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Exercises

Preacher curl: how to do it, what it works, and what to swap it for

Published October 17, 2026

A preacher curl is a biceps curl done with the backs of your upper arms resting on a sloped pad, usually with an EZ bar. The pad stops your shoulders and hips from helping, so the biceps do the lifting, and it loads them hardest near the bottom where your arms are almost straight. It works when you lower all the way to a nearly straight arm under control and keep your armpits pressed into the top of the pad.

Your last preacher curl set

How to do the preacher curl

The pad holds your upper arms still, so no swing can creep in and every rep starts from the same stretched position. Put it after your heavier pulling or a standing curl, when you want the biceps to do all the work.

Steps

  1. Set the seat so your armpits rest on the top edge of the pad and the backs of your upper arms lie flat on it.
  2. Take the EZ bar on its inner angled grips, palms turned up, and sit down with your feet planted.
  3. Bend your elbows and bring the bar up until your forearms are just short of vertical.
  4. Lower for about three seconds until your arms are nearly straight, without letting the bar drop the last few inches.
  5. Curl the next rep from there, with your upper arms still flat on the pad.

Cues

  • Armpits jammed into the pad
  • Slow on the way down
  • Stop before your forearms stand straight up

Common mistakes

  • Sitting too low so only your elbows touch the pad: raise the seat until the whole back of your upper arm is in contact.
  • Dropping the last part of each rep and bouncing out of it: lower at the same slow speed right to the bottom, and take a lighter bar if you cannot.
  • Lifting your shoulders and leaning back to finish the rep: stop where your forearms are near vertical, since past that point the biceps get a rest anyway.

Swap for: Kettlebell Preacher Curl, Spider Curl, Concentration Curl

Muscles the preacher curl works

The preacher curl works the biceps, with the brachialis underneath and the brachioradialis in your forearm helping. Because your arms sit in front of your body on the pad, the load peaks in the lower half of the rep, when your elbows are nearly straight and the biceps are long, and it fades near the top.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the preacher curl

GoalSets × repsRIRRest
Build muscle 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
This matches what the session builder prescribes for the preacher curl.
Heavier arm work 3–4 × 6–10 1–2 2 min
Use this range when you want to load the bar more and can still lower every rep for three seconds.
Last exercise of an arm day 2–3 × 12–20 0–1 60–90 s
Take these sets close to failure, since nothing heavy follows them in the session.

Preacher curl variations

  • Kettlebell Preacher Curl start position

    Kettlebell Preacher Curl

    Pick this when your gym has kettlebells and a preacher bench but the EZ bar is taken; the grip feels different, the pad does the same job.

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  • Spider Curl start position

    Spider Curl

    Pick this when the preacher bench is taken: lie chest down on an incline bench with the dumbbells hanging below your shoulders.

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  • Concentration Curl start position

    Concentration Curl

    Pick this when you have only a dumbbell and a bench, and brace your working arm against your inner thigh in place of the pad.

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Preacher curl alternatives

No preacher bench

  • EZ-Bar Curl start position

    EZ-Bar Curl

    Stand with the same EZ bar and grip when there is no bench, and keep your elbows at your sides to stop the swing.

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  • Cable Curl start position

    Cable Curl

    Use a low pulley when you want the load to stay on all the way to the top, where the preacher curl goes light.

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  • Kettlebell Concentration Curl start position

    Kettlebell Concentration Curl

    Brace your arm on your thigh with a kettlebell when that is the only weight you have at home.

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More biceps stretch

  • Incline Dumbbell Curl start position

    Incline Dumbbell Curl

    Lie back on an incline bench so your arms hang behind you, when you want the biceps loaded long in a different shoulder position.

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  • Overhead Cable Curl start position

    Overhead Cable Curl

    Curl from high pulleys with your arms raised when you want a hard squeeze at the top that the preacher curl cannot give.

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More forearm and brachialis

  • Hammer Curl start position

    Hammer Curl

    Turn your thumbs up with dumbbells when you want thicker arms from the side as well as bigger biceps.

    Build a session with it
  • Reverse Curl start position

    Reverse Curl

    Curl a barbell palms down when your forearms are the part of your arm that is lagging.

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Preacher curl vs bicep curl

Both train the same muscles. The difference is where the curl is hardest: a standing curl gets heaviest halfway up, while the preacher curl is hardest near the bottom with your arms almost straight. The pad also takes your body out of the lift, so you will use less weight on the preacher curl than on a standing curl.

You do not need to pick one. Do a standing curl or a hammer curl first and a preacher curl second, and count both toward the 10–20 hard sets a week you give your biceps.

Preacher curl without a preacher bench

Set an adjustable bench to a steep incline, stand or kneel behind it, and drape one arm over the top of the backrest with a dumbbell in your hand. That gives you the same braced upper arm. A spider curl, chest down on the same incline bench, or a concentration curl with your elbow on your inner thigh also keeps the swing out.

Questions

What muscles do preacher curls work?

Preacher curls work the biceps most, with the brachialis and the brachioradialis in your forearm helping. The pad makes the lower half of the rep, with your arms nearly straight, the hardest part.

What is the difference between a bicep curl and a preacher curl?

A standing bicep curl is hardest halfway up and lets your body help if you swing. A preacher curl braces your upper arms on a pad, so only your elbows move and the rep is hardest near the bottom.

Why are preacher curls so hard?

The pad takes away any momentum, and the curl is hardest where your biceps are weakest, near a straight arm. Expect to use less weight than on a standing curl; that is normal.

How many reps of preacher curls should I do?

Three sets of 10–15 reps, each ending about 2 reps short of failure, is the default for growth. When every set reaches 15 with a slow lowering, add weight next session.

Is a 100 lb preacher curl good?

Curling 100 lb on a preacher bench for clean reps with a full lowering is very strong for most lifters. If you only reach it with half reps, drop the weight until your arms get nearly straight at the bottom of each rep.

What is the best preacher curl alternative?

The spider curl is the closest match: chest down on an incline bench, arms hanging in front of you. A concentration curl braces your arm on your thigh, and a cable curl works when there is no bench at all.

Can I do preacher curls with a regular bench?

Yes. Set an adjustable bench to a steep incline, put the back of one upper arm over the top of the backrest, and curl a dumbbell from there.

Can I replace bicep curls with preacher curls?

Yes, the preacher curl trains the same biceps and can be your only curl. Adding a standing or hammer curl as well loads the top half of the rep harder than the preacher curl does.