Prone Incline Curl

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Load bar with correct weight. Put on safety collars.
2. Place bar in front of an incline bench, at the end which you will be facing.
3. Make sure the incline is at a suitable gradient.
4. Lay face down on the bench, with knees resting on the flat seat, or placed either side of the bench in a straddle position.
5. Chest should be supported by the bench, with head over the end of the bench so that vision is not hindered.
6. Grasp bar with an underhand grip (or relevant grip, see comments).
7. Arms should be extended by either side of the bench, and body fully supported by the bench.

Excution/Movement

1. Keeping shoulders stationary throughout the movement, curl the bar up to peak contraction.
2. After peak contraction, slowly lower the bar to the start position, maintaining good body posture and stationary elbows.
3. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Comments

The prone incline curl as another exercise that is not commonly used, but can be an effective exercise to stimulate the biceps brachii and the brachialis, if done correctly.

Due to the position of the body, it is difficult to cheat as the torso remains stationary throughout the movement. The shoulders should be kept as stationary as possible, so that the anterior head does not aid with the lift, taking away stress from the biceps brachii and brachialis.

Due to the nature of the arm position during the execution of the lift, the long head of the biceps brachii is stimulated to a greater degree compared to that of the short head.

The prone incline curl can be used for various grips; EZ bar, dumbbell curls, neutral hammer grip, will all work effectively in a similar fashion on the incline bench.

For hypertrophy 6-12 reps will likely yield the best results, providing optimal time under tension. This will provide adequate stimulation for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and acute response to anabolic hormone concentrations, compared to that of lower rep ranges.