Exercise guide · Biceps & Forearms

Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl

Incline dumbbell curls stretch the biceps at the bottom by setting the bench to 45-60 degrees. Lean back with arms hanging straight down and curl without letting your upper arms swing forward.

Targets: Biceps
Equipment: Dumbbell
Type: Isolation

Step by step

How to do the Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl

Set an incline bench to about 45-60 degrees and pick a weight you can control through a full range.
Sit back with your upper back on the pad, chest tall, and feet planted firmly on the floor.
Let your arms hang straight down with an underhand grip and shoulders pinned into the bench.
Curl the dumbbells up by bending your elbows while keeping your upper arms mostly vertical.
Pause and squeeze at the top, then lower under control to a full stretch at the bottom.
Repeat smooth reps without changing your torso angle or letting your arms swing forward.

Form cues

Arms hang straight under your shoulders
Keep upper arms fixed, move at the elbow
Full stretch at the bottom, hard squeeze at the top
Keep shoulders pinned to the bench pad

Common mistakes

Using a bench angle that is too upright or too flat
Swinging upper arms forward to cheat the weight up
Choosing a load that is too heavy to control
Shrugging and lifting shoulders off the pad

Muscles worked

Primary

Biceps

Secondary

None significant

Safety: Choose a weight you can control in the stretched bottom position; reduce load if you feel sharp shoulder or elbow pain in extension.

Alternatives

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