10 Best Dumbbell Preacher Curl Alternatives for Equipment Limits
If you can't do a dumbbell preacher curl, use concentration curls, incline dumbbell curls, standing cable curls, barbell curls, or supinated chin-ups. For isolation, brace your elbow against your inner thigh for concentration curls; for long-head emphasis use incline curls that lengthen the biceps. Each preserves elbow flexion and isolates the biceps.
Original Exercise: Dumbbell Preacher Curl
How to Perform Dumbbell Preacher Curl
- Sit on a preacher curl bench with your upper arms resting on the pad and your chest against it.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up and your arms fully extended.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Dumbbell Preacher Curl Alternatives
1. Ez Barbell Seated Curls
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
- Hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Rest your upper arms on your thighs, allowing the ez barbell to hang down in front of you.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the ez barbell upwards towards your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
2. Dumbbell Seated Curl
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Keep your back straight and your elbows close to your torso.
- Exhale and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Dumbbell Seated Bicep Curl
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up.
- Keep your back straight and your elbows close to your torso.
- Exhale and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie against an incline bench, with your arms holding a barbell and hanging down in a horizontal line. This will be your starting position.
- 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.
- 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.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
5. Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the ez barbell with an underhand grip.
- Rest your triceps on the pad and fully extend your arms, keeping your back straight.
- Slowly curl the barbell towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
- Lower the barbell back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
6. Dumbbell Seated Preacher Curl
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a preacher curl bench with your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand with an underhand grip, resting your upper arm against the preacher pad.
- Keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
7. Dumbbell Seated Inner Biceps Curl
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up.
- Rest your upper arms on your thighs, allowing the dumbbells to hang down.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders by contracting your biceps.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Barbell Preacher Curl
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the pad and your chest against the support.
- Grasp the barbell with an underhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
9. Dumbbell Seated Biceps Curl (on Stability Ball)
97.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward and your arms fully extended.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbells while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
10. Dumbbell Preacher Curl Over Exercise Ball
96.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand with an underhand grip, resting your elbow on the exercise ball.
- Keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Preacher Curl Alternative
You may substitute preacher curls for lack of a pad, elbow or distal biceps pain from the fixed shoulder position, or a need for unilateral work and different tension profiles. The preacher bench fixes the humerus and isolates elbow flexion, which can aggravate some tendons. Alternatives like cable curls or concentration curls let you vary forearm angle and tension. Cue: perform a controlled 3–1–2 tempo (3s down, 1s pause, 2s up) and keep the upper arm still to maintain biceps activation while reducing shoulder involvement.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose based on equipment, pain, and the muscle emphasis you want. For minimal gear or rehab, use concentration curls or hammer curls to bias the brachialis and reduce stress on the biceps tendon. For constant tension pick low‑pulley cable curls and keep the wrist supinated to maximize biceps brachii recruitment. If you want lengthened long‑head activation, use incline dumbbell curls that place the shoulder into extension. Cue: select a load that makes the last two reps challenging while you keep the elbow pinned and avoid shoulder flexion or torso swing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Dumbbell Preacher Curl work?
Preacher curls primarily target the biceps brachii (both heads, with a bias toward the short head due to shoulder stabilization), plus the brachialis and brachioradialis. The pad fixes the humerus, isolating elbow flexion so peak torque occurs mid-range. Cue: keep the upper arm flat on the pad and avoid using the shoulder to lift.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Preacher Curl?
A supinated (underhand) chin-up is the best bodyweight substitute because it loads elbow flexion under high tension. Pull with the elbows driving down, pause at the top, and control the eccentric to increase biceps time under tension. If chin-ups are too hard, use inverted rows with an underhand grip to reproduce the elbow flexion pattern.
Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Preacher Curl?
Yes. You can build biceps size and strength using a mix of compound and isolation movements—barbell curls, concentration curls, incline curls, cable curls, and chin-ups—combined with progressive overload. Focus on slow eccentrics, full contractions, and strict form (cue: no swinging, keep elbow position steady) to maximize biceps activation.
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