2017.01.007
- Barakat C, Barroso R, Alvarez M, et al. The Effects of Varying Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Volume Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Intensity on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Trained Individuals. Sports. 2019;7(9):204. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7090204
- Oliveira LF, Matta TT, Alves DS, Garcia MAC, Vieira TMM. Effect of the shoulder position on the biceps brachii emg in different dumbbell curls. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. 2009;8(1):24-29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737788/
- Oranchuk DJ, Storey AG, Nelson AR, Cronin JB. Isometric training and long-term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2019;29(4):484-503. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375
- Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, et al. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science. Published online July 12, 2022:1-26. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279
- Pedrosa GF, Simões MG, Figueiredo MOC, et al. Training in the Initial Range of Motion Promotes Greater Muscle Adaptations Than at Final in the Arm Curl. Sports. 2023;11(2):39. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11020039
- Sato S, Yoshida R, Kiyono R, et al. Elbow Joint Angles in Elbow Flexor Unilateral Resistance Exercise Training Determine Its Effects on Muscle Strength and Thickness of Trained and Non-trained Arms. Frontiers in Physiology. 2021;12. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.734509
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