Exercise Comparison
Brachialis-SMR vs Lying Supine Dumbbell Curl




Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Instructions
Brachialis-SMR
Lie on your side, with your upper arm against the foam roller. The upper arm should be more or less aligned with your body, with the outside of the bicep pressed against the foam roller.
Raise your hips off of the floor, supporting your weight on your arm and on your feet. Hold for 10-30 seconds, and then switch sides.
Lying Supine Dumbbell Curl
Lie down on a flat bench face up while holding a dumbbell in each arm on top of your thighs.
Bring the dumbbells to the sides with the arms extended and the palms of the hands facing your thighs (neutral grip).
While keeping the arms close to your torso and elbows in, slowly lower your arms (as you keep them extended with a slight bend at the elbows) as far down towards the floor as you can go. Once you cannot go down any further, lock your upper arms in that position and that will be your starting position.
As you breathe out, slowly begin to curl the weights up as you simultaneously rotate your wrists so that the palms of the hands face up. Continue curling the weight until your biceps are fully contracted and squeeze hard at the top position for a second. Tip: Only the forearms should move. Upper arms should remain stationary and elbows should stay in throughout the movement.
Return back to the starting position very slowly.
Verdict
Both exercises target the biceps. Brachialis-SMR is a intermediate exercise using foam roll, while Lying Supine Dumbbell Curl is beginner and uses dumbbell. Choose Lying Supine Dumbbell Curl if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Brachialis-SMR for a greater challenge.