Cable Preacher Curl

Intermediate

Biceps

Cable

What Cable Preacher Curl really gives you is muscle you built on purpose, driven by unbroken cable tension.

How to do Cable Preacher Curl

Adjust the cable machine so that the preacher curl pad is at chest height.
Sit on the preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the cable attachment with an underhand grip.
Keep your back straight and your elbows tucked in at your sides.
Slowly curl the cable attachment up towards your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement.
Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the cable attachment back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Add to an AI Workout Plan All Arms Exercises Cable Arm Exercises All Cable Exercises

Cable Preacher Curl Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy.

Hypertrophy

4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top.

Endurance

3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight.

Common Cable Preacher Curl Mistakes

Letting the stack touch down between reps

Stop just short of the stack so tension never resets.

Moving through the easy half of the range only

Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.

Easier and Harder Than Cable Preacher Curl

Easier progression

Cable Concentration Curl

Harder progression

Cable Seated One Arm Concentration Curl

Swap Cable Preacher Curl For

Dumbbell Seated Revers Grip Concentration Curl

Barbell Standing Close Grip Curl

Ez-barbell Standing Wide Grip Biceps Curl

Cable Preacher Curl — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Cable Preacher Curl?

Adjust the cable machine so that the preacher curl pad is at chest height. Sit on the preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the cable attachment with an underhand grip. Keep your back straight and your elbows tucked in at your sides. Use a cable machine and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Cable Preacher Curl work?

The Cable Preacher Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with a cable machine.

How many sets and reps of the Cable Preacher Curl should I do?

For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Cable 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 Cable Preacher Curl?

Try the Dumbbell Seated Revers Grip Concentration Curl, Barbell Standing Close Grip Curl or the Ez-barbell Standing Wide Grip Biceps Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.