Preacher curl
Curls with the upper arm braced on a pad. It grew the biceps near the elbow more than the incline curl did, and its elbow-straight half grew that region most.
Why it's here
The preacher curl braces the upper arm on an angled pad, so the biceps works without the body helping the weight up. In an eight-week trial in young women, it grew the lower end of the elbow flexors more than the incline curl did, while the incline curl grew the upper end more [1]. Within the preacher curl, the half of the lift nearest a straight elbow grew the lower biceps more, and built more strength, than the half nearest the top [2].
The evidence
- Training study Sixty-three young women trained twice a week for eight weeks with either preacher or incline curls. Preacher curls increased elbow-flexor thickness more near the elbow, incline curls more near the shoulder, and each group gained most strength in its own exercise [1].
- Training study Nineteen untrained young women trained a seated dumbbell preacher curl with each arm in a different half of the range, three times a week for eight weeks, every set to failure. Both arms' biceps grew. The arm trained from a straight elbow to about 68° of bend grew more near the elbow (70% of upper-arm length) than the arm trained from 68° to the top, grew about the same at mid-arm, and gained more full-range strength (about 43% against 19%) [2].
How to do it
- Sit at a preacher bench with the back of your upper arm flat on the pad and a dumbbell in your hand. The second trial above set the pad so the upper arm sat at about 45° to the body [2].
- Curl the weight up until your forearm is vertical.
- Lower it slowly all the way until your elbow is straight. The bottom half is the part that grew the lower biceps most in that trial [2]; the trial took about two seconds each way.
Stop an exercise that causes significant or unusual pain and have it assessed. This page describes the movement; it is not rehabilitation advice.
Making it harder over time
This is a isolation exercise in the Progressive Overload Calculator, which adds weight in steps of 2%–5% once every set reaches the top of your rep range, and adds reps until then.
Alternatives
- Incline curl — Curls lying back on an incline bench, arms hanging behind the body. In an eight-week trial it grew the upper end of the biceps more than the preacher curl.
References
- Kassiano W, Costa B, Kunevaliki G, Lisboa F, Stavinski N, Prado A, Tricoli I, Francsuel J, Lima L, Nunes JP, Ribeiro AS, Cyrino ES. Distinct muscle growth and strength adaptations after preacher and incline biceps curls. Int J Sports Med, 2025;46(5):334-343. doi.org
- Pedrosa GF, Simões MG, Figueiredo MOC, Lacerda LT, Schoenfeld BJ, Lima FV, Chagas MH, Diniz RCR. Training in the initial range of motion promotes greater muscle adaptations than at final in the arm curl. Sports, 2023;11(2):39. doi.org
How we reviewed this page
Every claim is cited to research we opened and read, and labelled with the kind of evidence behind it. Training studies, which measure muscle or strength over weeks, carry the most weight; an exercise is listed only if at least one training study or review supports it. Studies of muscle activation (EMG) can add detail but are never the reason an exercise is here. Sources were last checked on October 16, 2026.
These are four well-supported choices we list for this muscle group, not a ranked "top five" — the research rarely supports one. We list up to five, and fewer where only fewer meet the rule above: an exercise is never added to fill a group.
Drafted with AI assistance, then edited and fact-checked by a human.
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General information only. This is not medical advice.