Gym Planner
Preacher Curl illustration, start and end position

Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined

Biceps

Preacher Curl

Beginner Barbell Isolation Biceps

How to do it

  1. Set the preacher bench so your armpits rest on the top edge of the pad.

  2. Hold an EZ-bar shoulder-width with your upper arms flat on the pad.

  3. Lower the bar until the elbows are nearly straight without locking out hard.

  4. Curl the bar up until your forearms are just past parallel to the floor.

  5. Squeeze the biceps briefly, then lower for a two-count.

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the elbows off the pad when the weight gets heavy.

  • Dropping the bar at the bottom and jolting the elbow joint.

  • Setting the bench too low so the shoulders hunch forward.

Tips

  • The bottom position is brutal here, so start lighter than you think.

  • You can also do it one arm at a time with a dumbbell to fix imbalances.

Secondary muscles

Alternatives

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