Bodyweight Side Lying Biceps Curl
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Upper Arms
- Type
- Strength
The bodyweight side lying biceps curl is an equipment-free upper-arm exercise that trains the biceps using self-applied resistance. Lying on your side, you curl the working forearm toward your shoulder while the floor and your opposite hand provide load, so you can build arm strength and a stronger mind-muscle connection anywhere, no weights needed.
How to do the Bodyweight Side Lying Biceps Curl
- 1Lie on your side on a mat with your legs stacked and your head supported, keeping your spine long and neutral.
- 2Extend the working arm out in front of your torso, palm facing up, so the forearm rests across or just above the floor.
- 3Place your opposite hand on the wrist or palm of the working arm to apply downward, self-resistance.
- 4Brace your core and keep the working upper arm pinned close to your side so only the elbow moves.
- 5Curl the working forearm up toward your shoulder, pressing down with your top hand to resist the movement the whole way.
- 6Squeeze the biceps hard at the top, holding briefly with the elbow fully bent.
- 7Lower the forearm back to the start slowly, keeping tension by continuing to push against your top hand.
- 8Finish your reps, then roll to your other side and repeat with the opposite arm.
Form tips
- Keep the working upper arm fixed against your ribs — let only the elbow bend so the biceps does the work.
- Control the lowering phase; resisting on the way down is where this exercise builds the most strength without weights.
- Match the resistance from your top hand to your strength so you can complete full, smooth reps rather than short, jerky ones.
- Keep your wrist straight and neutral instead of letting it bend back under the pressure.
- Breathe out as you curl up and in as you lower, staying relaxed in your neck and shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Letting the upper arm drift forward or swing, which turns the curl into a shoulder movement and takes tension off the biceps.
- Applying too little self-resistance, so the set is too easy to actually challenge the muscle and build strength.
- Rushing the reps and skipping the lowering phase, which wastes the most productive part of the movement.
- Bending the wrist backward under the pressure, which strains the wrist instead of loading the biceps.
- Training only one arm or doing uneven reps per side, leading to strength imbalances between arms.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the bodyweight side lying biceps curl work?
It targets the biceps — the muscle on the front of your upper arm — by curling the forearm toward the shoulder against self-applied resistance from your opposite hand.
Is the bodyweight side lying biceps curl good for beginners?
Yes. Because you control the resistance with your own hand, you can dial the difficulty up or down to match your strength, making it a safe, joint-friendly starting point for training the arms with no equipment.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Aim for 2–4 sets of 12–20 slow, controlled reps per arm. Since there is no fixed weight, push hard enough with your top hand that the last few reps feel challenging.
How do I make the bodyweight side lying biceps curl harder?
Press down harder with your opposite hand, slow the lowering phase to a 3–4 second count, and add a brief squeeze and hold at the top to increase time under tension.
