Say bye to flabby arms: The benefits of preacher curls
Are you ready to discover the secret weapon for sculpting strong and shapely arms? Look no further than preacher curls, the exercise targets your bicep muscles and will help increase your biceps peak.
Preacher curls are a great way to build bigger biceps. They are an isolation exercise, which means they focus on one muscle group, the biceps.
What is a preacher curl?
The preacher curl is a variation of the traditional bicep curl. Instead of standing, the preacher curl is a controlled and isolated movement, performed with an EZ bar on a preacher bench.
Your elbows are ergonomically positioned on an arm pad at a 45-degree angle, allowing for greater isolation and focus on the biceps.
Muscles worked in preacher curls
The preacher curl is a bicep curl variation. This isolation exercise primarily targets:
- Biceps brachii, also known as the biceps. The biceps are a two-headed muscle located on the front of the upper arm.
- Brachialis, a muscle that lies underneath the biceps. The brachialis muscle is responsible for flexing the elbow joint and is also involved in the turning of the palm upwards.
- Brachioradialis, a muscle that runs along the side of the forearm. The brachioradialis is responsible for flexing the elbow joint, and in turning the palm downwards.
5 benefits of preacher curls
Preacher curls are excellent for bicep gains. Their benefits include:
Full range of motion
The preacher curl forces the arms into a position where the biceps are able to get a full range of motion with a full extension and contraction through the assistance of the preacher curl bench while keeping your arms from cheating through swinging and use of momentum.
Isolates the biceps
Preacher curls are a great way to isolate the biceps muscles, particularly the long head of the biceps brachii. This exercise specifically targets the biceps without the significant involvement of other muscle groups.
Muscle growth
Performing preacher curls regularly can contribute to the development of stronger biceps and more defined biceps. Placing the arms in a fixed position on the preacher curl bench allows you to focus the engagement of the biceps.
Joint stability
Since preacher curls restrict movement to the elbows and forearms, they promote joint stability by minimizing unnecessary swinging or cheating motions. This can be beneficial for individuals with joint issues or those looking to strengthen and stabilize the elbow joint.
Arm aesthetics
Preacher curls can help shape and sculpt the appearance of your arms, particularly the biceps. Consistent training can lead to well-defined upper arms and enhances the aesthetics of your upper body.
Ez bar preacher curls
You need a preacher bench and an E-Z bar for this exercise.
- Hold the EZ curl bar at the close grip (inner handle) using an underhand grip. Your palms should be facing forward and slightly tilted inwards due to the shape of the bar.
- Position your upper arms and chest against the preacher bench pad while holding the E-Z Curl Bar at shoulder length.
- 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.
- Slowly lower the bar until your upper arm is extended and the biceps is fully stretched.
- Repeat
Preacher curl variations:
The main variations of preacher curls involve changing the way your palm is facing,
Zottman curls
The overhand preacher curl places most of the load on your forearms. This variation places equal focus on your biceps and forearms.
Dumbbell preacher curl
Using a dumbbell, you can avoid accidentally having your dominant arm take over the exercise. That will enable you to guarantee more even muscle development.
Cable preacher curls
You will keep constant tension on the biceps using an incline bench near the cable pulley machine.
Reverse barbell preacher curl
Use an overhand grip with the barbell. You’ll also target your forearms along with your biceps.
Preacher curl machine
This machine acts much like an ordinary preacher bench, only with the source of resistance built in and the time under tension significantly lengthened with each set.
