Arms · Barbell
Barbell Preacher Curl
How to do the barbell preacher curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit at a preacher bench and rest the backs of your upper arms on the pad, gripping a barbell with palms up. Curl the bar toward your shoulders by squeezing your biceps, then lower it slowly until your arms are almost fully extended.
- 1An isolated biceps contraction at the top
- 2A controlled stretch at the bottom without losing tension
- 3Upper arms staying pinned to the pad
Common mistakes
- Lifting your elbows off the pad
- Cutting the range short at the bottom
- Bouncing out of the stretched position
Muscles worked
The barbell preacher curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell preacher curl for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More biceps exercises
- How to do the resistance band bicep curl
- How to do the resistance band hammer curl
- How to do the barbell bicep curl
- How to do the cable bicep curl
- How to do the cable hammer curl
- How to do the overhead bicep curl
Last reviewed June 2026.