Lying Supine Dumbbell Curl

A beginner-friendly isolation exercise for bicep development performed lying on your back on a bench with dumbbells.

Instructions

1. Lie flat on your back on a bench or the floor with your knees bent and feet firmly positioned for stability.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand on top of your thighs with a neutral grip (palms facing toward your thighs).
3. Bring the dumbbells to the sides with your arms extended and positioned next to your torso.
4. Slowly lower your arms as you keep them extended with a slight bend at the elbows as far down toward the floor as you can go.
5. Once you cannot go down any further, lock your upper arms in that position; this is your starting position.
6. Your arms should be nearly perpendicular to your torso at the bottom.
7. As you breathe out, slowly begin to curl the weights up while simultaneously rotating your wrists so that your palms face upward.
8. Continue curling the weight until your biceps are fully contracted and squeeze hard at the top position for a second.
9. Only your forearms should move; your upper arms should remain stationary and elbows should stay tucked in throughout.
10. Return back to the starting position very slowly, maintaining control throughout the eccentric phase.

Tips

• Keep your upper arms completely stationary; only forearm movement should occur during the exercise.
• Move deliberately and with full control; use a weight you can control for the entire set.
• The lying position removes momentum, forcing your biceps to work hard for every repetition.
• Lower the weight slowly; the eccentric (lowering) phase is just as important as the lifting phase for muscle growth.
• Rotate your wrists during the curl to increase bicep activation and range of motion.
• If your elbows start to flare, reduce the weight and focus on maintaining proper form over lifting heavier loads.