The reverse grip barbell spider curl is a biceps isolation exercise performed chest-down on an incline bench with a pronated grip, shifting the work toward the brachialis and brachioradialis. Turning the palms down takes the biceps brachii out of its strongest supinated position, so the brachialis underneath it and the forearm extensors on top do more of the elbow flexion; the same load feels far heavier than it does in a standard spider curl. The bench pad also removes any body swing, so every rep is strict. Program it late in an arm session, after the supinated curls.
What Muscles Does the Reverse Grip Barbell Spider Curl Work?
- Primary: Brachialis, biceps brachii
- Secondary: Brachioradialis, wrist extensors (forearm)
- Tertiary: Anterior deltoid, rhomboids, wrist flexors
How Do You Set Up for the Reverse Grip Barbell Spider Curl?
Set an incline bench to about 45 degrees and put a loaded barbell on the floor beneath the high end. Straddle the seat and lie chest-down against the pad, feet wide behind you. Hang both arms straight down and take the bar with a pronated grip, palms facing your feet, thumbs over the bar, hands shoulder-width apart. Lift the bar clear of the floor with elbows fully extended.
How Do You Perform the Reverse Grip Barbell Spider Curl?
- Pin your upper arms vertical under the shoulders and press your chest into the pad so nothing but the forearms can move.
- Curl the bar upward by bending the elbows, keeping the knuckles pointing at the ceiling and the wrists straight throughout.
- Stop when the forearms pass parallel and the bar sits just below the pad; you should feel the outside of the forearm tighten.
- Hold the top for one count, squeezing the brachialis without letting the wrists roll back.
- Lower the bar over three counts, resisting the load as the elbows open back toward straight.
- Reach full extension at the bottom, let the bar settle for a moment with the arms hanging, then begin the next rep.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Keep the knuckles pointed up: a wrist that bends back at the top hands the load to the finger extensors and takes it off the brachialis.
- Curl toward the pad, not the face: with the upper arm vertical the bar travels up the front of the bench.
- Feel the outside of the elbow load on the way up; that is where a reverse curl belongs.
- Own the eccentric all the way to straight arms; the stretch at the bottom is half the rep.
- Breathe out through the curl and in as the bar drops back to hanging.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading the bar like a supinated curl: the pronated grip is weaker, so the same weight forces a shrug and a wrist break; drop the load until every rep stays strict.
- Letting the elbows drift forward: the upper arm swings off vertical and the front deltoid lifts the bar; keep the elbows under the shoulders against the pad.
- Bending the wrists back at the top: the strain lands in the wrist extensor tendons at the outside of the elbow, a common source of overuse pain; keep a flat wrist and shorten the range.
- Lifting the chest off the pad: the torso joins the curl and the isolation is gone; press the sternum into the bench.
- Cutting the descent short: stopping at half-extension skips the stretched position where the brachialis works hardest; finish with straight arms.
What Are the Best Reverse Grip Barbell Spider Curl Variations?
- EZ bar spider curl: the standard supinated version on a cambered bar, easier on the wrists, for lifters learning the bench.
- Reverse grip EZ bar spider curl: half-pronated wrists on the cambered grip, less forearm strain, same brachialis bias.
- Wide grip barbell spider curl: palms up and hands outside shoulder width, emphasis on the biceps short head.
- Single-arm reverse grip dumbbell spider curl: one arm at a time, exposing a weaker forearm.
- Reverse grip preacher curl: the same pronated curl seated on a preacher bench.
How Do You Progress the Reverse Grip Barbell Spider Curl?
- Add 5 pounds to the bar, or the smallest plates you have, once you complete every set at the top of the rep range with flat wrists.
- Work from 8 reps up to 12 before any load increase.
- Add a fourth set when three sets no longer leave the forearms burning.
- Slow the eccentric to a four-count and add a one-second hold at the top.
How Should You Program the Reverse Grip Barbell Spider Curl?
Slot the reverse grip barbell spider curl at the end of an arm or pull session, after chin-ups and supinated curls have done the heavy biceps work. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Pair it with a hammer curl or wrist curl for a complete forearm and brachialis block.