How many sets and reps of the preacher curl should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 3 sets of 10 reps, choosing a weight that still allows a slow, controlled stretch at the bottom. Add weight only once every rep looks the same from the first to the last.

What can replace the preacher curl with no preacher bench available?

A concentration curl, bracing the back of your upper arm against your inner thigh while seated, removes momentum in a similar way with just a bench and a dumbbell.

What is the preacher curl good for, and when should you skip it?

It delivers strict biceps overload and works well as a general hypertrophy accessory. It's a poor choice if you have elbow tendon irritation, since the locked-arm stretch position is the most aggravating part of any curl for a cranky elbow.

Intermediate

Preacher Curl

Resting the backs of your arms on the preacher pad kills all momentum and locks the shoulders in flexion, which emphasizes the biceps short head and strengthens the bottom of the curl. Because the arm cannot cheat, it is one of the strictest ways to overload the biceps. Keep the eccentric slow, since the stretched bottom position is where people strain if they get sloppy.

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

How to do it

1
Set the preacher bench so the top of the pad sits under your armpits.
2
Grip an EZ or straight bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip.
3
Rest the backs of your upper arms flat on the pad with arms nearly extended.
4
Curl the bar up toward your shoulders by flexing the elbows.
5
Squeeze at the top, then lower slowly until the arms are almost straight.
6
Exhale as you curl, inhale as you lower.

Tips

Never bounce out of the bottom; the near-straight position under load is vulnerable.
Keep your upper arms flat on the pad instead of letting the elbows lift as you tire.
Stop just short of full lockout to keep tension on the biceps and protect the elbow.

Variations

Common mistakes

The pad sits too low, so the armpits don't reach the top edge and the shoulders round forward to compensate before the first rep even starts.
Choosing a straight bar when your wrists are already cranky ignores the easy fix of switching to the EZ bar's angled grip for the exact same exercise.
The set turns into partial reps at the top of the range once fatigue sets in, quietly turning off the deep stretch that makes this exercise worth doing.
Breath gets held through the hardest part of the rep, spiking blood pressure right as the arms are pinned in the most vulnerable position of the lift.
A sharp pinch at the front of the elbow in the bottom stretch is not something to lower into further; back off the range and the load together.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the preacher curl should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 3 sets of 10 reps, choosing a weight that still allows a slow, controlled stretch at the bottom. Add weight only once every rep looks the same from the first to the last.
What can replace the preacher curl with no preacher bench available?: A concentration curl, bracing the back of your upper arm against your inner thigh while seated, removes momentum in a similar way with just a bench and a dumbbell.
What is the preacher curl good for, and when should you skip it?: It delivers strict biceps overload and works well as a general hypertrophy accessory. It's a poor choice if you have elbow tendon irritation, since the locked-arm stretch position is the most aggravating part of any curl for a cranky elbow.

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