What Is A Spider Curl?

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Are you a bodybuilder, a gym rat, or just a casual lifter? I bet your goal is to achieve a better body frame. And generally, everyone covets a well-built upper body, including the shoulders and arms. So let's discuss improving these muscles better and faster with spider curls.

You could spend hours in the gym doing the same old traditional upper arm workouts like hammer curls and biceps curls. These methods are not ineffective. To be candid, they work. But using this traditional method alone will leave you in the place that everyone dreads the most—the place where you seem to be doing all your best without making any new progress.

So let's infuse more than just the traditional classics with more focus on the upper arm work to build the muscle group.
Spider curls are an effective biceps workout that's used to isolate the often-forgotten lower part of your bicep muscle and build your arms. In subsequent paragraphs, you'll learn more about spider curls and what they can do for you.

What Are Spider Curls?​

Spider curls are a type of curl that separates the short head of the bicep muscle assisting your chest against a bench. Eliminating your body weight out of the equation removes any form of assistance you must have had during your bicep curls.

Spider curls also help you to stop using other muscles like your back and shoulders for your lift. If you finish your spider curls appropriately, you'll focus on just the lower part of your bicep, using only that muscle to lift the weight. This way, your biceps perform most of the actions and gain all the results.

What Muscles Do Spider Curls Target?​

You already know that spider curls focus on the lower part of the bicep, but how exactly?

Here's the thing; the biceps brachii is made of two heads also known as the long head and the short head. Spider curls focus on the short head by placing your arms in front of your body as against placing it at your sides. Spider curls also trigger your brachialis, which is the muscle that allows you to bend your elbow. Training this muscle group is very important if you want to build your biceps.

Spider curls target the short head of the biceps brachii, causing defined muscles in your upper arms and giving them a good structure that's still visible even beneath your shirts.
Spider curls do not only focus on the biceps, but it also focuses on your forearm flexors as they are significant in making the movement complete. This means that spider curls are useful in bringing mass and definition to your upper arm and your lower arm too.

What Equipment Do You Need For Spider Curls?​

You will need to put some equipment together to carry out your spider curls effectively but not to worry, it's nothing special.

• First off, you'll need a bench where you can lean while doing your workout. The bench doesn't have to meet any special requirement for you to do your spider curl. You can proceed with the one you already have.

• For the weight, you can use dumbbells, a barbell or an EZ bar to do your spider curls. It's better to use something with a thicker grip or increase the thickness of your bar if it's on the thin side. If you're looking for more isolation for your biceps then choose dumbbell spider curls, that's all you need.

This equipment is already available in the gym you frequent or you might have them at home. So, you can start incorporating the spider curl into your next workout.

How do you do spider curls?​

Before you begin your spider curl workout, remember to start your work with a pre-workout supplement to ensure that you get the most gains from your workout. These can give you more energy for more reps, increase your reps and increase your focus. Having prepared your pre-workout supplement and equipment, you can then proceed with your spider curls.

Starting Position​

There are a few options available however it all depends on the kind of bench you plan to use.
Both styles are appropriate for spider curls so just choose the one you're most comfortable with and get it set up. Before you begin, try to get in shape because the proper form is needed to get the most from the spider curl and muscle isolation.

• Incline Bench:​

Lay flat on your stomach on the incline bench after setting the bench to a 45-degree angle. You can fold your knees with your feet facing upward or you could place them flat on the floor but you still have to keep your weight on the balls of your feet. Stretch your arms towards the floor with your palms facing out. Your chest should remain pressed flat against your bench and the bench should be holding your weight. Keep your chin pressed on the bench too and keep your gaze slightly downward.

• Preacher Curl Bench:​

Sit on your bench and position your feet strongly on the floor and keep your chin tucked. Push your chest into the bench hard enough to hold your body weight. The upper pad should be beneath your arms and your triceps should be in contact with the lower pad.

STEP-BY-STEP:​

• Grip.​

Hold your dumbells or bar in a tightened grip and make sure your palms are facing away from your body. Hold your arms straight down, with a slight fold of your elbows.

• Curl.​

While holding your upper arms, squeeze your biceps and at the same time bring your lower arms to meet your upper arms. Halt before they touch your shoulders and let your bicep complete the action.

• Squeeze.​

Squeeze your biceps when you lift the weight to the top of the curl. At this point, you've to pause to feel the full effect of the squeeze.

• Straighten.​

Bring your arms down slowly, then straighten your back to the starting position. Take a pause when you reach the bottom. Then repeat the process. Aim for at least 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Take breaks in between the sets.
According to research, muscles are built during resting periods.

Pro Tips For Effective Spider Curls​

Now that you have an idea of how to do spider curls, here's how to do it effectively to get the best result from every rep.

• Pro Tip 1:​

Do not shift from your position as you complete your curl. Make sure that your body stays glued to the bench. If you're using a preacher curl bench, make sure that your upper arm is pressed on the pad. Allowing your upper arms to float outward will allow your shoulders to feel the effect which is lacking enough concentration. Before engaging in the workout, ensure to be in the proper form first as that is the key to achieving your workout goals.

• Pro Tip 2:​

If you're using a barbell, then make sure to use a wider grip. A narrower grip will trigger the whole bicep instead of just the short head that we want to focus on with spider curls. Make sure you have a wider grip on the bar and focus on the main part of the muscle.

• Pro Tip 3:​

Control and count your tempo. Count your tempo slowly as you curl up, take a break at the top of the movement and then count another tempo as you go down. Don't skip the pause at the top of your curl, because that's where the majority of the work is done, and don't forget to squeeze your biceps too. You may feel like your biceps are burning but don't be too quick to release your curl.

• Pro Tip 4:​

Focus on the isolated muscles. When performing your spider curls, focus on the biceps that you want to build up. Concentrating on the muscle will increase your focus on it allowing you to get maximum and optimal muscle gain.

• Pro Tip 5:​

Don't forget to engage your core just because you're working on your arm. Remember to engage your core too.

• Pro Tip 6:​

While trying to build your biceps with the spider curl, remember to take care of yourself. Strength-building workout injuries do exist and when they occur, they may cause you to take a long break from working out. Whereas, it can be avoided if you take breaks between your workouts. Before you begin your workout, consider doing a few light stretches and keep the heavy stretching till after your session.
And lastly, don't forget to stay hydrated and eat healthy food.


Phil Heath doing spider curls

On a final note:​

There are a few things you should keep in mind during the spider curl workout. Since you'd be using lighter weights, you should adjust your reps accordingly. With these exercises, you could do 12 to 20 reps, without losing focus on the mind-muscle connection as your muscles constrict after every repetition.

And speaking of the mind-muscle connection, ensure you're not keeping this connection with another muscle group while doing the spider curls. If you are, you won't get the most from the spider curls on your biceps.