Dumbbell Incline Bicep Curl

When it comes to upper-body aesthetics, the bicep muscles tend to be first on the exercise list. While it's true that they are an immediate attention-grabber, they also offer several functional and performance-based benefits.

The dumbbell incline bicep curl uses a distinct training angle. This offers a better range of motion and targeted long-head activation. We discuss everything you need to know about this variation below.

How To Do

  1. Set an adjustable bench at a 45–60 degree angle. Ensure that the catch mechanism is firmly secured.
  2. Grab a suitable pair of dumbbells for the weight rack using a neutral hand position, palms facing inwards. Sit on the bench with your back firmly against the backrest. Your head should be in a neutral position.
  3. Inhale and engage your core. Rotate your hands so your palms are facing in front of you. Keep your elbows tucked into the sides of your body.
  4. Exhale and bring the dumbbells up to chest height by flexing your elbows. Your forearms should be the only movers.
  5. Pause briefly and squeeze your biceps as you come to the top position. Inhale and bring the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.

Tips From Expert

  • Your feet should stay flat on the floor throughout the exercise. This provides a stable base to lift from and prevents possible imbalances that can take away from muscle engagement.
  • Make sure that your head and neck stay in a neutral position. Avoid tucking them in or bringing them too far back. This prevents excessive neck strain and limits injury risk.
  • Your elbows stay tucked into your sides throughout the full movement. Your forearms should be the only movers. This ensures targeted bicep activation.
  • Keep your back against the backrest during the movement pattern by engaging your core. This prevents excessive lower back stress. Lower the weight if you can't perform the correct technique without this happening.

Optimal Sets and Reps

The programming table below offers the ideal sets and reps when performing the dumbbell incline bicep curl. Follow the guidance according to your training style.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–10
Endurance Training 3–4 12+
Power Training 3–5 1–3 (Explosive)
Optimal Sets & Reps of Dumbbell Incline Bicep Curl

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The dumbbell incline bicep curl uses elbow flexion as the primary movement pattern. The incline position offers a different training angle and improves the exercise range of motion. This gives you a versatile variation that offers a useful program addition. You can consider:

  • Arm-Building Workout — Add the dumbbell incline bicep curl into your arm-building routine alongside other bicep peak exercises. Include workouts such as the dumbbell hammer curl and cable preacher curl.
  • Bodybuilding Push Routine — It works great as part of a stand-alone arm session or for the second part of a push routine. Program it after compound movements such as the barbell row and pull-up.
  • Strength-Building Accessory Exercise — Better elbow flexor function can improve grip strength and pulling power for the main strength movements. Include the dumbbell incline bicep curl as an accessory exercise after the main strength lifts.

When you’ve decided on your programming, it’s time to work out your training intensity. This should be based on your one repetition maximum or 1RM. This is the maximum weight you can lift with good form.

  • Strength And Power Training — 80%–100% of your 1RM, 2–3 minutes of rest between sets.
  • Hypertrophy Training — 60%–80% of your 1RM, 60–90 seconds of rest between sets.
  • Endurance Training — 40%–60% of your 1RM, 60–90 seconds of rest between sets.

Using the programming table above, aim for at least 10 weekly working sets. This is the minimum volume suggested for muscular hypertrophy.

Between sessions, allow at least 48–72 hours of rest to give your muscles time to recover.

Primary Muscle Groups

Biceps Long Head

Most outside part of your bicep.The front of your upper arm.

Biceps Long Head

The biceps long head is the outer portion of the biceps brachii muscle. True to the name, it’s longer than the short head. It originates from the humerus, or upper arm, and inserts into the ulna, or forearm.

Its primary function is to perform elbow flexion. This is where the forearm comes towards the chest, decreasing the angle between them. When performing the dumbbell incline bicep curl, it acts to flex the elbows.

The inclined position of the dumbbell incline bicep curl stretches the long head more significantly. This allows a greater range of motion and activation. Because of this, it’s the primary mover in this exercise.

During the elbow flexion movement, the biceps brachii showed a maximum activation rate of approximately 22%. This is a measure of how hard the muscle is working. In the incline variation, this would be expected to increase.

For targeted long head activation, include the dumbbell incline bicep curl alongside other long head bicep exercises.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Biceps Short Head

Most inside portion of the biceps. Located at the front of your upper arm closest to your chest.

Brachialis

Muscle which starts at the middle of your upper arm and connects just below the elbow.

Wrist Flexors

Muscles that span the inside of your lower arm, between your elbow and wrist palm side up.

Brachioradialis

Muscle located between outside portion of your forearm from the elbow to the wrist.

Biceps Short Head

The biceps short heads are the inner parts of the biceps brachii muscles.

When performing the incline biceps curls, the biceps shirt heads flex the elbows. This brings them up to chest height. Alongside this, they control the descent as you extend the elbows back to the starting position.

Brachialis

The brachialis is a small elbow flexor muscle located beneath the biceps. It’s considered part of the biceps musculature by many, playing a significant role in elbow flexion. Because of this, it’s vital for general arm movement and forearm strength. During the dumbbell incline biceps curl, it assists the long head to perform elbow flexion.

Brachioradialis

The brachioradialis is a thin strip of muscle at the top of the forearm. It originates from the bottom of the humerus and inserts into the radius, a forearm bone.

It primarily functions to flex and stabilize the elbow. As you bring the dumbbells toward your chest, the brachioradialis engages.

Wrist Flexors

The wrist flexors are a group of muscles on the inside of the forearm. They are responsible for flexing the wrists and fingers. They help to maintain stable positions during movement and against resistance.

When performing the dumbbell incline bicep curl, they keep the wrist and fingers in a flexed position. This ensures a firm grip of the dumbbells in the inclined position.

Equipment

Dumbbells

Flat Bench Without Rack

Dumbbells

You can use these for a wide range of unilateral and bilateral exercises. Avoid using momentum to lift. Ensure a secure grip to prevent drops.

Flat Bench Without Rack

This is great for pressing and pulling movements. Ensure the safety catch is firmly locked in. If you can't find this bench, use one with a rack for barbell exercises.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Dumbbell One-Arm Zottman Preacher Curl

Dumbbell Zottman Curl

Dumbbell Zottman Preacher Curl

Dumbbell Lunge With Bicep Curl

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Barbell Biceps Curl

Crucifix Curl

Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Reverse Grip Chair Inverted Row

Who Should Do?

Bodybuilders

Bodybuilders focus on building a well-rounded physique. This involves performing resistance training to stimulate muscle growth, also known as muscular hypertrophy. Part of this means working each muscle head in the larger muscle groups. 

The dumbbell incline curl targets the biceps long head. This head is responsible for a large proportion of the overall bicep appearance and function.

Adding them into an organized routine can ensure optional bicep development as a bodybuilder. This contributes to the overall flow and appearance of your upper body.

Perform them using other bicep workouts with dumbbells when organizing your training.  

Beginner Gymgoers

Beginner gym goers are in the stage of building a solid training foundation. This should be done using similar movements that are easy to perform. 

The dumbbell incline variation is slightly harder to perform than the normal curl. However, it teaches a more strict movement pattern with less shoulder involvement. This offers a versatile bicep-building variation. 

Functional Fitness Athletes

Functional fitness athletes perform movements resembling everyday activities. These help to improve everyday function when done with enough frequency. This requires efficient movement patterns, coordination, and good balance. 

Grip strength is also an important part of this. When lifting heavy weights or performing sports such as rock climbing, good grip strength is needed. The key elbow flexors involved in the incline bicep curl play important roles. 

Training them via the dumbbell incline curl can form one part of a functional fitness routine. Add them to the end of your workout to improve movement efficiency and grip strength. 

Who Should Not Do?

Anyone With Shoulder Problems

The dumbbell incline curl uses a slightly extended shoulder position with the arms hanging down past the incline bench position. The shoulders hold the arms in position while the elbow flexors function as the primary movers. 

Even with a small degree of extension, some shoulder function is needed to maintain a stable arm position. 

Anyone with shoulder issues such as a shoulder impingement may want to avoid the dumbbell incline press. This is because it can cause a loss of shoulder function and stability;

Those With Elbow Issues

Elbow issues such as tendonitis cause pain and limit range of motion. This reduced function may also be present for smaller conditions that become aggravating in small elbow movements. 

The dumbbell incline bicep curl requires large elbow flexion and extension movements. This is done using weight, putting more pressure on the elbow joints. Therefore, this exercise may not be appropriate for these populations. 

Instead, look at a rehabilitation routine using the help of a qualified professional. The prescribed movement patterns will most likely involve smaller movement patterns. 

Benefits Of The Dumbbell Incline Bicep Curl

Improves Bicep Development

The biceps brachii are made up of two muscle groups as stated above. Key elbow flexors such as the brachialis and brachioradialis also contribute to bicep appearance and function. 

Developing them requires each muscle group to be worked. The biceps long heads are the bigger of the two biceps heads, therefore contributing more to their appearance. 

The dumbbell incline curl variation stretches the long heads, increasing their range of motion and activation. This provides targeted isolation and training volume, body key determinants of muscle growth.

Therefore, adding the dumbbell incline biceps curl to your lifting routine can improve overall biceps development.

Works On Muscular Imbalances

The prevalence of chronic bicep injuries is estimated to be approximately 2.55 per 100,000 patients. This can occur when trying to pick up a heavy object or lifting weights in the gym. Even with a rather small occurrence, strengthening both muscles can prevent this from occurring.

Muscle imbalances occur when a certain side of the body is stronger than the other, In this, the stronger side performs more of the work when resistance training using full-body movements. If left alone, this can cause a bigger imbalance and lead to potential injury if not addressed. 

The dumbbell incline bicep curl is a single-limb movement pattern. This means it works each arm individually. Because of this, it helps to work on any potential muscular imbalances that may have occurred in the past.

This even development helps to reduce injury risk and improve overall appearance.

Adds Exercise Variety 

Adding exercise variety helps to target different muscle heads from multiple angles. This can help to improve their development when applied correctly. Moreover, better variety has a positive impact on exercise motivation.

With long-term adherence a vital part of training success, exercise variety should not be overlooked. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What angle should incline bicep curls be inclined?

When performing incline bicep curls, the bench angle should be at a 45–60 degree angle. This ensures a targeted focus on the primary movers. In this case, this is the biceps long heads.

Are incline bicep curls better than normal curls?

Both curl movements are great exercises that offer targeted bicep isolation. There is no real answer to which is better. The better one to program will depend on your training goals.

Why are incline bicep curls so hard?

Incline bicep curls are harder to perform mainly because of the lifting angle. The inclined position requires a larger range of motion to perform them correctly. This leads to more time under tension and long head activation.

How many incline bicep curls should I do?

The right amount of incline bicep curls depends on your training goals. The programming table above gives you a useful estimate for the correct amount according to your training style.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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