Preacher Curl: Form, Machine vs Bench, and Keeping Your Arms on the Pad
To do a preacher curl, set the seat so the top of the pad sits in your armpits, lay the backs of your upper arms flat on the pad with your elbows about shoulder width apart, and curl the weight up without letting your arms or elbows leave the pad. Lower it slowly until your arms are nearly straight, without resting or bouncing at the bottom. Because the pad holds your upper arms in front of you, you cannot swing the weight up, and your biceps work hardest where they are most stretched. That is also why the pad matters: if your arms slide or your elbows drift apart, the curl loses exactly what makes it a preacher curl.
How do you do a preacher curl?
- Set the seat. Adjust it so the top of the pad sits snugly in your armpits when you lean forward.
- Lay your arms on the pad. The backs of your upper arms flat on it, from your armpits to just above your elbows.
- Take the bar. An EZ bar, a straight bar or dumbbells, with your hands about shoulder width apart.
- Curl up. Bring the weight up toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms on the pad. Stop just before your forearms are straight up and down, where the tension would drop off.
- Lower slowly. About two to three seconds, until your arms are nearly straight.
Keep your chest against the pad and your shoulders down. If you have to lift your chest or lean back to get the weight up, it is too heavy.
What is the right arm position on the preacher pad?
The pad does the work of holding your arms still, so everything depends on how you sit on it.
| Check | What it should look like | What goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Pad height | Top of the pad snug in your armpits | Too low and your shoulders lift; too high and your arms angle down |
| Upper arms | Flat on the pad, full length | Only the elbows touch, and they slide |
| Elbow width | About shoulder width | Elbows drift apart under heavy weight |
| Wrists | Straight, in line with your forearms | Bent back, which takes load off the biceps |
Elbows drifting apart is the most common problem on heavy sets. As the weight gets hard, your arms look for an easier path, and on a smooth or sweaty pad they find one.
“Absolute game changer for arm workouts. I use it all the time for preacher curls. It completely stops my elbows from moving apart under heavy weight.”
How low should you go on a preacher curl?
Lower the weight until your arms are nearly straight. The bottom of the preacher curl is where your biceps are most stretched, and it is the most useful part of the lift, so do not cut it short.
What you should avoid is dropping into the bottom and bouncing out of it. Your elbows are fully straight and under load there, and a bounce puts the stress on the joint instead of the muscle. Lower slowly, stop just short of fully straight, and curl up again without a rest.
EZ bar, straight bar or dumbbells?
- EZ bar. The angled grip turns your hands slightly in, which many lifters find easier on the wrists and elbows. The most common choice.
- Straight bar. Palms fully up, which works the biceps hard but can be uncomfortable for the wrists.
- Dumbbells. One arm at a time, or both. Each arm works on its own, and you can use the steep side of the pad for a stricter curl.
- Cable. Put the pad in front of a low cable for constant tension through the whole curl.
Start with the EZ bar if you are not sure. Change the bar every few months if you want variety.
Preacher curl machine or preacher bench?
Both train the same thing. The machine guides the path of the weight, while the bench lets you choose the bar.
- The machine is easy to set up, easy to change the weight on and easy to push close to failure. The handles move on a fixed arc, so there is less balance to think about.
- The bench lets you use an EZ bar, a straight bar or dumbbells. It feels less guided, and you control the bar path.
On the machine, the weight stack also makes drop sets easy: finish a set, drop the weight, and keep going. The PR Grip Drop Set Pins sit in the stack below your working pin, so each drop takes one pull of a lever. Here is how to run drop sets on machines.
How many sets and reps for preacher curls?
Two to four sets of 8 to 15 reps suits most lifters. The biceps are a small muscle, so a slow lowering and a full stretch matter more than heavy weight. In a push pull legs split, the preacher curl closes pull day. Add weight when all your sets reach the top of the range with the same range of motion.
Common preacher curl mistakes
- Setting the seat too low. Your shoulders lift and your arms leave the pad.
- Letting your elbows drift apart. Keep them about shoulder width apart.
- Bouncing at the bottom. Lower slowly and stop just short of straight.
- Lifting your arms off the pad to finish the rep. Stop the curl when your forearms are nearly straight up.
- Sliding on the pad. When your arms slide, the angle of the curl changes.
How do you keep your arms on the preacher pad?
Set the seat so the pad sits snugly in your armpits, and lay your full upper arm on the pad, not just the elbows. After that, it comes down to the pad itself. Preacher pads are small, often shared and often wiped with nothing but a towel. By the middle of a session, a little sweat is enough for your arms to slide.
“Even the preacher pad gets greasy by hour two. Upper arms stayed locked so I could isolate instead of chasing the pad.”
PR Grip is a double-sided grip mat. HexaTrac on one face holds the pad and the other face holds your arms, so your elbows stay where you put them. It grips through pressure, not adhesive, and fits the preacher curl as well as benches and most machines. Here is how it works on other machines where you slide.
Drape it over the pad before your first set, and your arms stay put to the last rep. When you are done, wipe it with a damp cloth and roll it back into your bag.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct form for the preacher curl?
Set the pad snug in your armpits, lay the backs of your upper arms flat on it with your elbows about shoulder width apart, and curl without lifting your arms. Lower slowly until your arms are nearly straight.
What does the preacher curl work?
Mainly the biceps, with the muscles under them helping. Because your upper arms rest on a pad in front of you, the biceps work hardest where they are most stretched.
Should you fully extend on preacher curls?
Nearly. Lower until your arms are almost straight, then curl up without resting or bouncing at the bottom.
Is the preacher curl machine better than the bench?
Neither is better for everyone. The machine is easier to set up and push close to failure. The bench lets you use an EZ bar, a straight bar or dumbbells.
Why do my elbows move on preacher curls?
Heavy weight and a smooth pad let your arms find an easier path. Set the seat so the pad sits in your armpits, keep your elbows about shoulder width apart, and put a grip layer between your arms and the pad.