Preacher Curl
Skip the guesswork: Preacher Curl leans on a wrist-friendly angled bar for muscle you built on purpose.
How to do Preacher Curl
- To perform this movement you will need a preacher bench and an E-Z bar. Grab the E-Z curl bar at the close inner handle (either have someone hand you the bar which is preferable or grab the bar from the front bar rest provided by most preacher benches). The palm of your hands should be facing forward and they should be slightly tilted inwards due to the shape of the bar.
- With the upper arms positioned against the preacher bench pad and the chest against it, hold the E-Z Curl Bar at shoulder length. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the bar until your upper arm is extended and the biceps is fully stretched.
- As you exhale, use the biceps to curl the weight up until your biceps is fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder height. Squeeze the biceps hard and hold this position for a second.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Preacher Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Keep the wrists stacked before chasing extra load.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Slow the eccentric before you add another plate.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Small collar plates give a usable jump on this bar.
Common Preacher Curl Mistakes
Assuming the curved bar removes the need for control
The bar spares the wrists, not the elbows, so keep the tempo honest.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Training every set to failure this early
Leave two or three reps in the tank and add sets instead.
Easier and Harder Than Preacher Curl
Swap Preacher Curl For
Preacher Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Preacher Curl?
To perform this movement you will need a preacher bench and an E-Z bar. Grab the E-Z curl bar at the close inner handle (either have someone hand you the bar which is preferable or grab the bar from the front bar rest provided by most preacher benches). The palm of your hands should be facing forward and they should be slightly tilted inwards due to the shape of the bar. With the upper arms positioned against the preacher bench pad and the chest against it, hold the E-Z Curl Bar at shoulder length. This will be your starting position. As you breathe in, slowly lower the bar until your upper arm is extended and the biceps is fully stretched. Use an EZ bar and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Preacher Curl work?
The Preacher Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with an EZ bar.
How many sets and reps of the Preacher Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Slow the eccentric before you add another plate. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Preacher Curl good for beginners?
Yes. The Preacher Curl is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Preacher Curl?
Try the Dumbbell Bicep Curl or the Barbell Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
