IThe preacher curl is a fantastic biceps builder, but it isn’t always an option. Maybe your gym’s preacher bench is always taken, maybe you train at home without one, or maybe heavy preacher curls bother your elbows. Whatever the reason, the good news is that plenty of other exercises deliver the same strict, muscle-building biceps stimulus, some of them arguably even better.
Here’s a complete guide to the best preacher curl alternatives, what each one does, and how to choose the right ones for you.
This article is informational and not a substitute for individual medical or training advice.
Why Look for Preacher Curl Alternatives?
There are several good reasons to swap out the preacher curl:
- No preacher bench. Many home gyms, and even some commercial ones, don’t have a preacher station.
- Elbow comfort. Heavy preacher curls can strain the elbows for some people, so a gentler alternative may suit you better.
- Variety and progress. Rotating your biceps exercises keeps training fresh and helps you break through plateaus.
- Targeting the biceps differently. Some alternatives hit the biceps from angles the preacher curl can’t.
Whatever your reason, you can absolutely build impressive biceps without a preacher bench. For a full breakdown of the preacher curl itself and how it works, see our guide on the benefits of preacher curls.
What Makes a Good Preacher Curl Alternative?
The preacher curl works so well because the pad braces your upper arms, eliminating momentum and forcing your biceps to do the work in strict isolation. Its forward-arm position also loads the short (inner) head of the biceps particularly hard.
A good alternative should therefore do at least one of the following: isolate the biceps by minimizing swinging and shoulder involvement, provide a full range of motion, and, ideally, add a stretch. The best options replicate that strict, cheat-free stimulus, while some usefully target the biceps from a different angle.
The 10 Best Preacher Curl Alternatives
1. Incline Dumbbell Curls:
One of the best alternatives of all. Lying back on an incline bench lets your arms hang straight down behind your torso, which puts the biceps, especially the long (outer) head, under a deep stretch that promotes growth. The position also prevents swinging, keeping the movement strict.
Set a bench to around 45 to 60 degrees, let your arms hang, and curl the dumbbells up with control. While preacher curls emphasize the short head, incline curls emphasize the long head, making them a brilliant complement.
2. Concentration Curls
Perhaps the closest match to the preacher curl in feel. Sitting down and bracing your upper arm against the inside of your thigh completely isolates the biceps and eliminates cheating, much like a preacher pad does. Concentration curls are superb for building the biceps peak and developing a strong mind-muscle connection. All you need is a dumbbell and something to sit on, making them a perfect home option.
3. Spider Curls
If your gym has an incline bench but no preacher station, this is the swap to make. Lying face down on an incline bench places your arms in almost exactly the same hanging position that a preacher pad creates, locking out shoulder swing and hammering the biceps, particularly the short head. It’s one of the strictest curls you can do and a near-direct substitute for the preacher curl.
4. Dumbbell Preacher Curls
An obvious but useful point: you can perform preacher curls with dumbbells instead of a barbell, or one arm at a time. Single-arm dumbbell work is excellent for correcting strength imbalances between your arms, and dumbbells allow a slightly more natural wrist position. If you have any kind of angled bench to brace against, you can approximate the movement.
5. Cable Curls
Cables provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion, which the barbell preacher curl lacks at the top. This makes cable curls fantastic for keeping the biceps under continuous load, and the smooth resistance is easy on the joints and beginner-friendly. Stand facing a low pulley and curl the handle or bar toward your shoulders with strict form.
6. Standing Barbell Curls
The classic biceps mass-builder. While standing curls allow a little more momentum than a preacher curl, they let you lift heavier and move through a full range of motion, driving overall biceps size. The key is to keep your form strict, pin your elbows to your sides and avoid swinging your body, so the biceps do the work.
7. Hammer Curls
Performed with a neutral grip (palms facing each other), hammer curls shift emphasis onto the brachialis, the muscle beneath the biceps, and the brachioradialis in the forearm. They’re not a like-for-like biceps substitute, but by building the brachialis, they add serious thickness to your upper arm and create the appearance of bigger arms, so they’re a valuable addition to any arm routine.
8. Zottman Curls
A clever two-in-one exercise: you curl up with your palms facing up (supinated) to work the biceps, then rotate and lower with your palms facing down (pronated) to work the forearms. Zottman curls build both the biceps and the forearms in a single movement, making them efficient and great for well-rounded arm development.
9. Wall (Strict) Curls
One of the strictest curls you can do. Standing with your back and elbows pressed against a wall while curling restricts momentum and keeps your elbows from drifting forward, mimicking the strict isolation of a preacher curl. It’s humbling, you’ll use less weight than you expect, but it forces excellent form and pure biceps engagement. No equipment beyond a wall and some weight required.
10. Resistance Band Curls
For home training or when travelling, resistance bands are a brilliant, joint-friendly way to train the biceps. Anchoring a band under your feet and curling provides smooth, constant tension and lets you replicate curling movements anywhere. They’re a genuinely effective, affordable option that many people overlook.
Which Alternative Should You Choose?
- Closest to the preacher curl: spider curls and concentration curls best replicate its strict isolation.
- For a bigger stretch and the long head: incline dumbbell curls.
- For constant tension: cable curls.
- For building overall mass: standing barbell curls.
- For arm thickness: hammer curls (via the brachialis).
- For training at home: concentration curls, wall curls, and resistance band curls need little or no equipment.
You don’t have to pick just one, rotating a couple of these keeps your biceps training varied and complete.
How to Keep Any Curl Strict
The magic of the preacher curl is its strictness, so whichever alternative you choose, apply these principles to get the same benefit:
- Don’t swing. Keep your body still and avoid using momentum to heave the weight.
- Fix your elbows. Keep your upper arms and elbows pinned in place so the movement comes only from the elbow joint.
- Control the lowering phase. Lower the weight slowly, a three to four second eccentric massively increases the stimulus.
- Use a full range of motion. Fully stretch at the bottom and squeeze at the top of every rep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best preacher curl alternative? Spider curls and concentration curls are the closest substitutes, replicating the preacher curl’s strict isolation. Incline dumbbell curls are also excellent, adding a deep stretch that targets the long head of the biceps.
Can you do preacher curls without a bench? Yes. Concentration curls, wall curls, and resistance band curls all replicate the preacher curl’s strict, cheat-free stimulus without any special equipment, making them ideal for home training.
Are incline curls better than preacher curls? Neither is simply better, they emphasise different areas. Preacher curls load the short (inner) head of the biceps, while incline curls stretch and target the long (outer) head. Using both gives you more complete biceps development.
Do hammer curls work the same muscles as preacher curls? Not exactly. Hammer curls target the brachialis and forearms more than the biceps themselves, so they’re not a like-for-like substitute. They’re still excellent for building overall arm size and thickness.
How do I build biceps without a preacher curl bench? Combine strict curl variations like concentration, incline, and spider curls with compound pulling exercises like chin-ups, and focus on strict form and progressive overload. You can build great biceps with dumbbells, cables, or bands alone.
The Bottom Line
The preacher curl is a great exercise, but it’s far from essential. Whether you lack a preacher bench, want to spare your elbows, or simply fancy some variety, alternatives like incline dumbbell curls, concentration curls, and spider curls deliver the same strict, biceps-building stimulus, sometimes with added benefits like a deeper stretch or constant tension.
Choose the alternatives that suit your equipment and goals, keep every rep strict and controlled, apply progressive overload over time, and pair them with compound pulls like chin-ups for complete arm development. Do that, and your biceps will keep growing, preacher bench or not.
