Dumbbell Preacher Curl
A single-arm curl with the upper arm pressed into the preacher pad — strict isolation that builds the lower biceps.
How to do it
- Set up at a preacher bench with one dumbbell ready, adjusting the seat so your armpit sits at the top edge of the pad.
- Sit down and press the back of your upper arm firmly into the angled pad, holding the dumbbell palm up.
- Let your arm straighten almost fully at the bottom, but stop just short of lockout to keep tension on the biceps.
- Curl the dumbbell up by bending only at the elbow, keeping your upper arm glued to the pad.
- Squeeze your biceps hard at the top when the dumbbell reaches about shoulder height, pausing briefly.
- Lower the dumbbell under control over 2-3 seconds back to the nearly straight start position.
Key technique cue
Upper arm stays on the pad — don't lift it off at the top.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Lifting the upper arm off the pad during the rep, which kills the strict isolation the bench provides.
- ✕ Locking the elbow out fully at the bottom under load, which stresses the joint and takes tension off the muscle.
- ✕ Dropping the dumbbell quickly, losing the lower-biceps stretch where most of the growth happens.
- ✕ Going too heavy, which pulls the arm off the pad and turns the curl into a swinging cheat rep.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the lower biceps through strict isolation at the elbow.
- ✓ Removes momentum and shoulder swing from the curl completely.
- ✓ Trains each arm separately, fixing side-to-side strength imbalances.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Dumbbell Preacher Curl
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl on an Incline Bench Backrest
- EZ Bar Preacher Curl
- Spider Curl
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Preacher Curl is a single-arm biceps curl with the upper arm pressed firmly against the angled preacher pad. The pad removes momentum and shoulder swing completely, making this one of the strictest biceps isolation exercises available — and it specifically emphasizes the lower biceps near the elbow. It is a hypertrophy specialist for any serious arm program. Use it on arm days, as a finisher on pull day, and in aesthetics-focused programs that need complete biceps work. It also helps beginners learn what a strict, isolated elbow curl should feel like, since the pad does most of the technique-policing for you.
Updated
Similar exercises
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.