Barbell Lying Preacher Curl
Also known as: lying barbell preacher curl
Barbell Lying Preacher Curl trades complexity for muscle you built on purpose, and it fits late in an arms workout.
How to do Barbell Lying Preacher Curl
- Sit on a preacher bench with your chest against the pad and your arms extended over the edge, holding a barbell with an underhand grip.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the bar until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Lying Preacher Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Common Barbell Lying Preacher Curl Mistakes
Gripping off-centre so one side carries more load
Set both hands on matching knurl marks before each set.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Letting the last set decay into a different exercise
End the set when the pattern changes, not when the reps run out.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Lying Preacher Curl
Swap Barbell Lying Preacher Curl For
Barbell Lying Preacher Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl?
Sit on a preacher bench with your chest against the pad and your arms extended over the edge, holding a barbell with an underhand grip. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the bar until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl work?
The Barbell Lying Preacher Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic arms patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl?
Try the Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl, Cable Drag Curl or the Weighted Standing Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl the same as the lying barbell preacher curl?
Yes. The Barbell Lying Preacher Curl is also commonly called the lying barbell preacher curl. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "lying barbell preacher curl" refer to this same movement.
