10 Best Machine Bicep Curl Alternatives for Limited Equipment

What can you do instead of Machine Bicep Curl? Use dumbbell concentration curls, standing barbell curls, cable curls, hammer curls, or chin-ups to reproduce isolated elbow flexion. For concentration curls, brace your elbow against your inner thigh and perform full supination to emphasize the biceps short head and maximize peak contraction.

Original Exercise: Machine Bicep Curl

Machine Bicep Curl
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Machine Bicep Curl
  1. Adjust the seat to the appropriate height and make your weight selection. Place your upper arms against the pads and grasp the handles. This will be your starting position.
  2. Perform the movement by flexing the elbow, pulling your lower arm towards your upper arm.
  3. Pause at the top of the movement, and then slowly return the weight to the starting position.
  4. Avoid returning the weight all the way to the stops until the set is complete to keep tension on the muscles being worked.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Ranked Machine Bicep Curl Alternatives

Best Match
Machine Preacher Curls

1. Machine Preacher Curls

99.9% Match
Biceps Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit down on the Preacher Curl Machine and select the weight.
  2. Place the back of your upper arms (your triceps) on the preacher pad provided and grab the handles using an underhand grip (palms facing up). Tip: Make sure that when you place the arms on the pad you keep the elbows in. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now lift the handles as you exhale and you contract the biceps. At the top of the position make sure that you hold the contraction for a second. Tip: Only the forearms should move. The upper arms should remain stationary and on the pad at all times.
  4. Lower the handles slowly back to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Smith Machine Bicep Curl

2. Smith Machine Bicep Curl

92% Match
Biceps Smith-machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the height of the smith machine bar to be at waist level.
  2. Stand facing the smith machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary.
  5. Exhale and curl the bar up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
Cable Pulldown Bicep Curl

3. Cable Pulldown Bicep Curl

88.1% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a straight bar to the cable machine at the highest setting.
  2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary.
  5. Exhale and slowly curl the bar down towards your thighs, keeping your wrists straight.
Lever Bicep Curl

4. Lever Bicep Curl

85% Match
Biceps Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your back against the pad.
  2. Grasp the handles with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and keep your elbows close to your sides.
  3. Exhale and curl the handles upward, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the handles back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Lever Preacher Curl

5. Lever Preacher Curl

85% Match
Biceps Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the leverage machine.
  2. Place your upper arms on the pad and grip the handles with an underhand grip.
  3. Keep your back straight and your elbows positioned on the pad.
  4. Exhale and curl your forearms towards your upper arms, contracting your biceps.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High Pulley

6. Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High Pulley

80.7% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Place a flat bench in front of a high pulley or lat pulldown machine.
  2. Hold the straight bar attachment using an underhand grip (palms up) that is about shoulder width.
  3. Lie on your back with your head over the end of the bench.
  4. Now extend your arms straight above your shoulders. Your torso and your arms should make a 90-degree angle and the elbows should be in. This will be your starting position.
  5. As you breathe out, curl the bar down in a semicircular motion until it touches your chin. Squeeze the biceps for a second at the top contracted position. Tip: As you execute this motion only the forearms should move. At no time should the upper arms be moving at all. They are to remain perpendicular throughout the movement.
Resistance Band Seated Biceps Curl

7. Resistance Band Seated Biceps Curl

74.2% Match
Biceps Band Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a chair or bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold the resistance band with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and arms extended down by your sides.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the resistance band up towards your shoulders.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the resistance band back to the starting position.
Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline

8. Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline

73.7% 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 Lying Preacher Curl

9. Barbell Lying Preacher Curl

73.7% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Barbell Preacher Curl

10. Barbell Preacher Curl

73.7% 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.

Why You Might Need a Machine Bicep Curl Alternative

You might substitute a Machine Bicep Curl when the machine is unavailable, you feel joint pain, or you want different loading and carryover. Machines fix the path, which isolates the elbow flexors; free weights and cables force stabilizers to engage and increase functional strength. If you have elbow irritation, choose hammer curls with a neutral wrist to shift load to the brachialis and reduce biceps tendon stress. If you lack equipment, chin-ups or supinated bodyweight rows produce high biceps activation while also recruiting the lats and scapular stabilizers. Pick substitutes that match your pain profile and training goal.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, pain history, and training aim. For pure isolation and size, use a cable curl with slow eccentrics and keep your elbow pinned to the side to focus load on the biceps brachii. If you want unilateral correction, choose dumbbell concentration or incline curls and prioritize full supination at the top to increase long-head tension. For tendon issues or limited grip, use hammer curls to load the brachialis with a neutral wrist. Always assess range of motion, ability to progressively overload, and whether the movement requires additional stabilizer recruitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Machine Bicep Curl work?

The Machine Bicep Curl primarily targets the biceps brachii (both long and short heads) via elbow flexion and forearm supination. It also involves secondary movers like the brachialis and brachioradialis, with minimal demand on scapular stabilizers because the machine constrains the movement path.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Machine Bicep Curl?

A supinated-grip chin-up is the best bodyweight alternative: pull your torso to the bar with elbows driving down and back, and pause with the chin over the bar to maximize biceps contraction. If a full chin-up is too hard, use inverted rows with an underhand grip and pull to chest level while keeping the body rigid.

Can I build muscle without doing Machine Bicep Curl?

Yes. You can build biceps size using progressive overload with dumbbells, barbells, cables, or bodyweight pulls while emphasizing full range of motion and controlled eccentrics. Prioritize exercises that allow you to increase load or volume over time and use technique cues, pin the elbow, fully supinate, and control the descent, to maximize muscle activation.

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