Barbell spider curl
A two-hand curl with the bar, done lying chest-down on an incline bench so the biceps get no help from the hips.
The movement
2 stages
Arms hanging
01 Arms hanging
Lie chest-down on the pad and let the bar hang at arm's length below your shoulders.
02 Curl
Bend the elbows to bring the bar to your chin, upper arms still pointing down.
How to do it
Setup
- Set a bench to about 45° and stand the barbell on the floor under the high end.
- Lie face down along the bench with your chest on the pad and your arms hanging straight down.
- Take an underhand grip about shoulder-width apart and lift the bar clear of the floor.
Execution
- Curl the bar up toward your chin by bending the elbows only.
- Squeeze at the top with the upper arms still pointing at the floor.
- Lower slowly until your arms are straight again.
- Keep the elbows in the same place from the first rep to the last.
BreathingExhale as you curl, inhale as you lower.
Getting it right
Form cues
- Only your forearms move; the upper arms stay pointing at the floor.
- Pull the bar up in a straight line under your chin.
- Keep the same grip width for the whole set.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the elbows back to start the bar, which hands the rep to the shoulders.
- Lifting the chest off the pad, which is a small row disguised as a curl.
Worth knowing
- Set the bar where you can reach it before you lie down. Reaching for a loaded bar with your chest pinned to a pad puts your shoulder in a poor position to catch it.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
The bar loads a spider curl heavier than dumbbells can. Both arms share one weight and neither has to balance anything, so the limit is what the biceps can lift rather than what they can control. Pick this version when you want the movement to be a strength exercise rather than the last thing you do on an arm day.
Getting into position is the awkward part. Your chest is on the pad and both hands are busy, so there is no comfortable way to pick a loaded bar up once you are already lying down. Stand it on the floor under the high end of the bench first, or have someone pass it to you.
A straight bar holds your wrists in one position for every rep. Some people find that pulls at the inside of the elbow after a few sets, and the fix is the dumbbell version, where each forearm can turn to wherever it is comfortable. The training effect on the biceps is close enough that it is not worth working through elbow pain to keep the bar.