Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Bench

STARTING POSITION (SETUP): Set an incline bench so that the backrest is on a 55- to 65-degree angle—zero being flat and 90 degrees being perpendicular to the floor—then stand behind it with a dumbbell in your left hand. Rest your left hand across the incline bench with a supinated (palms up) grip. Extend your left arm over the bench so it lies flat against it and your left armpit rests on the top of the bench. Your right arm can grab the side of the bench or rest anywhere that is comfortable so long as you are not using it for additional leverage.

EXECUTION (ACTION): Slowly curl the dumbbell up to about chin level (shoulder level) and pause at the top for a brief moment to get a peak contraction in the biceps. Slowly return the dumbbell back down to the starting position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetition and then switch arms. Only the forearms should move (upper arm is always stationary).

Exercise Tips & Tricks

• Extend your arm over the bench so that your forearm and upper arm (triceps) are rested upon the bench.
• Lean your torso against the bench so that the back of the bench lean against the insertion between the arm and the armpit.
• Only the forearms should move (upper arm is always stationary).
• Position your non lifting hand at the corner or side of the incline bench.
• Bend your elbow as you curl the dumbbell up in a smooth arc towards your shoulders.
• Keep your shoulders back and relaxed. Avoid leaning forwards as you curl the dumbbell up or the emphasis will shift from your biceps to your shoulders.
• Keep your body still and your wrists locked.
• Lower the bar until you fully extend your arm. Shortening the downward phase will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

Muscles Involved in Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Bench

• Main muscles: biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis
• Secondary muscles: pronator teres, extensor carpi radialis longus, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor carpi radialis
• Antagonists: triceps, anconeus

Variations (Similar Biceps Exercises)

Spice up and intensify your routine with these variations. These five variations will help take your biceps workout to the next level.

• EZ-bar preacher curl
• Straight bar preacher curl
• Machine biceps curl (also known as machine preacher curl)
• Cable preacher curl
• One-arm dumbbell preacher curl

Replacement Exercise

• Straight Bar Standing Bicep Curl
• Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
• Dumbbell Concentration Curl
• High-Pulley Curl
• Standing Cable Curls
• Standing EZ-Bar Curl
• Cable Rope Hammer Curls
• Bayesian Cable Curl

Closing Thoughts

You can also perform this exercise at the gym with a particular piece of equipment called “preacher bench” or “Scott bench”. If a preacher bench isn’t available, simply use an incline bench and perform the exercise with a dumbbell one arm at a time (as already described in this post).

One-arm dumbbell curl over incline bench is a good exercise for isolating the biceps and making them work independently. The only difference between this exercise and the barbell preacher curl is that you will be using one arm and holding a dumbbell.

Finally, because your upper arm rest on the bench pad, shoulder flexion is removed from the lift. That’s why this biceps exercise is a great way to prevent cheating and to provide a perfect biceps contraction by separating the elbow movement from the rest of the body.