10 Best Barbell Lying Preacher Curl Alternatives for No-Barbell Setups

What can you do instead of the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl? Try EZ-bar preacher curls, incline dumbbell curls, spider curls, standing cable curls, or concentration curls. Cue: pin your upper arm against the pad or bench and drive the elbow through full flexion to maximize biceps brachii short-head activation and peak contraction.

Original Exercise: Barbell Lying Preacher Curl

Barbell Lying Preacher Curl
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform Barbell Lying Preacher Curl
  1. Sit on a preacher bench with your chest against the pad and your arms extended over the edge, holding a barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the bar until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Barbell Lying Preacher Curl Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline

1. Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline

99.9% Match
Biceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie against an incline bench, with your arms holding a barbell and hanging down in a horizontal line. This will be your starting position.
  2. While keeping the upper arms stationary, curl the weight up as high as you can while squeezing the biceps. Breathe out as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Only the forearms should move. Do not swing the arms.
  3. After a second contraction, slowly go back to the starting position as you inhale. Tip: Make sure that you go all of the way down.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Barbell Preacher Curl

2. Barbell Preacher Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the pad and your chest against the support.
  2. Grasp the barbell with an underhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

3. Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the ez barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Rest your triceps on the pad and fully extend your arms, keeping your back straight.
  3. Slowly curl the barbell towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Lower the barbell back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Ez Barbell Seated Curls

4. Ez Barbell Seated Curls

99.9% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Rest your upper arms on your thighs, allowing the ez barbell to hang down in front of you.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the ez barbell upwards towards your shoulders.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell Curl

5. Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell Curl

98% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit down on a flat bench with a barbell or E-Z Bar in front of you in between your legs. Your legs should be spread with the knees bent and the feet on the floor.
  2. Use your arms to pick the barbell up and place the back of your upper arms on top of your inner thighs (around three and a half inches away from the front of the knee). A supinated grip closer than shoulder width is needed to perform this exercise. Tip: Your arm should be extended at arms length and the barbell should be above the floor. This will be your starting position.
  3. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps.
  4. Slowly begin to bring the barbell back to starting position as your breathe in. Tip: Avoid swinging motions at any time.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls

6. Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls

96% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Grab an EZ-bar using a shoulder width and palms down (pronated) grip.
  2. Now place the upper part of both arms on top of the preacher bench and have your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
  3. As you exhale, use the biceps to curl the weight up until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder height. Squeeze the biceps hard for a second at the contracted position.
  4. As you breathe in, slowly lower the barbell until your upper arms are extended and the biceps is fully stretched.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl

7. Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl

95.2% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher bench with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Grasp the ez barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Rest your upper arms on the pad, allowing your forearms to hang down.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Barbell Prone Incline Curl

8. Barbell Prone Incline Curl

92% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie face down on the bench with your chest and stomach resting against it.
  3. Hold a barbell with an underhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
  4. Extend your arms fully, allowing the barbell to hang down towards the floor.
  5. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
Ez Bar Seated Close Grip Concentration Curl

9. Ez Bar Seated Close Grip Concentration Curl

91.7% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold an EZ barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Rest your elbow on the inside of your thigh, just above the knee.
  3. Curl the barbell up towards your shoulder while keeping your upper arm stationary.
  4. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

10. Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

91.4% Match
Biceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face forward on a tall flat bench while holding a barbell with a supinated grip (palms facing up). Tip: If you are holding a barbell grab it using a shoulder-width grip and if you are using an E-Z Bar grab it on the inner handles. Your upper body should be positioned in a way that the upper chest is over the end of the bench and the barbell is hanging in front of you with the arms extended and perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  2. While keeping the elbows in and the upper arms stationary, curl the weight up in a semi-circular motion as you contract the biceps and exhale. Hold at the top of the movement for a second.
  3. As you inhale, slowly go back to the starting position. Tip: Maintain full control of the weight at all times and avoid any swinging. Remember, only the forearms should move throughout the movement.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Barbell Lying Preacher Curl Alternative

You might swap the Barbell Lying Preacher Curl because of limited equipment, wrist or elbow pain, or a need for unilateral focus. A different tool or angle alters forearm supination and shoulder position, changing biceps long- vs short-head recruitment and reducing shear at the elbow. For example, incline dumbbell curls put the long head on stretch to boost hypertrophy, while cables keep constant tension throughout the range of motion. Use the substitute that preserves elbow isolation (keep the upper arm fixed) if your goal is pure biceps loading.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, injury history, and which biceps head you want to emphasize. If you lack a barbell, EZ-bar or dumbbells preserve similar elbow torque; for tendon issues, cables reduce peak load and keep tension constant. Cue: maintain scapular retraction and keep the elbow pinned to isolate elbow flexion. Consider unilateral options (concentration or single-arm cable curls) to correct imbalances and use forearm rotation, supinate at the top, to increase biceps activation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Barbell Lying Preacher Curl work?

It primarily targets the biceps brachii (short and long heads) and loads the brachialis and brachioradialis as synergists during elbow flexion. The preacher position stabilizes the shoulder and limits shoulder extension, isolating the elbow flexors, keep the upper arm fixed on the pad to maximize biceps activation.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Lying Preacher Curl?

A strict chin-up or supinated inverted row replicates elbow flexion without equipment. Cue: maintain a vertical torso, pull through the elbows, and supinate the forearm at the top to shift more load onto the biceps brachii for stronger peak contraction.

Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Lying Preacher Curl?

Yes. Progressively load other biceps movements, dumbbell curls, cable curls, and chin-ups, while controlling tempo and range of motion. Use cues like full elbow extension and supinating at the finish to target biceps activation and drive hypertrophy.

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