Should I curl both dumbbells together or one arm at a time?

Both build the biceps well. Curling both together saves time and keeps your torso square, while the Dumbbell Single-Arm Preacher Curl lets you focus on one side and use your free hand to steady yourself or assist a rep.

Is the dumbbell preacher curl better than the barbell or EZ bar version?

Neither is better for everyone. Dumbbells let each wrist find its own angle and make each arm lift its own weight, while the Barbell Preacher Curl and EZ Bar Preacher Curl allow heavier loads and smaller weight jumps, so pick the one your wrists and elbows tolerate and rotate between them if you like.

How far down should I lower the dumbbells?

Lower until your arms are nearly straight, under control and without forcing the elbows to lock. The bottom half matters: in an eight-week study on untrained women, the arm trained only in the lower half of a seated dumbbell preacher curl gained more full-range strength and more size near the elbow end of the biceps than the arm trained only in the upper half.

What if one arm is weaker than the other?

Choose dumbbells the weaker arm can handle for every rep and end the set when that arm can no longer complete a full, controlled rep. If the gap is large, add a few sets of the single-arm version for the weaker side.

Can I do this without a preacher bench?

You can rest your upper arms over the back of an adjustable bench set upright, keeping the same pad position and range of motion. The Dumbbell Exercise Ball Preacher Curl uses an exercise ball as the pad instead.

Dumbbell Preacher Curl

What Is the Dumbbell Preacher Curl?

Dumbbell Preacher Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps and also engages the brachialis and brachioradialis. It is a beginner-level movement performed seated at a preacher bench, with the backs of both upper arms resting on the angled pad and a dumbbell in each hand curled up together.

The pad holds the upper arms still, so the shoulders and torso cannot swing the weight up and the elbow flexors do the work. The dumbbells feel heaviest in the lower half of the rep, where the arms are nearly straight, and get easier as the forearms approach vertical. It usually appears later in an arm or pull session as strict, moderate-load work rather than as a heavy opening lift.

What sets the two-arm dumbbell version apart is that each hand moves and carries its own load. Unlike the Barbell Preacher Curl or the EZ Bar Preacher Curl, the wrists are not locked to one bar, so each palm can settle at the angle that suits it while still facing up, and a stronger arm cannot quietly take over the lift. Compared with the Dumbbell Single-Arm Preacher Curl, both arms train at once, so a set takes half the time and the torso stays square on the pad, but there is no free hand to steady the body or help a stuck rep.

The preacher position shifts some of the work from the biceps toward the brachialis and brachioradialis. A 12-week study in untrained adults that trained one arm with dumbbell preacher curls and the other with incline dumbbell curls found the preacher arm grew more in the brachialis and brachioradialis, the incline arm grew more in the biceps, and total elbow flexor growth was similar. Turning the palms to face each other makes it the Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl, and turning them down makes it the Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl, both of which move more of the load onto the brachioradialis.

The exercise suits beginners learning a strict curl as well as experienced lifters adding arm volume. Anyone without a preacher bench, or whose elbows dislike the stretched bottom position, can build up with the standing Dumbbell Curl or a Machine Bicep Curl first.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Brachii: Primary
Brachialis: High
Brachioradialis: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Low

Instructions

Set the seat so your armpits rest against the top edge of the pad when you sit, with your feet flat on the floor.
Sit holding a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip and lay the backs of both upper arms flat on the pad, about shoulder-width apart.
Lean your chest lightly against the pad and keep your shoulders down.
Start with both arms nearly straight, palms facing up and wrists in line with your forearms.
Curl both dumbbells up together, keeping your upper arms and elbows on the pad.
Stop when your forearms are close to vertical and briefly squeeze your biceps.
Lower both dumbbells slowly until your arms are nearly straight again, without letting them drop or bounce at the bottom.
Repeat for your target reps, then lift your arms off the pad and set the dumbbells down safely.

Common Mistakes

Lifting the elbows off the pad
Letting the elbows rise as you curl brings the shoulders into the lift and takes tension off the biceps.
Dropping into the bottom
Letting the dumbbells fall or bounce at the bottom loads the elbow and biceps tendon at their most stretched point.
Stopping short of the bottom
Turning around halfway down skips the lower half of the range, where the dumbbells are hardest to lift.
Bending the wrists back
Letting the wrists fold back under the dumbbells strains the wrist and lets the forearms take load meant for the biceps.
Letting one arm lag
Allowing the weaker arm to fall behind or shorten its range hides a strength difference instead of training it.
Setting the seat at the wrong height
A seat that is too low makes you shrug to reach the pad, and one that is too high leaves you hunched over it.

Injuries

Dumbbell Preacher Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The front of the elbow and the distal biceps tendon take the most stress at the bottom of each rep, where the arms are nearly straight and the palms face up, especially when the dumbbells drop or bounce into that position or the load is too heavy. The wrists can ache if they bend back under the weight, and pressing the armpits hard into the top of the pad can irritate the front of the shoulder.

Lower both dumbbells over two to three seconds, stop just short of forcing the elbows straight, keep the wrists in line with the forearms and choose a weight you can control through the whole range. Because both hands are busy, there is no free hand to help a stuck rep, so end each set while both arms can still lower the dumbbells smoothly.

If the bottom position bothers your elbows, use lighter dumbbells, stop a little short of full extension for a few weeks, or switch to the Dumbbell Single-Arm Preacher Curl, where the free hand can steady you or assist a rep. The standing Dumbbell Curl puts less stretch on the elbow if the preacher position is still uncomfortable. Progress in small weight steps once every rep is controlled, or slow the lowering phase before adding load.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain or a pop at the front of the elbow, or sudden weakness when turning the palm up. See a medical professional if that pain lingers or if bruising or a change in the shape of the biceps follows.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Dumbbell and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Dumbbell Preacher Curl

The Dumbbell Preacher Curl is also known as:

Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should I curl both dumbbells together or one arm at a time?: Both build the biceps well. Curling both together saves time and keeps your torso square, while the Dumbbell Single-Arm Preacher Curl lets you focus on one side and use your free hand to steady yourself or assist a rep.
Q: Is the dumbbell preacher curl better than the barbell or EZ bar version?: Neither is better for everyone. Dumbbells let each wrist find its own angle and make each arm lift its own weight, while the Barbell Preacher Curl and EZ Bar Preacher Curl allow heavier loads and smaller weight jumps, so pick the one your wrists and elbows tolerate and rotate between them if you like.
Q: How far down should I lower the dumbbells?: Lower until your arms are nearly straight, under control and without forcing the elbows to lock. The bottom half matters: in an eight-week study on untrained women, the arm trained only in the lower half of a seated dumbbell preacher curl gained more full-range strength and more size near the elbow end of the biceps than the arm trained only in the upper half.
Q: What if one arm is weaker than the other?: Choose dumbbells the weaker arm can handle for every rep and end the set when that arm can no longer complete a full, controlled rep. If the gap is large, add a few sets of the single-arm version for the weaker side.
Q: Can I do this without a preacher bench?: You can rest your upper arms over the back of an adjustable bench set upright, keeping the same pad position and range of motion. The Dumbbell Exercise Ball Preacher Curl uses an exercise ball as the pad instead.