Arms · Dumbbell
Incline Curl
How to do the incline curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on an incline bench holding dumbbells with palms facing up. Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping elbows fixed. Lower slowly.
- 1Sit on an incline bench with arms hanging and curl the dumbbells, feeling a deep stretch at the bottom and strong contraction at the top
- 2Keep your elbows back and your palms facing up, engaging the long head of your biceps
- 3Lower slowly to feel the eccentric work through your arms
Common mistakes
- Don't swing the dumbbells or allow your elbows to drift forward
- Avoid using your shoulders or chest to help lift the weight
- Don't roll your wrists inward or outward during the curl
Muscles worked
The incline curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsMinor
Incline Curl strength standards
See how your incline curl ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM17.5 lb
Silvere1RM32.5 lb
Golde1RM57.5 lb
Platinume1RM82.5 lb
Diamonde1RM100 lb
Champione1RM112.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the incline curl for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More biceps exercises
- How to do the resistance band bicep curl
- How to do the resistance band hammer curl
- How to do the barbell bicep curl
- How to do the cable bicep curl
- How to do the cable hammer curl
- How to do the overhead bicep curl
Last reviewed April 2026.