Benefits Of The EZ Bar Preacher Curl For Building Your Biceps

If you are trying to put some size on your guns or you just want to have firmer upper arms, bicep training cannot be ignored. The biceps are a muscle that is very closely associated with a strong and eye-pleasing physique.

In fact, well-built biceps can be a clear indicator of somebody that lifts weights and cares about the appearance of their body. Therefore, bicep training has become an important and much-loved part of the gym routine.

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As with most body parts, there is a seemingly endless number of exercise options to choose from that target your biceps. It is important to include a variety of exercises so you can work different angles and provide your biceps with varied stimuli.

For this article, I want to cover the benefits of the EZ bar preacher curl and show you how to perform one properly for better bicep growth.

The Benefits Of An EZ Bar Preacher Curl

In general, there are actually 2 main factors that contribute to making the EZ bar preacher curl a great exercise. One factor is the use of the EZ bar itself, the other is the use of the preacher curl bench; EZ bar curls and preacher curl variations are great on their own but when combined, they can bring even more advantages.

I will begin with the use of the EZ bar itself. The obvious difference between the EZ bar and a straight bar is the angle at which your hands are placed during a curl.

During an EZ bar curl, your hands are angled inwards slightly. Now, there can be a slight trade-off here in terms of bicep activation.

What I mean is that the hands being angled inwards may lead to a very slight decrease in overall bicep activation compared to the fully supinated position of a straight bar curl. However, the more comfortable position of an angled wrist may mean you are able to perform more reps with more weight and reduce the risk of developing wrist or elbow problems.

So, you will have to weigh it up for yourself: do you opt for the straight bar and slightly more bicep activation but higher risk of injury and elbow/wrist issues? Or do you go for the EZ bar, which might not hit your biceps quite as hard but is likely to be much more comfortable and less likely to result in those overuse pains or injuries?

Advantages Of The Preacher Curl

A bicep curl is supposed to be an isolation exercise. Unfortunately, it is all too common for gym-goers to use momentum and surrounding muscles as they curl in an effort to lift heavier weights.

The EZ curl bench is an excellent way to make sure you truly are isolating and putting your focus on working your biceps only. Keeping your upper arms planted firmly against the pad means that you are not able to use your body for momentum to get the curl started.

It also means that you have to complete the entire curl with your biceps and cannot finish it by recruiting your anterior deltoid muscles, which often happens during a standing curl. If you have ever finished what you thought was a hard bicep workout but noticed that your biceps felt absolutely fine the day after, you were probably using other muscles to help out.

The preacher curl bench eliminates this problem completely; you have no choice but to use your biceps to curl the weight up.

How To Perform An EZ Bar Preacher Curl

Here is the step-by-step guide and some handy tips to help you get the most out of the EZ bar preacher curl:

1. Set the preacher curl bench so that the pad is supporting your upper arms and your armpits are resting above the top edge of the pad.
2. Grip the EZ curl bar with a supinated (palms facing the ceiling), shoulder width grip
3. . Keeping your shoulder blades back and down, curl the bar towards you by bending your elbows. Be sure to keep your upper arms flat against the pad and curl the bar until the gap between your forearm and upper arm is closed.
4. Lower the bar all the way back to a straight-arm position and repeat.