EZ Bar Preacher Curl
The EZ-bar preacher curl is a biceps curl performed with the backs of your upper arms resting on an angled preacher pad, curling a cambered EZ bar by bending only at the elbows. It works the biceps and the brachialis beneath them, and because the pad fixes your upper arms, the curl is strict and hardest near the bottom, where the arms are almost straight.
Also called: Preacher Curl, Scott Curl, EZ Preacher Curl, Cambered Bar Preacher Curl · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Set the seat so the top of the pad sits snugly in your armpits when you sit tall, with the backs of your upper arms flat on the pad.
- Take the EZ bar on its angled grips at about shoulder width, palms facing up and slightly in.
- Sit tall with your chest against the pad and your upper arms pressed flat along it.
- Curl the bar up by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms on the pad, until your forearms are close to vertical.
- Bring the bar back down under control until your elbows are almost straight, keeping tension in your biceps.
- Start the next rep from that stretched position without bouncing.
- After the last rep, bring the bar down under control and set it back on the rack.
- Upper arms flat on the pad
- Control the bar all the way down
- Almost straight at the bottom, no bounce
- Move only at the elbows
- Chest tall against the pad
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Biceps brachii: short head | Prime mover | C |
| Biceps brachii: long head | Prime mover | C |
| Brachialis | Prime mover | C |
| Brachioradialis | Secondary | D |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Bouncing out of the bottom
Fix: Bring the bar down under control and start each rep from a still bottom.
Upper arms lifting off the pad
Fix: Keep your upper arms pressed flat on the pad for the whole set.
Snapping the elbows straight at the bottom
Fix: Finish each descent just short of full lockout, with tension kept on.
Choosing a load for the top of the rep
Fix: Pick a load you can control through the bottom of every rep.
Leaning back to lift the bar
Fix: Keep your chest against the pad and move only at the elbows.
Seat set at the wrong height
Fix: Adjust the seat so the top of the pad sits snugly in your armpits.
What the research says
Muscle growth · first choiceRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessEndurance
- Stretched range — In an eight-week preacher curl trial, training only the bottom half of the curl, where the biceps are longest, grew the biceps near the elbow more than training the top half, and gave larger strength gains. Other trials also found elbow-flexor training at longer muscle lengths gave more growth.
- Preacher and incline curls — In an eight-week trial in young women, preacher curls grew the elbow flexors more near the elbow, while incline curls grew them more near the shoulder. Each group gained more strength on its own curl.
- Shoulder position — When resistance profiles were matched, a ten-week trial found curls with the arms in front (preacher) and behind the body grew the biceps and brachialis equally.
- Load and effort — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. Many lifters use about 8–15 reps with a controlled descent.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Rows and pulldowns also train the biceps, which counts towards the weekly total.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the ez bar preacher curl in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.