Dumbbell curls seated at an angle

The greater the angle of incline, the more your biceps will stretch. Usually, the incline is set to 50 - 70 degrees. At the bottom position, try to relax your arm. And no swinging.

This variation of the exercise is more challenging than simply sitting. I do not recommend it for beginners.

Nuances and mistakes

1. To stretch your biceps even more, you should press your head against the bench. This will involuntarily open your chest and pull your shoulders back.

2. It makes sense to set the bench angle to about 50 degrees relative to the floor. However, it is often done at 60 – 70 degrees. An angle lower than 50 degrees will stretch the biceps excessively and may cause injuries such as tendon strains.

3. Curling biceps at an incline is harder than standing. Therefore, the weight of the dumbbells should be 80% - 90% of what you typically use for bicep curls while standing.

4. Hands should be lowered smoothly and completely. Under no circumstances should you swing your arms back. First, this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. Secondly, you might strain your shoulder or arm.

5. For more comfortable execution, it is advisable to turn the wrist inward at the bottom position. At the top position, either rotate it outward (if you want the outer head of the biceps to be more engaged) or do not rotate it (which will involve more of the inner head of the biceps and forearm).

6. You can curl your arms together or alternately. There are no significant differences here; it’s just a matter of personal preference.