Preacher curl, exercise to enlarge biceps

The preacher curl works on an angled bench that is used to isolate the upper arms. This exercise directly involves the biceps while sitting on a bench and supporting the weight on a pad. The movement is performed with the feet on the floor and the pad in the armpits. In this position, we will bend the weight towards the shoulders.

By not being able to use the momentum of the rest of the body, this exercise directly strengthens the biceps brachii and supinator longus in the upper arm and forearm. In addition, it is a safe move for everyone who wants to exercise without pain.

Bicep curl vs preacher curl

If we want to know which of the two is better exercise, the truth is that it is a completely subjective question based on a person’s training style. At first glance, both exercises perform the same function and work on the same muscles. It all depends on how long a person has been training.

A person just starting out will be more inclined towards the classic bicep curls, while an experienced lifter would opt for the preacher curls. Only the purest lifters will choose to do both exercises on their arm training day.

Proper technique

Many gyms have stationary bicep curl machines. These can be helpful in learning movement, but it’s important to remember that machines will never fit everyone’s body perfectly. If we have any discomfort in our elbow or shoulder, it is recommended to switch to a regular preacher curl stand with a free weight.

To do the preacher curl correctly we will have to follow these steps:

1. Sit upright on a preacher curl bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. The angled preacher pad should fit comfortably under the armpit.
2. Hold the dumbbells at arm’s length with a downward grip, palms up. Each arm should be aligned with the forearm so that when the elbow is extended, the arm forms a straight line from the shoulder to the fingers.
3. With the palms facing up, we will bend the elbows to bring the dumbbells towards the shoulders. We will not go up the full range of motion. We will stop when the biceps are in maximum contraction, when the forearm is almost perpendicular to the ground. This will keep the tension on your biceps rather than letting them loosen.
4. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
5. Control the weight as we lower ourselves to the starting position, ending with the elbow slightly bent so as not to overextend the joint.

Profits

While all bicep exercises are perfect for strengthening and toning muscles, the preacher curl has some added benefits.

Build bigger arms

Everyone should do this curl variation if they want to grow their arms. This is because this bicep curve variation actually targets the biceps brachii, the double-headed muscle that we think of as the “biceps,” as well as the brachioradialis. These three muscles work to bend and flex the elbow and play different roles in twisting the forearm.

The main preacher curl muscle that is worked is the biceps brachii.

Not allowed to deceive

This bicep movement is ideal for people who often “cheat” when doing push-ups or other strength exercises. The immobilization of the rest of the body by the bench means that you cannot balance your body or use your back to help bend the weight.

This favors not creating bad movement patterns, especially in beginners who do not know the technique. In addition, it will help us to exert ourselves more when we are fatigued by weight bearing.

Strengthens the forearms

Do preacher curls work the forearms? Yes. The brachioradialis, one of the muscles of the forearm, is well exercised with this exercise.

Although bicep exercises do not work the forearms as much as some other variations, we can increase the force with which these muscles must work by trying to lift the weights with our hands during each repetition. It is practically impossible to isolate a muscle during specific exercises. In this case, although the biceps is the protagonist, it also has the support of the forearms, grip strength, shoulder and abdomen.

Advice

As we said before, posture is important to have a good performance of the movement. One of the fundamental keys is to make sure that the pad is in the armpits. We will adjust the seat so that we can sit up straight with the preacher pad in the armpits. This will prevent the rest of the body from interfering with the curl, so we will not be able to balance and trick the movement.

Keep a straight line from shoulders to wrists

Unlike a mobile joint, such as the hip or shoulder, which can move in many directions, the elbow is a stable, hinge-like joint that must move in only one way: by raising and lowering the forearm towards the back. upper arm and away from her.

Keeping the arm in a straight line during the preacher curl reduces the chance that we will accidentally twist the joint and cause injury.

Touch your biceps before each set

Focusing the mind on the muscle we are trying to work can increase the recruitment and activity of that muscle. Or at least that is what several studies say.

To increase this connection between the mind and the muscles, some athletes touch the muscle with their hand before each set. But if you don’t feel like hitting the muscle with your finger, focus on the biceps to increase its activation. It is important to stay away from other stimuli, such as talking with a partner or focusing on a song.

For replay before I get all the way down

Due to the angle of the preacher bench, we can actually double the weight too high. Once the forearm becomes fully vertical, the biceps no longer have to work. This means that we can stop the lifting portion of each rep just before the arms are upright and the biceps begin to loosen.

This will also cause the muscles to remain in constant tension, and not to continually relax and contract. Logically, the training will be much more intense.

Lower the weight slowly

Focusing on the low or eccentric part of the exercise increases the amount of time the muscles are under tension or working. In fact, eccentric training is an important stimulus for muscle growth.

So don’t drop your arm after you’ve doubled the weight. Control it when you come back down and focus on the descent. Negative exercises help hypertrophy and generate greater muscle volume.

Get a full stretch, but don’t over-extend

The preacher curl helps avoid the traps caused by rocking your body, but there are still tricks to cheat by shortening the range of motion. Due to the angle of the bench, this exercise is much easier at the top than at the bottom. And that bottom part is where we’ll probably cheat when we’re tired.

To avoid this, we will lower all the way with each repetition, but we will not extend the elbow too much. We’ll make the elbow straight but not locked (or even slightly bent), and then we’ll start the next rep.

Variants

Although we have previously learned the technique of this exercise, there are some variations and modifications of the preacher curl. Everything will depend on the material we have and the intensity we want to work with.

Hammer Grip Preacher Curl

When we curl with a “hammer grip”, where the palms of the hands face, the exercise is easier. Wisdom says this is because the brachii muscle helps the biceps brachii perform the lift, although this has not been proven in studies.

1. Sit upright on a preacher curl bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. The angled preacher pad should fit comfortably under the armpit.
2. Grab the dumbbells at arm’s length with a hammer grip, palms facing each other. Each arm should be aligned with the forearm so that when the elbow is extended, the arm forms a straight line from the shoulder to the fingers.
3. Keeping the palms facing each other, we will bend the elbows to bring the dumbbells towards the shoulders. However, we will not climb all the way. It will be necessary to stop when the biceps are in the maximum contraction, when the forearm is perpendicular to the ground.
4. We will squeeze the biceps at the top.
5. Control the weight as we lower ourselves to the starting position, ending with the elbows slightly bent so as not to overextend the joint.

EZ Barbell Preacher Curl

Performing this exercise with the EZ bar is easier. You just have to be careful that the stronger arm isn’t doing all the work. Although this may feel easier than using dumbbells, there are studies that ensure that curls with this bar work your muscles to a greater degree than weights.

1. Sit upright on a preacher’s bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. The angled preacher pad should fit comfortably under the armpit.
2. Grab the EZ Bar at arm’s length with a downward grip, palms up. Each arm should be aligned with the forearm so that when the elbow is extended, the arm forms a straight line from the shoulder to the fingers.
3. Bend your elbows to bring the bar toward your shoulders.
4. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
5. Control the weight as you lower yourself to the starting position, finishing with your elbows slightly bent so you don’t overextend the joint.

Resistance Band Preacher Curl

With resistance bands, the resistance increases as the arms are raised and the band becomes more taut. Some lifters will combine weights with resistance bands (or chains) to create “accommodation resistance.” In this case, the weights make the curl harder at the beginning and the resistance band makes it difficult to finish the movement.

You can also wear the band itself. We will wrap the band under the legs of the preacher’s bench, or if it cannot be moved, place it under the feet on the ground.

1. Sit upright on a preacher’s bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. The angled preacher pad should fit comfortably under the armpit.
2. Wrap a resistance band under the feet of the bench or under your feet so that you can grasp it with both hands using a downward grip.
3. Grab the band at arm’s length with a downward grip, palms up. Each arm should be aligned with the forearm so that when the elbow is extended, the arm forms a straight line from the shoulder to the fingers.
4. Keeping your palms up, bend your elbows to bring the band toward your shoulders.
5. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
6. Control the band as you lower yourself to the starting position, ending with your elbows slightly bent so you don’t overextend the joint.