How to Do It
- Set an incline bench and test the chest-support position with a light load before choosing working weights.
- Lie face down with the chest supported, feet planted, and arms hanging toward the floor without letting the shoulders shrug forward.
- Start with the chosen grip, keep the upper arms close to their starting line, and curl by bending at the elbows.
- Pause briefly near the top without lifting the chest or rolling the shoulders forward.
- Lower the weight until the elbows are comfortably open and the same chest and shoulder support is maintained.
- End the set when shoulder drift, lost support, or a shortened lowering phase changes the repetition.
Common Mistakes
- Setting the bench so low that the chest cannot stay supported or so high that the arms cannot hang freely.
- Lifting the chest, shrugging, or sliding the shoulders forward to make the weight reach the top.
- Dropping the dumbbells or bar into the bottom instead of controlling the lowering phase.
- Using a load that forces the elbows to move substantially or turns every rep into a partial curl.
- Standing up with the bar or dumbbells still in hand instead of using a deliberate entry and exit sequence.
Spider curls are an intermediate biceps exercise performed face down on an incline bench. The chest support removes much of the opportunity to lean back or swing, but it does not make setup irrelevant. Bench angle, chest contact, arm clearance, implement choice, and the way you enter and leave the position determine whether the set stays repeatable.
Bench Angle and Chest-Support Setup
Use the following matrix to choose a starting position. The exact number on the bench is less important than whether your chest remains supported while the arms can move through a controlled curl.
| Bench and chest position | What it should allow | Adjustment if it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Lower incline with the sternum supported | The arms hang toward the floor and the shoulders stay relaxed | Raise the bench slightly if the weights touch the floor or the elbows cannot open comfortably |
| Moderate incline with the upper chest supported | A stable torso, clear implement path, and a consistent bottom position | Lower the angle if the shoulders shrug or the chest slides forward near the top |
| Steeper incline with the chest high on the pad | A shorter, more upright path when a flatter setup makes support difficult | Lower the angle if the arms cannot hang freely or the bench blocks the elbows |
| Any angle where the chest lifts during reps | Nothing useful: the support has become a launch point | Reduce the load, change the angle, or end the set |
Place the bench where the feet can stay planted and the front edge does not press uncomfortably into the abdomen or ribs. Lie face down, settle the chest into the pad, and let the arms hang before picking a working weight. Keep the neck neutral rather than craning forward to watch the dumbbells. A light test set should answer three questions: can the chest stay in contact, can the shoulders stay away from the ears, and can the weights clear the bench on the way down?
How to Do Spider Curls
- Set the bench and load. Choose a moderate incline and place the dumbbells or EZ-curl bar where you can reach them without twisting. Start lighter than you would for a standing curl because the supported position makes compensations easier to see and harder to hide.[1][2]
- Find the supported start. Lie face down with the upper chest supported, feet stable, and arms hanging. Keep a small amount of natural elbow softness; do not force the elbows into a locked position or let the shoulders hang passively forward.
- Curl without lifting the torso. Bend the elbows and bring the hands toward the front of the shoulders. Keep the upper arms close to their starting line. A small natural change at the top is acceptable, but the chest should not rise to help the implement.
- Own the top. Pause briefly where the biceps are shortened without rolling the shoulders forward. The highest hand position is not the goal if it requires the elbows to shoot forward or the chest to lose contact.
- Lower to the same bottom position. Open the elbows under control until the arms reach the repeatable end of the range. Keep the lowering phase long enough to see whether the shoulders remain supported and the weights follow the same path.
- Use the quality stop rule. End the set when shoulder drift, lost chest support, or a shortened lowering phase appears. Rest or reduce the load rather than using the bench as a brace for increasingly different repetitions.[1][2]
Dumbbell vs EZ-Bar Entry and Exit
The implement changes the handling sequence as much as it changes the grip. Plan the handoff before the set so fatigue does not turn the last repetition into an awkward lift-off.
| Implement | Entry sequence | Exit sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbells | Sit at the end of the bench with one dumbbell on each thigh, lie forward under control, then let the arms settle toward the floor | Curl the dumbbells to a controlled top or lower them to the floor beneath the shoulders, push back to the bench, and stand only after the weights are secure |
| EZ-curl bar | Set the loaded bar within easy reach at the head end, lie onto the bench, and take the angled handles only when the chest is supported | Finish with the bar over the lower chest or a safe rack position, then return it to the supports before sitting up; do not twist while holding it |
| Either option when the setup is crowded | Clear plates, benches, and people from the path before lying down | End the set early if you cannot lower the implement without hitting the bench or losing your position |
Dumbbells are useful when one wrist or elbow needs a slightly different path. An EZ-curl bar gives both arms a shared implement and may feel more comfortable than a straight bar because of its angled handles. Use the dumbbell bicep curl to compare with a standing independent-arm curl, or the barbell curl for a standing shared-bar pattern. The distinction here is not a promise that one tool is superior; it is a decision about comfort, clearance, and repeatability.
Muscles Worked and Exercise Comparisons
The biceps are the primary target because they bend the elbows against resistance. The forearms help maintain the grip, while the shoulders, chest, and trunk stabilise the supported position. A chest-supported curl is not an isolation guarantee: if the shoulders roll forward or the torso lifts, other joints are contributing more to the visible movement.
Spider curls differ from a preacher curl because the chest is supported and the arms hang down rather than resting on a forward pad. They differ from an incline dumbbell curl because the lifter is face down instead of lying on the back with the upper arms behind the torso. Choose the variation whose support and starting angle let you repeat the intended range without discomfort. The biceps muscle guide gives broader context for arranging curl variations across a programme.
Sets, Reps, and Progression
For most training, 3–4 sets of 8–15 controlled repetitions is a practical starting range. Use longer rest when the support position or lowering control is difficult to reproduce. A lower repetition range can work if the bench, grip, and elbow path remain stable; a higher range can work with a lighter load when fatigue does not shorten the bottom.
Progress by recording the bench angle, implement, grip, repetitions, and the quality of the final rep. Add a small amount of load only when every set reaches the top of the selected range while the chest stays supported, the shoulders remain quiet, and the lowering distance is unchanged. If the next load causes shoulder drift or a shorter eccentric, keep the previous load or reduce the repetitions. The quality stop rule is based on the movement changing—not on an arbitrary number being more important than control.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
- Bench angle by guesswork: If the chest cannot stay supported or the weights hit the bench, change the angle before changing your grip.
- Shrugging into the pad: Relax the neck and keep the shoulders away from the ears. Lower the load if the shrug appears before the elbows reach the top.[1][2]
- Chasing a high hand position: Stop where the elbows can flex without the chest lifting or the shoulders rolling forward.
- Dropping the eccentric: Slow the lowering phase enough to keep the same bottom position. A shortened or uncontrolled descent is a stop signal, not a reason to swing harder on the next rep.[1][2]
- Unsafe handling: Use the dumbbell thigh handoff or return the EZ bar to its supports before sitting up. Do not twist off the bench with a heavy implement in one hand.[1][2]
Stop for sharp pain, numbness, sudden weakness, or loss of control. Persistent symptoms deserve assessment from an appropriately qualified professional rather than a forced change in bench angle or range.
The best spider curl set is the one that looks the same from the first repetition to the last: supported chest, quiet shoulders, controlled elbow movement, and a complete lowering phase that you can repeat next session.[1][2]
References
- Anaerobic and Muscle Endurance Development: Lifting Guidelines. National Strength and Conditioning Association (2017)Back to claim
- American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2026)Back to claim
- Updating ACSM's Recommendations for Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2015)Back to claim
See our exercise methodology for how this evidence is applied and its limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a spider curl?
- A spider curl is a curl performed face down on the chest support of an incline bench. The supported position limits the ability to swing the torso, so the useful focus is a controlled elbow-flexion path rather than moving the heaviest possible load.
- What angle should the bench be for spider curls?
- Use an incline that lets your chest stay supported while your arms hang freely and the weights clear the bench. A moderate incline is a practical starting point, but the best angle depends on the bench, your arm length, and whether you can keep the shoulders quiet through the full lowering phase.
- Are spider curls better with dumbbells or an EZ-curl bar?
- Neither is automatically better. Dumbbells allow each wrist and elbow to find its own path, while an EZ-curl bar gives both arms a shared implement and can offer a more comfortable angled grip. Choose the option you can enter, curl, lower, and exit without losing support.
- How do I know when to stop a spider-curl set?
- Stop the quality set when the shoulders drift forward or shrug, the chest loses contact with the bench, or the lowering phase becomes noticeably shorter. Those checkpoints are more useful than forcing a target number with a heavier load.
- What muscles do spider curls work?
- Spider curls primarily train the biceps through elbow flexion. The forearms and other nearby muscles help hold the implement and stabilise the position, while the chest and trunk provide support rather than becoming the target of the curl.
- How are spider curls different from preacher curls?
- Spider curls support the chest on an incline bench while the arms hang down; preacher curls support the upper arms on a pad in front of the body. Both reduce torso contribution, but their shoulder and elbow starting positions are different.