For many lifters, it can be easy to get caught up in the inner workings of 21st-century lifting. Whether it’s identifying the ideal degree of knee flexion during a sled drive, or watching a sports scientist take a two-hour deep dive into how many myo-reps are optimal for shoulder growth during an overload phase, there’s a time when tried-and-tested bodybuilding staples can seem a more appealing method to building strength and size.

It’s in this vein that Men’s Health has covered several of these staples already – including the Yates row, the Scott press and the pinwheel curl – each one a classic exercise with deep roots in the ‘Golden Era’ of bodybuilding. It was a time when icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Vince Gironda, Steve Reeves and Franco Columbu would spend their days catching rays on Los Angeles’ Muscle Beach and discovering new ways of tearing and repairing their muscle fibres in the name of hypertrophy.

Another exercise to come out of the Golden Era playbook is the spider curl – an intense isolation move that challenges biceps strength, delivers a serious pump and, with enough reps, helps develop the coveted ‘peak’: the mountain-like shape your biceps make when flexed.

Performed with a barbell, EZ bar or dumbbells, the spider curl is designed to maximise your range of motion. By letting your arms hang vertically, you create space for a deeper stretch at the bottom and a stronger contraction at the top. It’s simple physics: moving the weight through a longer arc can lead to better muscle engagement and, when done well, greater strength gains.

The spider curl – named after the rarely-seen spider benches where the armrest sits perpendicular to the floor – also keeps the biceps under constant tension throughout the entire rep. That said, you can make it even more challenging.

Simply slow down the eccentric (lowering) phase of the lift. Taking a deliberate pause and controlling the descent forces your muscles to ‘fight’ the weight on the way down, increasing mechanical tension and encouraging the body to adapt.

Be careful not to ego lift during the spider curl. If you’re swinging a heavy weight just to move it from A to B, you’re missing the point. Real muscle growth happens when you control the descent and squeeze the biceps at the top of each rep. Because the bench removes most body momentum, there’s little room to cheat the movement. Let the weight hang until your arms are fully extended to access the deeper stretch and muscle fibre recruitment that standard curls often miss.

It also helps to dig your toes into the floor and anchor yourself to avoid wobbling mid-set. Once you’ve mastered the basics, keep things fresh by rotating the equipment. Whether you’re using an EZ bar, cables for constant tension or dumbbells to iron out imbalances, small changes in tools and tempo can help prevent plateaus. Focus on the stretch, maintain stability and your biceps will have no choice but to respond.

The spider curl will target your biceps brachii, challenge your forearms and improve grip strength. Here’s how to perform the move properly – even if you don’t have access to a spider bench.

• Set an incline bench to 45 degrees and lie on it face down holding a straight barbell or two dumbbells (above), palms facing up.
• Curl the bar towards your shoulders.
• Squeeze at the top before slowly lowering the bar to the starting position.