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Spider Curl

intermediate · isolation

Spider Curl

Setup

Set the bench to about 45-60 degrees (or use the steep front face of a preacher bench), stand behind it and lay your chest face-down on the high pad. Hold the EZ bar with a grip a little narrower than your shoulders and let your arms hang straight down in front of the bench.

Execution

  1. Press your chest into the pad so the torso cannot rock back as you curl.
  2. Exhale and curl the bar up over 1-2 seconds, with the elbows staying at their hanging position.
  3. Squeeze the biceps hard for one beat as the bar nears your shoulders.
  4. Inhale and lower the bar slowly over 3 seconds until the arms are completely straight.
  5. Feel the deep stretch at the bottom every rep, which is exactly what this exercise is for.
  6. Do not push yourself upright off the pad to help the curl.

Breathing

Exhale as you curl, inhale as you lower. With your chest already braced on the pad, there is no need to hold your breath for balance.

Quick cues

  • Chest pressed firm to the pad.
  • Elbows still, no swinging at all.
  • Feel the deep stretch at bottom.
  • Straighten the arms fully each rep.
  • Elbow pain, stop the set.

Common faults

  • Fault: Pushing upright off the pad to make the curl easier

    Fix: Drop one weight increment and keep the chest glued to the pad for the whole set.

  • Fault: Only lowering halfway because the load is too heavy

    Fix: Drop the load to a weight that lets the arms straighten fully at the bottom every rep.

  • Fault: The elbows drifting backward as the bar comes up

    Fix: Keep the elbows at their starting position, and have someone check from the side.

  • Fault: Bouncing the elbow at the bottom to spring the bar back up

    Fix: Pause for one beat at the bottom before starting the next curl.

Equipment

ez_bar, bench

Muscle groups

arms