The dumbbell incline inner bicep curl is an isolation exercise targeting the bicep, performed on an incline bench to increase the stretch and activation of the muscle. It also engages the forearms as secondary muscles.
Also Works
Forearms
How to Perform
1
Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2
Rest your upper arms on the bench, allowing your elbows to hang down and your palms to face forward.
3
Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
4
Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
5
Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
6
Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
7
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Keep your upper arms pinned against the incline bench throughout the curl to isolate the biceps and prevent front delt involvement.
•Use a neutral (hammer) grip at the bottom and supinate as you curl to maximize inner bicep (short head) activation.
•Control the eccentric for at least 2 seconds on each rep to increase time under tension on the incline stretch position.
Common Mistakes
•Lifting the elbows off the bench pad during the curl, which shifts the load from the biceps to the front delts.
•Using momentum by swinging the torso forward on the bench instead of curling with a strict, controlled motion.
•Choosing too heavy a weight, causing incomplete range of motion and losing the deep stretch at the bottom.