Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Trains the Biceps, Brachialis and Brachioradialis.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and a preacher bench
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Set a preacher bench so the top of the pad sits under your armpits.
- Rest one upper arm flat along the pad and hold a dumbbell in a neutral grip, palm facing inward.
- Start with the arm almost straight against the pad.
- Curl the dumbbell up, keeping the palm facing inward the whole way.
- Stop when the forearm is roughly vertical.
- Lower under control until the arm is almost straight again, then finish the side before swapping.
Common mistakes
- Letting the palm rotate upward during the curl. The neutral grip is what puts the biceps at a disadvantage and gives the brachialis and brachioradialis the larger share; rotating the hand hands the work straight back.
- Snapping the arm straight at the bottom. On a preacher pad the bottom is the hardest position and the elbow has nowhere to escape to, so the descent is controlled and stopped just short of lockout.
- Lifting the upper arm off the pad to finish. The pad exists to fix the upper arm, and coming off it is the same cheat as elbows drifting forward on a standing curl.
- Setting the pad too low. If the armpit is above the top of the pad, the shoulder is unsupported and the movement drifts back toward a standing curl.