The EZ bar preacher curl is a great exercise that focuses on your biceps and helps you achieve a good squeeze.
Many gym enthusiasts feel demotivated after months of hard work without seeing significant gains in their biceps.
But with the ideal curl bar exercise, the EZ bar preacher curl, you can change that outcome.
Staying excited and motivated each day is crucial because when you enjoy your routine, it’s more likely to become a lasting habit.
Are you ready to learn the secrets of the EZ bar preacher curl and master it to get massive biceps?
Are Preacher Curls Good for Biceps?
Preacher curls have been around for decades.
You have probably seen your favorite fitness influencer crushing Ez bar preacher curls with perfect form.
Overall, the Ez bar preacher curl is an effective muscle-building exercise that crates definition in your biceps and forearms.
Ez Bar Preacher Curl Benefits
The EZ bar preacher curl is a great way to grow your arms. The benefits you should know that play into this include:
Prevention of Elbow Injury
The elbow is a sensitive joint that can be easily dislocated or strained if negative pressure is placed on it.
The bench of the EZ bar preacher curl is crafted in a way so that the elbow doesn’t need to move much because of the armpit’s position, which allows for greater movement and better flexibility in your arm.
Given these benefits, it’s safe to assume that the EZ bar preacher curl is an ideal exercise for protecting your elbows while effectively working your biceps.
Lessen the Risk of Cheating
Whenever there is equipment that is used to lower the overall body movement, the risk of cheating decreases.
While it is true that the preacher curl is ideal for beginner lifters because the seated position of the exercise helps you use fewer muscles in your body, there is still a chance of cheating if your form is not proper, which could compromise the entire movement.
Aside from that, you can perform the preacher curl to your advantage if you follow the basic techniques and execute it properly.
Ez Bar Preacher Curl Muscles Work
You can perform many exercises, but few will stress your biceps as effectively as the EZ bar preacher curl.
The preacher bench and pad position put pressure on your muscles from left to right.
The biceps brachii is the primary muscle group engaged among the stressed muscles.
The biceps brachii are composed of the short head (inner head) and long head (outer head).
Many exercises don’t target both of these heads as their primary focus, but the preacher curl does.
The second set of muscles that engage during the EZ bar preacher curl is the brachialis and brachioradialis, which are connected to your elbow flexor.
The muscle engagement might vary if you try different grip positions.
Growing these muscles can significantly increase your biceps size and overall arm size.
How to Do Ez Bar Preacher Curl
Equipment: Ez bar, Preacher Bench
Grip: Shoulder Width Apart w/ Supinated Grip
Primary Muscle Work: Biceps Brachii
How to Do
- Grab an EZ bar and position your legs properly for stability.
- Maintain a strong back and avoid letting your shoulders slump forward. Keep your shoulders up and engage your lats slightly.
- Maintain tension in your rhomboids during the curl. Stop just short of reaching a perpendicular position when curling up.
- Squeeze hard on your biceps just before reaching the top of the curl. Lower the bar down in a controlled manner.
Pro Tips
- Use an EZ bar so your hands are bent inwards and you don’t have too much stress placed on your biceps tendon, elbows, and wrists.
- For more bicep peak definition, try a close grip instead of a wide grip.
- Make sure your arms are not dangling.
- Avoid bouncing the weight at the top.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Making mistakes when exercising is common especially when your beginner.
It’s completely fine to make mistakes. But avoiding these mistakes will help you in the long run.
Have Right Height
What I mean by having the right height is making sure your preacher curl bench is adjusted so that your upper arms rest comfortably on the pad.
If your armpits are not placed on the top of the pad then clearly the pads are too high.
Make sure your armpits are placed in proper form.
Choosing the Right Weight
A lot of folks when performing preacher curl choose the wrong weight, which leads them to arm injuries.
Choosing the right weight is important for every type of bicep exercise.
If you are someone who likes to jump straight to the heavyweights with preacher curls, hold your horses!
I know we all want to curl heavy weight, I used to think that the more weight I curled the faster my biceps would grow.
NO! You can’t change your body’s nature.
Instead of choosing an 80 lb start-up with something like 30 to 35 lb, and keep increasing as you get used to your current weight.
Maintaining Proper Form
Maintaining proper form during the EZ bar preacher curl is crucial for maximizing effectiveness and minimizing the risk of injury.
One common mistake is improper elbow placement.
It’s essential to keep your elbows stable and avoid excessive movement throughout the exercise. This ensures that your biceps, rather than momentum, are doing the work.
Secondly, grip width can affect muscle engagement.
Using too narrow or wide a grip may shift the emphasis away from the biceps, compromising the exercise’s effectiveness.
Lastly, avoid leaning back excessively during the lift, as this reduces tension on the biceps and shifts it to other muscles.
Keeping these points in mind will help you perform the EZ bar preacher curl correctly, promoting better results and reducing the risk of strain or discomfort.
Alternatives
Ez Bar Curl
The EZ bar curl is an effective movement to work your biceps brachii long and short head.
The movement of this exercise sets it apart from other biceps exercises.
The simple standard movement, which only requires tall posture to pump those guns.
Additionally, this exercise works the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, which can also help you increase the size of your arm.
Barbell Concentration Curl
The barbell concentration curl is a less effort-intensive exercise that effectively promotes biceps growth.
The bench used during this exercise helps you bend your upper body slightly to perform the curl.
This position contributes to the body’s movement, as you primarily use your upper body to lift the bar.
The posture of your body mimics the extreme isolation effect provided by the EZ bar preacher curl.
The barbell concentration curl is excellent for isolating your biceps and enhancing your upper-body strength.
Variations
- Close-Grip EZ Bar Preacher Curl
- Dumbbell Preacher Curl
Close-Grip EZ Bar Preacher Curl
When finding the perfect variation, we tend to look for different hand positions as they can change the entire muscle engagement of the exercise.
The same goes for the close grip EZ bar preacher curl.
The slight change in hand position activates your biceps from a different angle and also engages your forearm.
One thing to remember is that heavy weights shouldn’t be added unless you are progressively overloading.
Dumbbell Preacher Curl
The dumbbell preacher curl offers more independent movement, allowing you to address muscle imbalances.
Using dumbbells helps ensure that your weaker arm works equally, preventing your stronger arm from taking over.
The muscle work is the same as the EZ bar preacher curl, targeting your biceps and forearms.
You can also change your hand position to target your arms differently.
Including dumbbell preacher curls in your routine can help improve muscle balance and overall arm strength.
Featured image by Getty Images edited by SA
