12 Best Spider Curl Alternatives (And How To Do Them)

1. Bent Over Curls

This alternative to spider curl is straightforward to do and can be performed almost anywhere so long as you have access to some kind of free weights, e.g., dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells.

I’m a massive fan of using dumbbells for this spider curl alternative as they let me work my biceps uni-laterally, ensuring both arms are working equally as hard. This helps eliminate muscle imbalances which are pretty standard in beginners.  

How to do it: 

Related Article - How Are Dumbbells Made?

2. Preacher Curls 

If you’re lucky enough to have plenty of gym equipment available in your home gym and want to make your biceps work incredibly hard, the preacher curl is an excellent alternative to spider curl.  

Like the spider curl, the preacher curl primarily targets the short head of the biceps, which is often neglected by gym-goers. By working the shorter head of the biceps, you’ll help increase not only your biceps size but also your shoulder stability. 

It’s a super-strict movement and is often challenging for beginners to perform; it’s best suited for intermediate gym-goers. 

Garage Gym Pro Tip: If you don’t have access to a preacher curl pad, you can use an incline bench press and a single dumbbell to perform single arm preacher curls. 

How to do it: 

Suggested Equipment - Best Preacher Curl Benches 

3. Floor Cable Curls 

The floor cable curl is an unusual spider curl alternative that you don’t see people perform often. However, it’s an excellent exercise to isolate the biceps, and it’s an extremely strict movement as it doesn’t allow you to swing and cheat your reps.  

Due to the strict nature of this spider curl alternative, your biceps are placed under a huge amount of load. It’s also worth noting the constant tension on the biceps increases muscle activation, resulting in muscle growth. 

How to do it: 

4. Drag Curls

The drag curl is one of the easiest spider curl alternative exercises to set up. It only requires a barbell, making it simple to perform almost anywhere so long as you have a barbell available.

The drag curl is similar to the spider curl as both exercises emphasize the peak contraction of the biceps during the movement, promoting plenty of muscle fiber recruitment.  

I’ve found my biceps get a great pump during this alternative to spider curl, especially at the end of a biceps workout.  

How to do it: 

Read More - How Much Does A Curl Bar Weigh?

5. Couch Curls  

The couch curl is the ideal dumbbell spider curl alternative if you’re working out from home and have minimal equipment available.  

It’s a straightforward exercise that yields excellent results, helping you grow your biceps and fill out your T-shirt. The best part is, you don’t need to buy an expensive bench or preacher curl pad.

You can use either a chair or a couch for this exercise, making it the perfect activity to do while watching your favorite TV show. The movement is pretty similar to a concentration curl and gives you one hell of a pump.  

This exercise does place stress on the lower back as you need to engage your core to maintain the correct position. If you suffer from lower back pain, stop this movement and try another alternative on this list.  

How to do it: 

6. Banded High Curl 

The banded high curl is a simple but effective method of working your biceps. Like the spider curl, this movement primarily targets the short head of the biceps, which aids with your shoulder stability.  

As this spider curl alternative uses a resistance band, it’s effortless to set up and can be performed almost anywhere so long as you have a secure anchor point such as a door frame.  

It's a perfect exercise for anybody traveling or working out at work and is suitable for all levels of ability. 

How to do it: 

7. Cable High Curl 

If you’re looking for an alternative to spider curl that works the short head of the biceps, then the cable high curl is the exercise for you.  

It’s a brilliant movement that delivers an intense contraction at the top end of the exercise. You’ve most likely seen it performed in the gym by many gym-goers.  

While it’s an excellent spider curl alternative, if you don’t have access to a cable machine, you won’t be able to perform the exercise. It would be best to use another alternative on this list.  

How to do it: 

8. Plate Curl 

This spider curl alternative gives your biceps one of the most intense contractions at the top of the exercise than most other movements on this list. As with the spider curl, the plate curl focuses on the short head of the biceps, making it an excellent alternative to spider curl.  

You don’t need much equipment to perform this movement, and it doesn’t take up much room. It’s ideal for smaller home gyms. 

How to do it: 

See Also - Hammer Curls Vs Bicep Curls

9. TRX Curl 

This spider curl alternative lets you curl against gravity, placing your body weight directly on your biceps.  

The TRX curl has an excellent range of motion and works the biceps from a unique angle, activating both heads of the biceps muscle.  

It’s a simple exercise and doesn’t require much equipment. So long as you’ve got a strong anchor point for your TRX, you can perform this movement in most places. Performing this movement increases your core stability, which is a nice bonus. 

Garage Gym Pro Tip: If you struggle, shuffle your feet backward and increase your body's angle, making the move easier.

How to do it: 

Read Also - 5 Effective TRX Alternatives

10. Chair curls 

This spider curl alternative is similar to the couch curl. However, I’ve found the chair curl to be less comfortable to perform.

As with the couch curl, it mainly targets the short head of the biceps, and the curling action is extremely strict.

How to do it: 

11. Guillotine High Cable Curl 

The guillotine high cable curl is another unusual exercise you might have never seen before; however, it’s a brilliant biceps isolation exercise.  

As you’re lying down during the movement, there’s very little movement in the body, and it’s virtually impossible to cheat any of the reps.  

How to do it: 

12. Band Hammer Curls 

Hammer curl variations of a biceps exercise are fantastic at working the biceps and the forearm muscles. During the band hammer curl, the brachioradialis muscle works incredibly hard to stabilize the arms position and helps you develop Pop-eye sized forearms. 

During this spider curl alternative, your biceps work through a massive range of motion, and the resistance band places tension directly on the biceps throughout the movement.  

How to do it: 

Further Reading - How Long Do Resistance Bands Last?

Benefits Of Substitute Exercises Over Spider Curls 

There are numerous benefits to performing spider curls and the spider curl alternatives mentioned on the list above. 

1. Isolates your biceps

If you want to build bigger biceps, you need to perform exercises that target them directly. While spider curls are brilliant at isolating the biceps, they’re not always the most practical movement to do.

Alternatives such as the drag curl not only isolate the biceps with a strict movement, but they’re simple to perform and require hardly any equipment. 

2. Large range of motion

During the spider curl, your biceps work through an extensive range of motion, stimulating the biceps throughout the entire movement.  

Alternatives such as the couch curl and the floor cable curls have increased ranges of motion and are fantastic for stimulating the biceps, promoting muscle growth. 

3. Constant tension

Throughout the spider curl movement, the biceps are placed under constant tension. This increases the work done by your biceps and stimulates the muscle fibers from start to finish, resulting in increased muscle mass development.  

Spider curl alternatives such as the TRX curl and the band hammer curl are brilliant substitutes for the spider curl as they create constant tension on your biceps. 

What Muscles Do Spider Curl Alternatives Work? 

Spider Curl FAQs Answered

Are preacher curls and spider curls the same? 

While both preacher curl and spider curl target the short head of the bicep primarily, the movements differ when it comes to the range of motion. The spider curl has a more extensive range of motion when compared to the preacher curl, which is brilliant for bicep stimulation to trigger muscle growth. 

Why are spider curls so hard? 

One of the reasons spider curls are difficult is that the position your body is in to perform the movement makes it difficult to cheat. Another reason is the increased range of motion the biceps must work through, fighting gravity during every stage of the rep. 

Who is this exercise for? 

The spider curl is for anybody looking to give their biceps a tougher challenge. It’s classed as a moderate-advanced movement, and I recommend you master other bicep curl variations first before you try this exercise.  

Conclusion

If you’re looking to develop an impressive set of arms, then you’ll want to develop the biceps. However, the short head of the biceps is often neglected, resulting in underdeveloped upper arms. This is the last thing you want.  

The spider curl is an excellent exercise to avoid this, but sometimes it’s not always possible to perform this movement. Any of the 12 exercises listed above are perfect alternatives to spider curl. Add a couple of the spider curl alternative exercises to your program and watch your biceps grow.