How many sets and reps of the EZ-bar preacher curl should a beginner do?

A beginner can start with 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, since the angled grip makes this one of the more approachable preacher variations. Resist the urge to jump load quickly just because the wrists feel fine, and add weight only every couple of sessions.

What can replace the EZ-bar preacher curl if you don't have a barbell?

A dumbbell preacher curl covers the same braced setup without a bar, or a cable preacher curl works if a cable station is available.

What is the EZ-bar preacher curl good for, and when would you pick something else?

It's one of the most joint-friendly preacher options, suitable at any level and solid as a main biceps movement. Once your wrists are fully comfortable with a flat grip, the straight-bar preacher curl allows extra loading this version doesn't.

Beginner

EZ-Bar Preacher Curl

The cambered EZ bar puts the wrists in a slightly angled position that most people find far more comfortable than a straight bar under load. Combined with the preacher pad, it delivers strict, momentum-free biceps tension with a deep stretch at the bottom. This is one of the most effective and joint-friendly biceps isolation lifts for all levels.

Equipment: Barbell, Bench
Body part: Biceps
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
Browse by movement: Elbow Flexion

How to do it

1
Adjust the preacher bench so the pad tucks under your armpits when seated.
2
Grip the inner angles of an EZ bar with palms up and rest your upper arms flat on the pad.
3
Lower the bar until your arms are nearly straight and you feel the biceps stretch.
4
Curl the bar up toward your shoulders while keeping your triceps pressed into the pad.
5
Squeeze at the top, then lower under control without letting the bar drop.
6
Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down.

Tips

Control the eccentric hard; do not let the weight yank your elbows into extension.
Keep your chest against the top of the pad rather than sliding up over it.
Choose a load you can lower slowly, not one that only your momentum can lift.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hands drift to the outer, wider angles of the bar instead of the inner ones the exercise calls for, changing the grip angle the wrist comfort depends on.
Because the wrists feel so comfortable here, load tends to climb faster than the biceps' actual strength justifies, and the deep stretch position is where that catches up with you.
The bar gets caught with a jerk right at the bottom of the stretch instead of arriving there under control, loading the most vulnerable part of the range with a sudden snap.
Sliding up the bench as the set goes on lifts the chest off the pad and lets the shoulders creep forward to help finish reps.
Once the topmost squeeze is reached, uncurling immediately without a real pause turns the peak contraction into a touch-and-go rep.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the EZ-bar preacher curl should a beginner do?: A beginner can start with 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, since the angled grip makes this one of the more approachable preacher variations. Resist the urge to jump load quickly just because the wrists feel fine, and add weight only every couple of sessions.
What can replace the EZ-bar preacher curl if you don't have a barbell?: A dumbbell preacher curl covers the same braced setup without a bar, or a cable preacher curl works if a cable station is available.
What is the EZ-bar preacher curl good for, and when would you pick something else?: It's one of the most joint-friendly preacher options, suitable at any level and solid as a main biceps movement. Once your wrists are fully comfortable with a flat grip, the straight-bar preacher curl allows extra loading this version doesn't.

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