Incline curl
Curls lying back on an incline bench, arms hanging behind the body. In an eight-week trial it grew the upper end of the biceps more than the preacher curl.
Why it's here
Lying back on an incline bench lets the arms hang behind the body, which puts the biceps on a stretch at the start of each curl. In an eight-week trial in young women, incline curls grew the elbow flexors more near the shoulder than preacher curls did, while preacher curls grew them more near the elbow — so the two complement each other rather than one replacing the other [1].
The evidence
- Training study Sixty-three young women trained twice a week for eight weeks with either incline or preacher curls. Incline curls increased elbow-flexor thickness more near the shoulder, preacher curls more near the elbow, and each group gained most strength in its own exercise. Only the trial's abstract was available to us, so set counts and training background are not given here [1].
How to do it
- Set a bench to an incline and lie back with a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging straight down behind your torso.
- Keeping your upper arms still, curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
- Lower them under control until your elbows are straight again.
Stop an exercise that causes significant or unusual pain and have it assessed. This page describes the movement; it is not rehabilitation advice.
Making it harder over time
This is a isolation exercise in the Progressive Overload Calculator, which adds weight in steps of 2%–5% once every set reaches the top of your rep range, and adds reps until then.
Alternatives
- Preacher curl — Curls with the upper arm braced on a pad. It grew the biceps near the elbow more than the incline curl did, and its elbow-straight half grew that region most.
References
- Kassiano W, Costa B, Kunevaliki G, Lisboa F, Stavinski N, Prado A, Tricoli I, Francsuel J, Lima L, Nunes JP, Ribeiro AS, Cyrino ES. Distinct muscle growth and strength adaptations after preacher and incline biceps curls. Int J Sports Med, 2025;46(5):334-343. doi.org
How we reviewed this page
Every claim is cited to research we opened and read, and labelled with the kind of evidence behind it. Training studies, which measure muscle or strength over weeks, carry the most weight; an exercise is listed only if at least one training study or review supports it. Studies of muscle activation (EMG) can add detail but are never the reason an exercise is here. Sources were last checked on October 16, 2026.
These are four well-supported choices we list for this muscle group, not a ranked "top five" — the research rarely supports one. We list up to five, and fewer where only fewer meet the rule above: an exercise is never added to fill a group.
Drafted with AI assistance, then edited and fact-checked by a human.
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General information only. This is not medical advice.