12 Incline Dumbbell Curl Alternatives for Massive Arms

To build bigger biceps, you have got to move through the muscle’s full range of motion. That means doing some variation of a curl, where your bicep travels from full extension to full contraction. 

There are a lot of ways to do the curl, but the basic action remains the same. One of the most popular versions is the incline dumbbell curl.

It’s a great option because the position of your body helps to eliminate momentum and allows for a better stretch on the biceps than most other curl versions.

Over my 35 years as a personal trainer and gym owner, I have trained hundreds of guys who want to build bigger guns. The incline curl has been one of my favorite bicep builders, but I’ve also developed a number of alternative exercises that are just as good. 

In this article, I’ll lay out the 12 best incline dumbbell curl alternatives. I’ll also show you how to do the incline curl with optimum form to get the most from your biceps workout and correct one of the biggest myths about bicep training.

How to Optimize Your Incline Dumbbell Curl Form

The incline dumbbell curl is an excellent curl version that helps to overcome the major problem with the standing curl – momentum.

Because you are in a seated positon with your back supported, you eliminate the hip swing and back arch that is commonly seen on the standing curl. 

It primarily targets the long head of the bicep which adds the most mass to your arm.

The incline dumbbell curl can be done as either a unilateral or a bilateral movement. I recommend doing the unilateral version, where you are curling each arm individually, and alternating to complete your rep count.

The unilateral version of the curl allows you to lift more weight on each arm than if you were curling both arms together.

This is due to the phenomenon known as the bilateral deficit by which one arm working alone can lift more than 50 percent of the weight that could be lifted using both arms simultaneously.

Here is how to perform the incline dumbbell curl with optimized form:

• Set the angle on an incline bench to 45 degrees.
• Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on the bench with your arms hanging at your side. 
• Rather than starting with your arms hanging down in a fully vertical, or neutral, position, begin the exercise with your forearms about 10 percent from the vertical position. Your palms should be facing the ceiling.
• Flex at the elbow to bring the right handed dumbbell to the shoulder, Contract the bicep in the top position.
• Lower under control, again stopping 10 percent short of full extension.
• Repeat with the left arm and continue alternating to complete your rep count. 

Can You Isolate the Inner and Outer Biceps Heads?

I often hear people talking about how a particular exercise will target the outer or inner head of the biceps. A common idea is that the incline dumbbell curl will emphasize the outer head. This is a false belief.

If it was possible to emphasize the inner biceps or the outer biceps there would have to be mechanically different action that occurs at the elbow. It would require that the elbow be able to bend in more than one direction.

There would also have to be two separate tendons crossing the elbow, and two separate insertions on the forearm. That would allow the ‘outer biceps’ to pull the forearms more forward toward the outside.

In turn, the ‘inner biceps’ could pull the forearm more toward the inside. But that is not how this part of the body is designed.

There is one biceps tendon, one insertion on the forearm and one direction of elbow flexion. Both bicep heads act as one when the elbow bends.

They both pull together on the single biceps tendon, producing the single action of elbow flexion. This occurs in one direction only. 

The bottom line here is, regardless of whether you are using a barbell, dumbbells, a preacher or bench, and regardless of what grip you use, you cannot change the shape of your biceps by doing different exercises.

Note: If you want to learn more about biceps-strengthening ideas, be sure to also check out our preacher curl alternatives article.

Equipment Needed for These Exercises

12 Alternative Exercises that Replicate the Same Movement Pattern

1. EZ Bar Curl

Equipment needed for EZ Bar Curl:

• Curl bar
• Plates

Rogue Fleck Bumper Plates

Bumper plates are ideal for a home gym.

They can last a lifetime and allow you to do additional lifts which require you to drop the bar.

Our team has compared over 100 types and the Rogue Fleck plates came out on top.

They are great value, use color allowing you to quickly see how much you’re lifting and the pattern will give your home gym a unique look.

Check the price here

How to do the EZ Bar Curl:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding an EZ Curl bar with a medium underhand grip so that your hands are slightly pronated.
2. Keeping your elbows in at the sides of your body, curl the bar from full arm extension up to your shoulders. Squeeze your biceps tightly in the top position.
3. Lower under control and repeat.

EZ Bar Curl muscles worked:

• Biceps

2. EZ Bar Drag Curls

Equipment needed for EZ Bar Drag Curls:

• Curl bar
• Plates

How to do EZ Bar Drag curls:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding an EZ Curl bar with a medium underhand grip so that your hands are slightly pronated.
2. Allowing your elbows to track back, drag the bar up your body as you curl it to your shoulder level. You will not be able to come up as high as on a standard curl but you will feel a tighter contraction. 
3. Lower under control and repeat.

EZ Bar Drag Curls muscles worked:

• Biceps

3. Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curl

Equipment needed for the alternate dumbbell curl:

• Dumbbells

SMRFT Nüobell 80LB Adjustable Dumbbells

These are the dumbbells we recommend for ‘most people’.

We have spent over 50 hours of research and compared over 100 dumbbells. Adjustable dumbbells make sense for most home gyms as they save space.

The Nüobell dumbbells go all the way to 80lbs per hand. This means they are much more versatile than most 50lbs adjustable dumbbells. You can use these for heavy shrugs, squats and bench press etc.

The main reason they are the top pick is because of their shape. They actually feel like real dumbbells and are not awkward to lift like some others.

Check the price here

How to do the alternate dumbbell curl:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbell at your sides, with palms facing in toward your thighs.
2. Keeping your elbows at your sides, turn the right wrist to the front and curl the weight up to full contraction at the shoulder. 
3. Squeeze tightly in the top position.
4. Lower under control, turning the wrist back toward the body in the bottom position.
5. Repeat with the other arm.

Alternate dumbbell curl muscles worked:

• Biceps 
• Forearms

4. Spider Curl

Equipment needed for exercise:

• Incline weight bench
• Dumbbells

REP AB-3000 Bench

This is the weight bench we recommend for ‘most people’.

We compared over 70 benches against 12 criteria. This is our highest-ranked flat, incline & decline (FID) bench.

Some adjustable benches can be a bit wobbly when on the incline. But the AB-3000 is very sturdy.

With a height 18mm it’s comparable to benches that cost twice as much.

Check the price here

How to do the spider curl:

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face down on a bench that has been inclined enough to allow you to reach full extension with your arms roughly perpendicular to your torso.
2. Beginning at full extension, flex your elbow to curl the weights up to full contraction.
3. Lower under control to the start position.

Spider curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

5. Concentration Curl

Equipment needed for the concentration curl:

• Weight bench
• Dumbbell

How to do the concentration curl:

1. Sit on a bench with your knees and ankles bent at 90-degrees. Rest the back of your working arm on the inside of your thigh and place your nonworking hand on your other knee for support.
2. Keeping your elbow against the knee, curl the dumbbell up to full contraction.
3. Squeeze the bicep tightly and then lower under control.
4. Do all the reps on one side and then repeat with the other arm.

Concentration curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forerarms

6. Dumbbell Drag Curl

Equipment needed for the dumbbell drag curl:

• Dumbbells

How to do the dumbbell drag curl:

1. Stand with feet shoulder distance apart, and a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
2. Extend your elbows behind your body so that the weights are hard up against your thighs
3. Drag curl the weights up the side of your body, keeping your elbows back to full contraction.
4. Squeeze the biceps tightly in the top position. 
5. Lower under control

Dumbbell drag curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

Shoulder problems preventing you from overeading pressing? Check out our 9 overhead press alternatives that wont aggravate your rotator cuff.

7. Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl

Equipment needed for the dumbbell lying supine curl:

• Weight bench
• Dumbbells

How to do the dumbbell lying supine curl:

1. Elevate a flat bench by pacing 45-pound weight plates or a couple of pieces of 2-4 timber under the base. Lie facedown with a pair of dumbbells in your hands, so that they hang down toward the floor. 
2. Curl both arms up together to full contraction.
3. Squeeze the biceps tightly in the contracted position.
4. Lower under control and repeat.

Dumbbell lying supine curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

8. Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Equipment needed for the dumbbell cheat hammer curl:

• Dumbbells

How to do the dumbbell cheat hammer curl:

1. Sit on an incline bench with the back support set at 30 degrees, holding a dumbbell in each hand in a palms facing or neutral position.
2. Curl the right hand side dumbbell up to your chest levels, allowing your elbows to flare out slightly as you come up.
3. Reverse to bring the weight down to full arm extension. 
4. Repeat with the other arm, alternating reps as you go. 

Dumbbell cheat hammer curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

9. Close Grip Chin Ups

Equipment needed for the close grip chin up:

• Pull Up bar

How to do the close grip chin up:

1. Reach up to grab the bar with a palms facing close grip that has your little fingers about six inches from each other. 
2. Hang from the bar and curl your body slightly so that your knees come up. Pull with your biceps and back to bring your chin up to and over the bar. 
3. Hold the top contracted position and squeeze your biceps as tight as you possibly can.
4. Lower back to the start position under control.

Close grip chin up muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms
• Latissimus dorsi

10. Alternate Cable Curl 

Equipment needed for alternate cable curl

• Cable pulley machine

How to do the alternate cabl curl:

1. Set the pulley on a double cable pulley machines at their lowest level.
2. Stand in front of the machine, facing away from it and grab the cable handles.
3. Adjust your position so the cables are taut with your arms slightly behind your torso, elbows at your sides.
4. Flex the right elbow to curl your hand up to your shoulder. Squeeze the bicep tightly in the top position.
5. Lower under control and repeat with the left arm.
6. Alternate sides to complete your rep count. 

Alternate cable curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

11. Clayton Curl

Equipment needed for the clayton curl:

• Cable pulley machine

How to do the clayton curl:

1. Set the pulley on cable pulley machines at its lowest level.
2. Stand in front of the machine, facing away from it and grab the cable handle with your right hand. Adopt a split stance and step forward slightly so the cable in your extended arm is slightly behind your body.
3. Imagine a pin connecting your elbow to the side of your body and maintain this position as you flex the elbow to peak contraction.
4. To lower the arm, push your hand down just forward of the hip, moving toward your front pocket. Push your elbow slightloy forward as your hand mones down an imaginary vertical line.
5. At full extension, allow your hand to return to the starting position behind you to perform the next rep.
6. Do all reps with the rights rm and then repeat with the left arm.

Clayton curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

12. Low Cable Cross Body Curl

Equipment needed for the low cable cross body curl:

• Cable pulley machine

How to do the cross body cable curl:

1. Set the pulley on a cable crossover machine at their lowest settings.
2. Stand in the center between the cables and grab the handles with your palms facing forward and your arms abducted at 45 degrees from your torso.
3. Flex the elbows to curl your hands in front of you. In the fully contracted position, your hands should be touching in front of your sternum.
4. Lower under control and repeat.

Clayton curl muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Forearms

Incline Dumbbell Curl Alternatives: The Bottom Line

The incline dumbbell curl is an excellent choice to fully stimulate the biceps and prevent momentum.

While you could just do that exercise to train your biceps, that would be pretty boring. In this article, I’ve provided you with a dozen incline dumbbell curl alternatives to add variety to your upper arm training. 

I recommend trialing each alternative dumbbell curl exercise to discover which ones give you the most bicep stimulation and feel right for you. Then combine these exercises into a 10-12 set workout.

Work your biceps twice per week, with a rep range between 8-15 reps for mass building best results.

Want to build your own home gym this year but aren’t sure where to begin? Start by reading our comprehensive guide on how to build a home gym.