Preacher curls are a variation of the traditional bicep curl that focus on the biceps and forearms. They are an isolation bicep exercise that allows you to practice your lifting form and concentrate on your biceps while not using any other part of your body. The preacher curl is performed with a bench that is designed for you to sit down with your upper arms resting on a surface that is slightly tilted inwards. This biceps curl variation allows you to hone in on the biceps while not using any other part of your body. Because you’re sitting down and your upper arms are fixed on the pad, this drives more engagement to the biceps for better growth potential.

The preacher curl is classified as an isolation exercise, meaning it only involves one joint and one muscle: the biceps. The biceps and the brachialis are the prime movers for the preacher curl. Because of the angle of the preacher bench pad, your elbow is raised, which puts your shoulder into flexion. Since the long head crosses the shoulder joint, this will stretch the long head from the starting position. With that, this variation drives a little more activation to the long head of the biceps, but you can still mix up your grip to alter this a bit.

Here are the steps to perform a preacher curl:

1. Position yourself on a preacher bench and grab the EZ bar from the front bar wrist grip.
2. Turn Andale with the palms of your hands facing forward.
3. Position your upper arms and chest against the preacher bench pad while holding the EZ Curl Bar at shoulder length.
4. As you exhale, use the biceps to curl the weight up until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder height. Squeeze the biceps hard and hold this position for a second.
5. As you breathe in, slowly lower the bar until your upper arm is extended and the biceps is fully stretched.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Preacher curls can be done with different variations, such as the EZ bar preacher curl, dumbbell preacher curl, and preacher curl machine. Preacher curls force you to rely solely on the strength of your biceps to curl the weight, which concentrates almost all of the force on the biceps. However, keep in mind that the preacher curl can place a lot of stress on the elbow joints, so go lighter on the weights in the beginning to avoid injury.