Incline Curl - Back on Bench (Dumbbell)
A seated bicep isolation exercise performed on an incline bench to place the arms behind the torso. This position emphasizes the long head of the biceps by maximizing the stretch at the bottom of the movement.
This exercise relies heavily on the 'stretch' portion of the rep, which can cause significant muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Our AI analyzes your recovery data, including sleep and HRV, to determine the optimal volume and intensity for you today, preventing overtraining. Additionally, if you have a history of anterior shoulder pain, the app can detect this through your feedback logs and suggest alternatives like Preacher Curls to reduce shoulder strain while still targeting the biceps.
Form Cues
- Set the bench angle to 45-60 degrees and press your back firmly against the pad
- Let your arms hang straight down behind your torso to fully stretch the biceps
- Keep your elbows pinned in space and pointed at the floor while curling
- Squeeze the biceps hard at the peak contraction
- Lower the weights slowly for a 2-3 second count to maximize the stretch
- Don't let your elbows drift forward as you curl up
- Don't lift your head or neck off the bench during the set
- Don't use momentum or swing the dumbbells to initiate the lift
- Don't cut the movement short; ensure full arm extension at the bottom
Common Mistakes
- Using too much weight and swinging the body
- Allowing elbows to travel forward (recruiting shoulders)
- Lifting the head off the bench
- Stopping short of full extension at the bottom
- Flexing the wrists excessively at the top
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the long head of the biceps brachii by placing the shoulder in an extended position, which stretches the muscle across the shoulder joint. It also heavily recruits the short head of the biceps and the brachialis, while the forearms work to stabilize the grip.
Primary
Secondary
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