How to Do Preacher Curls? | Biceps Without The Swing

Preacher curls isolate the biceps by bracing your upper arms against a pad, removing momentum so only your elbows move.

For the full breakdown, see our best Bench With Preacher Curl guide.

The preacher curl is the strictest biceps movement you can do, and the difference between a great set and a wasted one comes down to setup. Most guys grab the bar and start heaving, but the whole point of this exercise is that the bench makes cheating impossible when you do it right.

Setting Up The Bench Correctly

Adjust the preacher bench so the top of the pad sits at armpit height. When you sit down, your upper arms should rest flush against the padding, with your chest pressed into the back of the pad. If the pad is too low, your shoulders take over; too high, and you lose the stretch at the bottom.

Your armpits are the anchor point here. The entire upper arm — from shoulder to elbow — should stay glued to the pad for the whole set. Think of your arms as levers hinged only at the elbow.

The Right Grip And Starting Position

Use a supinated (underhand) grip. An EZ curl bar is the standard choice because the angled grip reduces wrist strain, but dumbbells work just as well if that’s what you have. Hang the bar so your arms extend down the pad with a slight bend at the elbow — never a hard lockout, as this can strain the joint under load.

Keep your wrists neutral and straight throughout. Don’t let them bend backward to help the bar move.

The Curl: Execution And Top Position

Curl the bar up by flexing your elbows only. Your upper arms stay pinned, your chest stays down, and there is zero torso movement. If you find yourself rocking, the weight is too heavy — drop it and control the eccentric instead.

At the top, squeeze the biceps hard for a one-second pause. But here’s the nuance most people miss: stop before your forearms go fully vertical. Once your forearms point straight up, gravity stops pulling against the biceps and tension disappears. Keep the range where the muscle actually works — that’s roughly the bottom two-thirds of the movement.

The lowering phase is where the preacher curl earns its reputation. Lower the bar slowly, taking a full three seconds, and stop short of full elbow extension. Don’t let the weight rest on the pad between reps, and don’t fall into hyperextension.

Common Mistakes That Kill The Exercise

These four errors show up constantly, and fixing them transforms the movement:

• Upper arms peeling off the pad. The moment your arms lift, you’re doing a regular curl with extra steps. Press them down into the pad like you’re trying to leave a dent.
• Locking out hard at the bottom. Full extension with a loaded bar puts unnecessary stress on the elbow. Keep a slight bend and stop there.
• Using momentum. If your torso rocks or your shoulders shrug, the biceps are no longer doing the work.
• Resting the weight on the pad. That pause unloads the muscle and resets the tension you just built. Keep the bar moving under control.

If you’re shopping for the right equipment to add this movement to your home gym, the tested roundup of the best benches with preacher curl attachments covers the top options side by side.

FAQs

Should My Elbows Touch The Pad?

Yes, your elbows should remain in contact with the pad throughout the set. If they lift, you lose the isolation that makes the preacher curl effective. The upper arm stays braced from shoulder to elbow, and only the forearm moves — any lift off the pad shifts the work to your shoulders and reduces biceps tension.

What Weight Should I Use?

The strict position makes the same weight feel significantly heavier. Choose a load you can control for the full three-second lowering phase while maintaining perfect form on every rep.

Can I Do Preacher Curls With Dumbbells?

Yes. Dumbbells work well on a standard preacher bench, though you’ll curl one arm at a time for balance. A single-dumbbell variation also exists where you brace your elbow on your inner thigh, but that’s a different movement with different mechanics — it lacks the stability of the fixed pad, so it allows more arm movement.