Lying High Bench Barbell Curl
This is a biceps curl done lying back on a very steep incline bench, with your arms hanging straight down toward the floor holding a barbell before you curl it up toward your shoulders. The steep angle puts your biceps in a deep stretch at the bottom of every rep, which is a position a standing curl never reaches. It's an intermediate move for lifters who already curl with clean elbow control and want to add a deep-stretch variation to their arm training.
Why it works
A standing curl starts with your arm already hanging close to your body, so the biceps never gets stretched much further than its normal resting length. Lying back on a steep incline changes that starting angle so your arm hangs straight down past your torso, putting the biceps under a genuine stretch before the rep even begins. Training a muscle from a longer starting length like this is one of the more reliable ways to add a new stimulus once standard curls have gotten easy.
Set up
- Set an adjustable bench to its steepest incline setting, close to vertical.
- Sit back against the bench so your torso is supported and your arms can hang freely below you.
- Have a spotter hand you the barbell, or carefully pick it up off the floor once you're seated.
- Let your arms hang fully extended straight down before starting the first rep.
How to do it
- Start with your arms fully extended straight down, feeling a deep stretch in your biceps.
- Curl the barbell up toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms close to your torso.
- Squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the curl.
- Lower the bar back down slowly, resisting the pull of gravity through the full stretch.
- Pause briefly at the bottom before starting the next rep, without bouncing out of the stretch.
- Repeat for the set, keeping your torso pinned against the bench the entire time.
Form cues
- Let your arms hang fully at the bottom, don't shortchange the stretch.
- Keep your upper arms still, curl from the elbow only.
- Control the lowering phase, don't let the bar drop.
- Keep your back flat against the bench, no arching to help the curl.
Breathing: Exhale as you curl the bar up, inhale as you lower it back to the stretched position.
Common mistakes
Swinging the torso or shoulders forward to help start the curl out of the deep stretch.
Fix: Keep your back pinned to the bench and use a lighter weight if you can't curl smoothly from a dead stop at the bottom.
Letting the bar drop quickly at the bottom instead of controlling the stretch.
Fix: Slow the descent down through the full range, especially the last few inches into the deepest part of the stretch.
Cutting the range short by not letting the arms fully extend at the bottom.
Fix: Let your arms hang all the way down each rep; the deep stretch is the whole point of this variation.
How to program it
- The deep stretch position is demanding on the biceps tendon, so once a week as an arm accessory is enough for most lifters.
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a moderate weight lets you control the stretch properly rather than fighting a load that's too heavy.
- Use it toward the end of an arm or pull session, after your main rowing or pulling work.
Safety notes
- Start with a lighter weight than your standing curl to get used to the deep stretch position before adding load.
- Have a spotter hand you the bar when you're already seated, rather than leaning forward to pick it up from a steep incline.
- Stop if you feel any sharp pain at the front of the elbow or biceps tendon rather than pushing through it.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps for the lying high bench barbell curl?
Three sets of 8 to 10 reps once a week works well, since the deep stretch position is more demanding on the biceps tendon than a standard curl.
How steep should the bench be for this curl?
As close to vertical as your bench allows. The whole point of the exercise is the deep stretch created by your arms hanging straight down, and a shallow incline reduces that.
What's a good substitute if I don't have an adjustable bench?
A preacher curl also emphasizes the stretched position of the biceps and works well as a stand-in using a preacher pad instead of a steep incline.
Lying high bench curl vs standard incline curl: what's the difference?
A standard incline curl uses a more moderate angle, usually 45 to 60 degrees, with some torso support left. This version uses a much steeper, near-vertical bench for a deeper stretch at the bottom of the rep.