Preacher curls are a good exercise to isolate and develop the lower area of the biceps and help lengthen the biceps muscle. The preacher curl exercise primarily isolates the brachialis muscle or the lower biceps. This exercise is beneficial for filling in the space between the lower biceps and the elbow joint and helps create thickness throughout the biceps, notes Arnold Schwarzenegger, author of "Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding."
Barbell Preacher Curls
Stand or sit behind a preacher bench and adjust the height so the top of the pad comes close to your underarms. Grasp an EZ-curl -- or any straight barbell -- with an underhand grip with your hands positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your chest should be against the pad and your arms should be extending over the pad with your upper arms remaining against the pad throughout the movement. Curl the barbell up toward your shoulders. Slowly lower with control and repeat. Do not hyperextend your arms at the bottom of the movement.
Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Perform preacher curls using dumbbells instead of a barbell to isolate each arm separately. Always train your weaker arm first, and then match the same repetitions you completed on your stronger arm using the same weight to keep both arms balanced. Additionally, you can train both arms at the same time using dumbbells. Doing the movement with dumbbells positioned close together emphasizes the outer biceps, and spacing the dumbbells further apart works more of the inner biceps, according to Schwarzenegger.
Tips For Successful Preacher Curls
Always warm up your muscles thoroughly before performing the preacher curl. Start with a five to 10-minute aerobic exercise, followed by at least one warmup set using a light to moderate weight for the biceps muscles. Because of the angle of the preacher bench, there is significant tension placed on your arms when fully extended. Always control the speed of the arms descending back down to avoid hyperextension.
Biceps Workout
Train your biceps once or twice weekly on nonconsecutive days. After warming up, complete three sets of barbell curls using a weight in which muscle fatigue occurs between six and eight repetitions resting 90 seconds between sets. Perform two sets on each arm of dumbbell preacher curls for 12 to 15 repetitions, resting less than 30 seconds between arms. Next, perform three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of EZ-bar preacher curls followed by eight to 12 repetitions of hammer curls and cable curls, resting 30 seconds between each set.
References
- ExRx.net; Barbell Preacher Curl
- "Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding;" Arnold Schwarzenegger;1985
- "Oxygen" magazine; Quick & Easy Biceps; Peggy Hall; April 2001
Member Comments