Preacher curl
A curl on an angled pad that removes the swing and loads the biceps at length.
What it is
A biceps curl performed with the upper arms resting on an angled preacher bench. The pad prevents any body swing and puts the biceps under load in a stretched position at the bottom of the movement.
Muscles worked
Primary: Biceps. Secondary: Brachialis, Forearms.
How to perform it
- Set the seat so your armpits rest at the top of the pad with your upper arms flat against it.
- Take an EZ bar or dumbbell with an underhand grip and let the arms extend nearly straight.
- Curl the weight up until your forearms are just past vertical, without letting the elbows lift off the pad.
- Lower under control all the way to a full stretch before the next rep.
Common form faults
- Elbows lifting off the pad at the top. Stop the curl before the elbows travel. Once they lift, the tension leaves the biceps.
- Dropping fast out of the top position. Control the lowering. The stretched bottom position is where this exercise is most productive and most easily injured.
- Bouncing out of the bottom. Pause briefly at full extension. Bouncing at a long muscle length is how biceps strains happen.
Programming
A biceps accessory in moderate to higher reps. The stretched position makes it productive but also less forgiving, so keep the loading sensible and never bounce the bottom.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Why do preacher curls feel so much harder?
- The pad removes every bit of momentum and puts the hardest part of the curve at the stretched position where you are weakest. Expect to use noticeably less weight than on a standing curl.
- Straight bar or EZ bar?
- EZ bar for most people — the angled grip is far kinder to the wrists in this position. Dumbbells work well too and let you address side-to-side differences.
Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
Last reviewed: