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Machine preacher curl

Also called preacher curl machine, lever preacher curl, machine biceps curl.

What is a machine preacher curl?

The machine preacher curl is a seated elbow-flexion exercise with the upper arms supported on a pad and the handles moving through a fixed path. It mainly trains the biceps, with the other elbow and forearm flexors assisting.

Anatomical illustration of a seated lever-machine preacher curl shown with straight and bent elbows, with the front upper arms highlighted.

How do you perform a machine preacher curl?

Set up

  1. Adjust the seat so your armpits sit near the top of the pad and both upper arms rest fully against it.
  2. Select a light starting load, grip the handles underhand and keep your wrists in line with your forearms.

Execution

  1. Curl the handles toward your shoulders without lifting your upper arms from the pad.
  2. Stop before the shoulders roll forward or the machine reaches its end stop.
  3. Lower under control toward straight arms, stopping short if the bottom position is uncomfortable.

Common mistakes

  • Setting the seat too high or low

    Poor alignment can pull the shoulders off the pad or leave the handles awkward at the bottom.

  • Lifting the upper arms

    Losing pad contact removes the stable position that defines the preacher curl.

  • Letting the stack slam down

    Keeping the plates from touching preserves control through the return and avoids a sudden change in resistance.

Where it fits in a session

Usually placed after compound pulling or with other arm isolation work.

Use a load that allows a smooth bottom position without the shoulders lifting or the weight stack bouncing.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The pad fixes the upper-arm position and the machine guides the handle path; the biceps and other elbow flexors still share the work.

Variations

  • Anatomical illustration of a seated close-grip EZ-bar preacher curl shown with bent and nearly straight elbows, with the front upper arms highlighted.
    Preacher curlUses a free-weight bar on the same type of upper-arm support.
  • Anatomical illustration of a standing dumbbell biceps curl, shown in two frames side by side. On the left the man stands upright with a dumbbell in each hand at his sides, arms straight, palms turned forward. On the right both elbows are bent and both dumbbells have been curled up to shoulder height with the palms facing up. In both frames the front of each upper arm is shaded red; the forearms and the rest of the body are left in plain grey.
    Dumbbell biceps curlRemoves the pad and lets each hand follow an independent path.
  • Anatomical illustration of a woman performing a standing cable curl with a curved bar, with the front upper arms highlighted.
    Cable curlUses a cable without the machine's fixed lever path.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the machine preacher curl work?

It mainly trains the biceps brachii. The brachialis, brachioradialis and forearm flexors also assist with elbow flexion and grip.

How should you adjust a preacher curl machine?

Set the seat so your upper arms lie fully on the pad and your elbows line up comfortably with the machine's pivot and handle path.

Should you fully straighten your arms?

Lower toward straight arms under control, but stop short if the bottom position is uncomfortable or forces your shoulders away from the pad.

Is the machine better than an EZ-bar preacher curl?

Neither is universally better. The machine guides the path and changes resistance through the rep; an EZ bar gives you more control over the bar path.

Sources

  1. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Biceps Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519538/
  2. Plantz MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Brachialis Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551630/

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