10 Best Machine Preacher Curls Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Choose movements that isolate elbow flexion and keep the upper arm stable. Use seated dumbbell preacher-style curls, incline dumbbell curls, spider curls, EZ-bar curls on a preacher bench, or concentration curls. Emphasize slow eccentric lowering, a controlled mid-range, and a hard peak contraction to maximize biceps brachii activation.

Original Exercise: Machine Preacher Curls

Machine Preacher Curls
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Machine Preacher Curls
  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.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Best Machine Preacher Curls Alternatives

Best Match
Cable Pulldown Bicep Curl

1. 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.
Barbell Preacher Curl

2. 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.
Dumbbell Seated Bicep Curl

3. Dumbbell Seated Bicep Curl

73.7% 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

4. Dumbbell Seated Curl

73.7% 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.
Dumbbell Seated Inner Biceps Curl

5. Dumbbell Seated Inner Biceps Curl

73.7% 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

6. Ez Barbell Seated Curls

73.7% 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.
Cable Seated Curl

7. Cable Seated Curl

73.7% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a cable machine with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Grasp the cable attachment with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the cable attachment towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the cable attachment back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
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.
Cable Preacher Curl

9. Cable Preacher Curl

73.7% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the cable machine so that the preacher curl pad is at chest height.
  2. Sit on the preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the cable attachment with an underhand grip.
  3. Keep your back straight and your elbows tucked in at your sides.
  4. Slowly curl the cable attachment up towards your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement.
  5. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the cable attachment back down to the starting position.
Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

10. Ez Barbell Close Grip Preacher Curl

73.7% 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.

Why You Might Need a Machine Preacher Curls Alternative

You may need substitutes because the machine is unavailable, you travel, or the fixed path aggravates your elbows or shoulders. Machines lock your shoulder and elbow into a set trajectory, which can compress the joint for some lifters; switching to free weights or bodyweight options lets you adjust hand position and range of motion. Choose exercises that maintain elbow stabilization and emphasize isolated elbow flexion—use a preacher-style support or an incline bench to limit shoulder contribution and preserve biceps brachii loading while reducing joint stress.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your equipment, joint tolerance, and training goal. For maximum isolation, pick seated or supported variants (seated dumbbell preacher-style curl or concentration curl) that keep the humerus fixed and target the short head of the biceps. For greater overload and progressive loading choose EZ-bar or straight-bar curls with strict elbows; for unilateral imbalances use single-arm concentration curls or incline curls to emphasize peak contraction. Cue slow eccentrics, full contraction, and maintain a stable scapula to keep the biceps engaged and the shoulder from assisting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Machine Preacher Curls work?

Machine preacher curls primarily load the biceps brachii, especially the short head, while isolating elbow flexion. They also recruit the brachialis and brachioradialis to a lesser degree because the fixed upper-arm position minimizes shoulder involvement.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Machine Preacher Curls?

Use a supinated (underhand) inverted row or ring curl variation to emphasize elbow flexion with bodyweight. Keep the torso rigid, pull with the elbows toward your ribs, and squeeze the biceps at the top to replicate the preacher curl's peak contraction.

Can I build muscle without doing Machine Preacher Curls?

Yes. You can build biceps mass with progressive overload using frees weights and bodyweight exercises like EZ-bar curls, dumbbell curls, incline curls, and chin-ups. Prioritize consistent tension, controlled eccentrics, and gradual load increases to stimulate growth.

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