EZ Bar Preacher Curl
A strict EZ bar biceps curl on the preacher bench — clean isolation of the lower half of the biceps.
How to do it
- Set the preacher bench so the top of the pad sits just below your armpits, with your chest pressed against it.
- Grab the EZ bar on the inner angled grips, palms up, with your arms fully straight along the pad.
- Curl the bar up toward your shoulders, bending only at the elbows and keeping your upper arms pressed to the pad.
- Squeeze the biceps hard at the top without letting your elbows slide forward off the bench.
- Lower the bar slowly over 2–3 seconds until your arms are almost fully straight at the bottom.
- Stop just short of full lockout to keep tension on the biceps, then curl back up for the next rep.
Key technique cue
Upper arms on the pad, elbows don't slide forward.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Lifting the elbows off the pad to bring in the shoulders, which strips the isolation out of the curl.
- ✕ Dropping the bar fast at the bottom and bouncing out of the stretch, which overloads the elbow tendons.
- ✕ Lifting the chest off the pad to throw the weight up, which turns a strict curl into a partial cheat rep.
- ✕ Cutting the range at the top or bottom, which loses the stretch and contraction that drive biceps growth.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the lower biceps and creates a fuller arm shape.
- ✓ Removes momentum so every rep loads the biceps directly.
- ✓ Reinforces strict elbow-flexion mechanics for cleaner curls overall.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here
About the exercise
The EZ Bar Preacher Curl locks the upper arm against an angled bench so the biceps works alone. With no way to swing or cheat, every rep is a clean stretch and contraction through the elbow. The angled grip of the EZ bar is also easier on the wrists than a straight bar, which makes this one of the most used isolation curls in any gym. The preacher curl is a hypertrophy-block staple. It is the curl variation people look for when they want bigger, fuller biceps peaks, and a good way to learn strict, momentum-free technique. Pair it with hammer curls and cable curls for complete biceps training.
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