5 EZ Bar Close-Grip Preacher Curl Alternatives for Home & Gym

What can I do instead of EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl? Use Dumbbell Preacher Curls, Cable Preacher Curls, Seated Preacher Machine, Incline Dumbbell Curls, or Concentration Curls. Keep your upper arm pinned to the pad, pause at peak contraction, and fully supinate the wrist to maintain biceps brachii activation and effective elbow flexion mechanics.

Original Exercise: EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Ez-barbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl
  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.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Seated Bicep Curl

1. Dumbbell Seated Bicep Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up.
  2. Keep your back straight and your elbows close to your torso.
  3. Exhale and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Seated Curl

2. Dumbbell Seated Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
  2. Keep your back straight and your elbows close to your torso.
  3. Exhale and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline

3. 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.
Dumbbell Seated Preacher Curl

4. Dumbbell Seated Preacher Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher curl bench with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with an underhand grip, resting your upper arm against the preacher pad.
  3. Keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Barbell Preacher Curl

5. 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.
Dumbbell Seated Inner Biceps Curl

6. Dumbbell Seated Inner Biceps Curl

99.9% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up.
  2. Rest your upper arms on your thighs, allowing the dumbbells to hang down.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders by contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ez Barbell Seated Curls

7. 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.
Dumbbell Preacher Curl

8. Dumbbell Preacher Curl

98.7% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a preacher curl bench with your upper arms resting on the pad and your chest against it.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Dumbbell Seated Biceps Curl (on Stability Ball)

9. Dumbbell Seated Biceps Curl (on Stability Ball)

97.7% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbells while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl

10. Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl

96% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate 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. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbells as you contract your biceps.
  4. Continue to curl the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.

Why You Might Need a EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl Alternative

You may need substitutes because of wrist or elbow discomfort from the EZ bar’s fixed angled grip, lack of an EZ bar, or a desire to vary head emphasis for hypertrophy. A dumbbell or machine variation reduces wrist torque and lets you rotate the forearm to optimize supination and peak biceps tension. Cables provide constant tension through the range, increasing time under tension for the short and long heads. Incline or concentration curls change shoulder angle to bias the long head or improve unilateral control, which helps correct strength imbalances while preserving isolated elbow flexion mechanics.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Decide based on equipment, pain history, and the muscle region you want to bias. If wrists hurt, choose dumbbells and use a neutral or slightly supinated grip; keep the elbow supported on the pad to isolate elbow flexors. If you want constant tension, use cable preacher curls and perform a 2–3 second eccentric while keeping the elbow fixed. For long-head emphasis pick incline dumbbell curls with the bench at 30–45° and allow a full stretch at the bottom. For unilateral control pick concentration curls and brace the elbow on your thigh to prevent shoulder involvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl work?

The movement primarily targets the biceps brachii (both heads), with secondary work from the brachialis and brachioradialis. It emphasizes elbow flexion and supination while the preacher pad limits shoulder extension, increasing isolated biceps loading.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl?

A close underhand chin-up is the top bodyweight substitute because it combines elbow flexion and forearm supination under load. Perform slow 3–4 second eccentrics and squeeze at full elbow flexion to maximize biceps activation.

Can I build muscle without doing EZ Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl?

Yes. You can achieve equivalent hypertrophy with dumbbell preacher curls, cable curls, machine preacher work, and compound pulls like chin-ups when you progressively overload. Focus on full range of motion, controlled eccentrics, and incremental loading to stimulate biceps growth.

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