Preacher Curl
A curl done with your upper arms resting on an angled pad: you curl the weight up from straight arms, and the pad stops any swing so your biceps does the lifting.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Why do it
Preacher curls suit anyone who wants strict biceps work, since the pad fixes your upper arms in front of your body and rules out momentum. The EZ bar is the classic version and loads both arms at once; the dumbbell works one arm at a time so the stronger side can't take over. The cable keeps tension at the bottom, where a free-weight preacher curl goes almost slack, and the machine gives the same strictness with a guided path and quick weight changes. With all of them, control the lowering into the stretch.
How to do it (Machine)
Set the seat so your upper arms lie flat on the angled pad with your armpits near the top of it.
Grip the handle underhand at about shoulder width with your arms extended down the pad.
Curl the handle up until your forearms are roughly vertical.
Lower it slowly to full extension without letting the stack drop. Your upper arms stay on the pad the whole time.
Attach a single handle to the low pulley and set a preacher bench close enough to reach it comfortably.
Sit with your upper arm flat on the pad and take the handle underhand, arm extended.
Curl the handle toward your shoulder, keeping your upper arm on the pad.
Lower it slowly to full extension. The cable keeps tension at the bottom, where a free-weight preacher curl goes almost slack.
Sit at a preacher bench and rest the back of one upper arm on the pad, a dumbbell in that hand with your palm facing up.
Lower the dumbbell slowly until your arm is nearly straight.
Curl it up until your forearm is vertical and squeeze the biceps.
Keep your upper arm glued to the pad the whole time, then switch arms. Working one arm at a time keeps the stronger side from taking over.
Set the seat so your upper arms lie flat on the pad with your armpits near the top edge.
Grip the EZ bar underhand on the angled sections, about shoulder-width apart, arms extended down the pad.
Curl the bar up to shoulder level, keeping your upper arms on the pad.
Lower it slowly to full extension. Don't drop into the bottom; the pad blocks your elbows, so a fast stretch there is what makes preacher curls sore.
Common mistakes
Dropping into the bottom
Letting the weight fall into the stretch turns the most stretched part of the rep into a jolt against the pad. Lower slowly until your arms are straight.
Seat set too low
Sitting too low leaves your upper arms floating off the pad, so your shoulders start to help. Set the seat so your armpits sit near the top edge.
Lifting your elbows near the top
Raising your elbows off the pad lets the weight roll toward your shoulders without the biceps working. Keep the backs of your arms on the pad throughout.
Stopping halfway down
Lowering only partway avoids the hard part of the rep. Go down until your arms are nearly straight every time.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
