Everyone wants to have big, strong and well-shaped biceps. Big biceps not only make you look good, but also give you a unique type of self-confidence. To get those thick biceps muscles, one of the most effective exercises is the dumbbell preacher curl.
There are now different types of curls using different equipment and weights, but they all have one goal, which is to target the biceps and make them grow big and in a curved shape.
So, without any further delay, let me guide you.
Why Bicep Curls is Popular?
As you already know, there are different forms or types of curls, and each form of exercise is beneficial for the biceps. The way curls work is straight forward, and you can get a lot out of this particular exercise with minimal effort.
Yes, we know that if you want to gain some muscle, you need to put in a lot of effort, but the curls target the biceps muscles in such a way that even a little effort will give you good results.
Used By Celebrities
The main reason why biceps curls are so popular among weightlifters is the fact that it has been tried, tested and proven by world famous bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it will give you guaranteed results.
The reason is that it’s a concentration workout, targeting the peak head of the biceps to make them thicker and higher in a shorter period, rather than focusing on defining the muscles per se. So the goal here is somewhat different, for reasons of muscle shape.
Highly Effective
You will not find anyone who advises you to stay away from this exercise. The reason is that it is straightforward, and the steps are easy to implement.
There are many variations that can be performed through bicep curls, and one of the most popular and effective forms of curls are the preacher curls. What are preacher dumbbell curls and how do you do it properly?
Dumbbell Preacher Curl and How to Do It
Just like any other curl, Dumbbell Preacher Curls is an arm-focused move that targets the biceps muscle and helps build the peak of the biceps.
The exercise is fairly simple, you only need a pair of good dumbbells and a Preacher Bench Machine, and once you have them, you’re good to go. Let’s see how we can perform this exercise.
But before you pick up the dumbbells and hit the preacher’s bench, be sure to warm up your biceps. Warming up before any type of exercise is very important, in order to maximize the benefit of your routine and avoid any injury that may happen to your muscles, this will make the muscles ready for the routine, so it is best not to ignore this step.
Now, the correct position of your arm is the key to this exercise. As you perform the dumbbell preacher curl, be sure to pay extra attention to proper movement steps and body shape during the workout.
Only then will you be able to get the most out of it. You need to maintain constant tension throughout the movement, and most people lose their proper exercise form, which leads to failure to get effective results.
- First, be sure to adjust the appropriate height for the preacher bench. You want to adjust it according to your height, The bench should not be so high that you have to raise your shoulder while practice, and not so low that you have lower your abdomen.
- Position your arm so that the triceps muscle is approximately on the top edge of the support pad and the elbow is about halfway.
- Make sure to grip the dumbbells with an underhand grip (inward fist).
- Rest your arm by fully extending it on the support pad, this is the starting position.
- Now curl the dumbbells up in a gentle, slow rhythm as you squeeze the biceps, until you bend the biceps to face your chin. Keep it there for a second or two.
- Now slowly un-curl, by extending your arm as you move toward the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise as reps as you like, then alternate the same with the other biceps arm.
Preacher Machine Curl Types
A) Multi Purpose Machine (All in One)
In this type, you will own a multi-purpose machine for all the muscles in your body including the specific preacher machine.
This is considered a great deal and investment proposition, so you don’t need to have different equipment for each muscle.
In addition, you don’t have to worry about renewing your gym membership every time, you can start training directly at home with your own suitable time, and all your family and friends can benefit from this machine.
So you will save a huge amount of money on this machine.
Multi-Purpose Preacher Machine
B) Stand alone Biceps Preacher Machine
This is only specialized for arm biceps training, which is still a good deal, if you want to focus only on a specific upper muscle.
Standalone Preacher Machine
Help Note: In the absence of a preacher bench, you can replace it with a small home incline bench, which you can use the back of the bench to perform the exercise, which have similar impact and results.
Preacher Curl Instructions and Mistakes to avoid While Practice
There are a couple guidelines steps that you need to follow and you should keep in mind during Preacher Curl exercises, to maximize effective routine and avoid any movements mistakes:
Your Armpit should Hug the Bench
By Hugging the bench, we mean that there should be no space between the armpit and the bench.
This will help make sure that you are not using any extra force from your body, and that the dumbbells are only lifted by only the biceps throughout the curl motion.
This will make your upper arm copy the angle of the preacher bench, which is exactly what we want.
Use Proper Weight
The most common mistake people make while doing the dumbbell curl is that when they start lifting more weights, their elbow loses contact with the bench. Remember, for the perfect exercise for the dumbbell preacher, You need to keep stick the upper part of your arm to the preacher bench.
The reason is that the moment your arm is lifted off the bench, the biceps are no longer doing the work as the target of the curl is shifted to the front deltoid.
Plus, if you lift your arms off the bench, the pressure will go into your shoulders, and your shoulders won’t take as much load as your biceps can. As a result, you could be prone to a shoulder injury.
Sit low (Engage the rest of your Body)
The key here is to do all the work with your biceps, and if you succeed in doing that, nothing can stop you from getting big biceps muscles.
But when you’re doing preacher curls, it’s very tempting to move your body a little bit on the bench and start lifting the dumbbells using your shoulder. Do not do this.
Sit low by engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and abs, this will turning dumbbell workout curls into a full-body workout.
Lift Nice and Easy
Remember, always take the slow pace, and do not rush into the curl exercise, Best results are always obtained with a smooth, and constant tension motion.
Take the dumbbells down where you feel the stretch, then slowly raise the dumbbells up, without lifting your arm from the pad, in a gentle and easy way.
Benefits of Preacher Curl Machine
- Helps you perform the exercise correctly and in perfect body alignment
- The preacher machine curl helps isolate the muscles of the upper and lower arms, focusing all of the force goes into the biceps muscles you planned to develop to build required strength.
- Not only does it develop greater strength arms, but it also ensures that you avoid a higher risk of any injuries or soreness that can raise in your elbow joints.
Dumbbell Preacher Curl Alternative
Its versatility is another reason for the popularity of the curling machine among people. The versatility of this exercise helps you perform curls with almost any equipment such as the barbell, EZ bar, dumbbells, kettle bell or cable; The result will be significant, cause it cover a wide types of weights.
This is why there are so many variations in curl, momentum, intensity, and different styles.
Seated preacher curl
Barbell preacher curl
EZ bar preacher curl
Cable Preacher Curl
Preacher Curl Variations
There are several effective exercises that can be performed on the curling machine, which can hit and target the biceps and arm muscles in general:
Reverse Preacher Curl
This routine can be performed by gripping an EZ bar, barbell, or dumbbells with a pronate grip (palms outward).
Standing Preacher Curl
You need to stand with one foot forward the bench while holding the weight using the underhand grip. This is also suitable for back of incline bench.
Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl
By holding a dumbbell with a neutral grip, then curling the weights up.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we have tried to guide you as to why bicep curls are so popular among the masses, what are preacher dumbbell curls?
How do you perform and what things you should keep in mind while performing it, to avoid mistakes! And different forms of preacher curls
We hope this article was useful to you.
Stay Healthy, Stay Fit and Happy in Lifting.