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Exercises

Spider curl alternatives when there is no incline bench free

Published October 23, 2026

The best spider curl alternative is the concentration curl: with your elbow braced on your thigh and your arm hanging straight down, it is just as strict and just as hard at the top. In a gym, the preacher curl or the machine preacher curl, a low cable on the same pad, locks your arms in front of you the same way. With no bench at all, a waiter curl or a standing dumbbell curl with your elbows still works, and with no weights, close-grip chin-ups load your biceps with your bodyweight.

What a spider curl alternative has to replace

The spider curl trains your biceps lying chest-down on an incline bench, with your arms hanging straight down in front of you. Your body can't help, and the curl is hardest near the top, where your biceps are fully shortened.

A good swap keeps your upper arms still in front of your body and makes you squeeze hard at the top.

How to do the spider curl

Preacher bench and cables

In a gym, the preacher pad copies the spider curl's braced arms, and a cable keeps the top of the rep loaded.

Best swap in a gym

Preacher Curl

Biceps

The preacher pad braces your upper arms in front of your body, so it is as strict as a spider curl. It is hardest lower in the rep, so squeeze at the top for a second to keep what the spider curl trained.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so your armpits rest on the top edge of the pad and the backs of your upper arms lie flat on it.
  2. Take the EZ bar on its inner angled grips, palms turned up, and sit down with your feet planted.
  3. Bend your elbows and bring the bar up until your forearms are just short of vertical.
  4. Lower for about three seconds until your arms are nearly straight, without letting the bar drop the last few inches.
  5. Curl the next rep from there, with your upper arms still flat on the pad.

Cues

  • Armpits jammed into the pad
  • Slow on the way down
  • Stop before your forearms stand straight up

Common mistakes

  • Sitting too low so only your elbows touch the pad: raise the seat until the whole back of your upper arm is in contact.
  • Dropping the last part of each rep and bouncing out of it: lower at the same slow speed right to the bottom, and take a lighter bar if you cannot.
  • Lifting your shoulders and leaning back to finish the rep: stop where your forearms are near vertical, since past that point the biceps get a rest anyway.
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Cable on a preacher bench

Machine Preacher Curl

Biceps

A low cable on the preacher pad keeps your arms braced, and unlike free weights the cable still pulls hard at the top. It is the closest gym match to how a spider curl feels.

How to do it

  1. Set a preacher bench in front of a low pulley and clip a straight bar on.
  2. Sit with the back of your upper arms flat on the pad and take the bar palms up.
  3. Curl the bar toward your chin, keeping your arms on the pad.
  4. Let it return until your arms are nearly straight and repeat.

Cues

  • Arms flat on the pad
  • Squeeze at the top
  • Slow return

Common mistakes

  • Sitting so far from the pulley that the cable pulls you forward: move the bench close enough that you stay seated.
  • Rounding your shoulders to help the curl: keep your chest up against the pad.
Build a session with Machine Preacher Curl

Cable swap, standing

Cable Curl

Biceps

The cable keeps tension at the top of the curl, where the spider curl is hardest. Without a pad, keep your elbows pinned yourself.

How to do it

  1. Set the pulley to its lowest position and clip on a straight bar or EZ bar.
  2. Take the bar with your palms up, hands about shoulder-width, and step back far enough that the stack lifts slightly with your arms straight.
  3. Stand tall with soft knees and your elbows just in front of your sides.
  4. Bend your elbows to curl the bar toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still and your torso upright.
  5. Squeeze at the top, then let the bar back down slowly until your arms are straight again.

Cues

  • Elbows stay put
  • No leaning back
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging your body to start the rep: soften your knees, stay tall, and drop the weight if you need momentum.
  • Elbows drifting forward at the top: keep them near your sides so the biceps, not the shoulders, finish the rep.
  • Stopping short at the bottom: straighten your arms fully between reps so you train the whole range.
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Cable swap for the squeeze

Overhead Cable Curl

Biceps

With your arms out level between two high pulleys, you curl the handles toward your ears. It is hardest at the top, like the spider curl, and makes a good finisher.

How to do it

  1. Stand centered between two high pulleys, one handle per hand, palms up.
  2. Lift your arms wide until they are level with your shoulders.
  3. Bend your elbows to bring the handles toward your ears without dropping your upper arms.
  4. Straighten your arms back out against the cables and repeat.

Cues

  • Upper arms stay level
  • Handles toward your ears
  • Slow return

Common mistakes

  • Letting your elbows sink as you tire: keep them level or end the set.
  • Pulling with your shoulders and chest: keep your torso still and bend only at the elbows.
Build a session with Overhead Cable Curl

Dumbbells

With dumbbells, brace your elbow or pin it to your side, and squeeze at the top of every rep.

Closest dumbbell swap

Concentration Curl

Biceps

Your elbow braces against your thigh with the arm hanging straight down, the same arm position as a spider curl. One dumbbell and a chair are enough.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the end of a bench with your feet wider than your hips and flat on the floor.
  2. Pick up a dumbbell, lean forward slightly from the hips and set the back of your working upper arm against the inside of the same-side thigh, just above the knee.
  3. Let the arm hang straight with the dumbbell near the floor, palm facing the other leg, and rest your free hand on your other knee.
  4. Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder while your upper arm stays pressed against your leg, and squeeze for a second at the top.
  5. Lower slowly until your arm is straight again, finish the set, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Arm stays on the thigh
  • Pinky turns up at the top
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the elbow off the thigh: once the arm leaves your leg the shoulder starts to help. Keep the contact for the whole set.
  • Rocking the torso up to finish the rep: if you have to sit up to complete it, stop the set there or use a lighter dumbbell.
  • Stopping short of a straight arm: the bottom of the rep counts, so let the elbow open fully before each curl.
Build a session with Concentration Curl

Same bench, opposite angle

Incline Dumbbell Curl

Biceps

If the incline bench is free but you want a change, sit back on it instead. Your arms hang behind you and the curl is hardest at the bottom, so it pairs well with spider-style curls.

How to do it

  1. Angle an adjustable bench at roughly 45 to 60 degrees and sit back with your head and shoulders against the pad.
  2. Your arms hang straight toward the floor with two dumbbells and your palms turned forward.
  3. Curl both dumbbells up, keeping your upper arms hanging and your elbows pointed at the floor.
  4. Stop when the dumbbells are near your shoulders, squeezing the biceps without letting your elbows drift forward.
  5. Lower slowly until your arms are fully straight again before starting the next rep.

Cues

  • Shoulders stay on the pad
  • Elbows point at the floor
  • Full stretch every rep

Common mistakes

  • Elbows swinging forward as you curl: keep the upper arm hanging; when it moves, the shoulders take over.
  • Half reps that stop short of straight arms: the stretch at the bottom is why you are doing this curl.
  • Using your standing-curl weight: start about a third lighter and add weight only when reps stay clean.
Build a session with Incline Dumbbell Curl

One-dumbbell swap, no bench

Waiter Curl

Biceps

Both palms under one dumbbell, elbows at your sides: a simple curl with a hard squeeze at chest height. Use it when you have one dumbbell and nothing to lean on.

How to do it

  1. Hold one dumbbell upright with both palms flat under the top plate.
  2. Keep your elbows by your sides with arms straight.
  3. Curl it to chest height, keeping the dumbbell vertical.
  4. Lower slowly back to straight arms.

Cues

  • Palms flat
  • Dumbbell upright
  • Straight arms at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Tilting the dumbbell back toward you: hold it vertical so the plate stays level in your palms.
  • Swinging the last reps up with your hips: stop the set when your elbows can no longer do it alone.
Build a session with Waiter Curl

Standard dumbbell swap

Dumbbell Curl

Biceps

A standing curl with two dumbbells. Pin your elbows to your sides and pause at the top to keep the spider curl's squeeze.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding two dumbbells, arms straight at your sides, and turn your palms to face forward.
  2. Brace your stomach and pin your upper arms to your sides.
  3. Bend one elbow and bring the dumbbell up toward your shoulder, keeping the palm turned up the whole way.
  4. Pause briefly at the top with your forearm vertical, then lower slowly until the arm is straight again.
  5. Repeat with the other arm, or curl both arms together if you prefer.

Cues

  • Elbows stay at your sides
  • Pinkie turns up
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging your hips and back to get the weight up: take a lighter pair and keep your torso still for the whole set.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward at the top: that hands the work to your shoulders; stop the curl when your forearm is vertical.
  • Stopping short of straight arms at the bottom: lower all the way so the biceps work through their full length.
Build a session with Dumbbell Curl

EZ bar

With a bar, curl heavier first, then finish with a strict curl.

Heavier bar swap

EZ-Bar Curl

Biceps

With both hands on one bar you can load your biceps heavier than with dumbbells. Put it first in a session and use the strict curls after it.

How to do it

  1. Load the bar, stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, and take the inner angled grips with your palms facing up and slightly in.
  2. Let the bar hang against your thighs with your arms straight and your elbows tucked by your ribs.
  3. Bend at the elbows to bring the bar up in an arc until your forearms point roughly at the ceiling and the bar sits near your upper chest.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top without letting your elbows drift forward.
  5. Lower the bar under control for about two seconds until your arms are fully straight, then start the next rep.

Cues

  • Elbows glued to your sides
  • Ribs down, no lean back
  • All the way down every rep

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the hips to get the bar moving: if the first inch needs a hip snap, the weight is too heavy for the rep target.
  • Letting the elbows travel forward at the top: that turns the end of the curl into a front raise and takes tension off the biceps.
  • Cutting the bottom short: half reps let you lift more but skip the stretched part of the curl. Straighten your arms fully before each rep.
Build a session with EZ-Bar Curl

No weights

A pull-up bar or a door frame trains your biceps with your bodyweight.

Best swap with only a pull-up bar

Close-Grip Chin-Up

Lats, Biceps

A palms-up chin-up with your hands close loads your biceps with your whole bodyweight.

How to do it

  1. Grab the bar palms-up with your hands about a fist's width apart.
  2. From a straight-arm hang, pull until your upper chest nears the bar.
  3. Squeeze at the top with your elbows tight to your body.
  4. Lower slowly to a full hang.

Cues

  • Hands close
  • Chest to the bar
  • Three seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging your shoulders to your ears at the bottom: keep a little tension so the shoulders stay set.
  • Swinging between reps: pause in the hang until your body is still.
Build a session with Close-Grip Chin-Up

No-equipment swap

Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Biceps

Grip a door frame, lean back and curl your body toward it. Step your front foot closer to the door to make it harder, and pause at the top.

How to do it

  1. Face an open door frame and take hold of both sides, hands level with your hips.
  2. Step one foot forward and lean back until your arms are straight and your body weight hangs on your hands.
  3. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and bend them to pull your body toward the frame.
  4. Straighten your arms slowly to lean back out, then repeat.

Cues

  • Elbows pinned to your sides
  • Body stays straight
  • Front foot closer to make it harder

Common mistakes

  • Pulling your elbows back like a row: keep them fixed at your sides so only your forearms move.
  • Bending at the hips to finish the rep: tense your glutes and keep your body in one line.
Build a session with Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Triceps to pair with them

Each example session ends with one triceps exercise, so it works as a full arm day.

Triceps, to pair in the gym

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

The gym session ends with a pressdown, so one visit covers both sides of your arm.

How to do it

  1. Clip a rope, straight bar or V-bar to a pulley set above head height and pick a weight you could move for about 15 reps.
  2. Grab the attachment, take a small step back and lean your chest slightly forward with your knees soft, so the cable runs just in front of your face.
  3. Pull your upper arms against your sides with your elbows bent and your hands around chest height. This is where every rep starts.
  4. Press the attachment down by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully locked out by your thighs. With a rope, spread the ends apart as your hands pass your hips.
  5. Let your hands rise back to chest height over about two seconds, keeping your elbows in the same spot, then press again.

Cues

  • Elbows glued to your ribs
  • Lock out hard at the bottom
  • Only your forearms move

Common mistakes

  • Leaning over the stack and pushing with your body weight: if your shoulders roll forward to finish a rep, drop the weight until your torso stays still for the whole set.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward on the way up: your shoulders take over and the rep turns into a press. Stop your hands at chest height and keep your upper arms vertical.
  • Cutting the bottom short: the last few inches before lockout are where the triceps work hardest, so finish every rep with straight arms.
  • Letting the stack yank your hands back up: control the return, since a dropped weight gives you half a rep.
Build a session with Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps, to pair at home

Triceps Kickback

Triceps

One dumbbell and a chair cover the triceps at home.

How to do it

  1. Put one knee and the same hand on a flat bench and lean forward until your back is close to flat, holding a dumbbell in the other hand.
  2. Lift your upper arm until it is level with your torso and tight to your side, with the elbow bent about 90 degrees and the dumbbell hanging below it.
  3. Straighten your elbow and push the dumbbell back until your whole arm is in a straight line.
  4. Hold the straight arm for a second and squeeze the back of your arm.
  5. Bend the elbow slowly back to 90 degrees without letting the upper arm drop, then finish all reps before switching arms.

Cues

  • Upper arm stays parked
  • Lock out and pause
  • Only the forearm moves

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the dumbbell up: use a lighter weight so you can stop it at the top for a second.
  • Letting the upper arm drop toward the floor: keep the elbow level with your back; if it sinks, the weight is too heavy.
  • Bending only partway: straighten the arm fully, since the top is where the triceps work hardest.
Build a session with Triceps Kickback

Triceps, to pair with no weights

Close-Grip Push-Up

Triceps, Chest

Hands under your shoulders and elbows tucked make a push-up a triceps exercise.

How to do it

  1. Get into a high plank with your hands directly below your shoulders.
  2. Lower yourself with your elbows sliding back past your ribs.
  3. Stop just above the floor, then push up to locked elbows.
  4. Drop to your knees for the last reps if your hips start to sag.

Cues

  • Hands under shoulders
  • Elbows travel back
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows into a T: that moves the work to your chest.
  • Half reps near the top: lower until your chest is close to the floor.
Build a session with Close-Grip Push-Up

Example sessions without the spider curl

Session 1

Gym, incline bench taken

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentEZ Bar, Preacher Curl Machine, Cable Crossover, Adjustable Cable

You train in a gym and the adjustable benches are always in use on arm day.

The EZ-bar curl goes first because it carries the most load. The cable preacher curl takes the spider curl's place as the strict curl, the overhead cable curl finishes on the top squeeze, and a pressdown covers the triceps. 12 working sets.

Arms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
EZ-Bar Curl1 warm-up set first 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
Machine Preacher CurlSqueeze one second at the top. 3 × 10–12 2 75 s
Overhead Cable Curl 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week, on a day that doesn't follow heavy back work.
How to progress
When every set reaches the top of its range at the RIR shown, add the smallest jump next session and start again at the bottom of the range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home, dumbbells and a chair

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with dumbbells and no incline bench.

Dumbbell curls go first because they move the most weight, concentration curls take the spider curl's place with the same hanging arm, and waiter curls finish with one dumbbell. Kickbacks cover the triceps. Light dumbbells mean higher reps and shorter rest. 12 working sets.

Arms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Curl1 warm-up set first 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Concentration CurlSets are per arm. 3 × 12–15 1 45 s
Waiter Curl 3 × 15–20 0 45 s
Triceps KickbackSets are per arm. 3 × 12–15 1 45 s
How to run it
Twice a week on non-consecutive days. Keep rest to 60 seconds or less so light dumbbells still make each set hard.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of its range, then move up one dumbbell. At your heaviest pair, hold the top of each rep for two seconds.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

No weights, pull-up bar or doorway

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar

You train at home with a pull-up bar and a door frame.

Close-grip chin-ups give your biceps the most load, so they go first. Door-frame curls push them to failure with a pause at the top, and close-grip push-ups cover the triceps. 10 working sets.

Arms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Close-Grip Chin-Up 4 × 5–10 2 2 min
Bodyweight Bicep CurlPause at the top. 3 × 10–20 1 1 min
Close-Grip Push-Up 3 × 8–20 1 1 min
How to run it
Two or three times a week. Take the door-frame curls within one rep of failure.
How to progress
On chin-ups, add a rep a week until you reach 10 on every set, then lower each rep over four seconds. On door-frame curls and push-ups, add reps, then make the angle harder.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do you do spider curls without a bench?

Lean forward over something at chest height, like the back of a chair, so your arms hang straight down, and curl. Or sit and brace your elbow on your thigh for a concentration curl, which puts your arm in the same position.

What are some alternatives to spider curls?

The concentration curl, the preacher curl and the machine preacher curl are the closest, because each braces your arm in front of your body. A cable curl or overhead cable curl keeps the top of the rep loaded.

Are spider curls as good as preacher curls?

Both are good. The spider curl is hardest at the top and the preacher curl near the bottom, so using one of each covers both.

Which muscle do spider curls work?

Mainly your biceps, with the brachialis underneath and some forearm. With your arm hanging in front of you, the top of the curl, where the biceps are fully shortened, is the hardest part.

Are spider curls actually effective?

Yes. They take your body out of the lift, so your biceps do the lifting. Use them for the squeeze and pair them with a curl that loads the stretched bottom.

What are some variations of spider curls?

You can do them one arm at a time or with a thumbs-up grip. Both keep the chest-down position on the incline bench.