Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

intermediate · isolation

Setup

Set the bench to about a 45-60 degree incline and sit back flush against the pad. Let both arms hang straight down below your shoulders holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in.

Execution

Press your back and shoulders into the pad and keep them there for the whole set.
Exhale and curl the right dumbbell up while rotating your wrist so the palm gradually turns to face up.
Stop as the weight reaches shoulder height and squeeze the biceps for a beat, while the left arm hangs straight and still.
Inhale and lower over 3 seconds until the arm is fully straight behind the line of your shoulder.
Switch to the left arm and repeat the same rhythm, feeling the stretch at the bottom every rep.
Do not lift your hips off the bench to build momentum.

Breathing

Exhale as you curl, inhale as you lower. The reclined position makes it easy to hold your breath without noticing, so make the exhale obvious on every rep.

Quick cues

Back pinned flat to the pad.
Feel the stretch at the bottom.
Rotate the wrist as it rises.
Resting arm hangs dead straight.
Count three beats on the way down.

Common faults

Fault: Peeling the shoulder off the pad to help the weight up
Fix: Drop one weight increment and keep both shoulders in contact with the pad for the whole set.
Fault: Skipping the wrist rotation so the weight travels on a stiff straight line
Fix: Slow the tempo down and actively turn the palm up as the weight passes the midpoint.
Fault: Only lowering halfway because the load is too heavy
Fix: Drop the load to a weight that lets the arm straighten fully every rep, and add weight later.
Fault: Bridging the hips up off the bench for momentum
Fix: Root the feet into the floor, press the glutes into the bench and lower the load if the hips still lift.

Equipment

dumbbell, bench

Muscle groups

arms