The Bench-Preacher Bicep Sermon

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

You know that bench with the angled pad that looks like a church pew for your arms? That's the preacher bench, and today it's hosting a sermon on bicep isolation that'll have your arms believing in a higher power. You grab an EZ-curl bar — preferably have someone hand it to you, because reaching for it yourself on a preacher bench is like trying to pick up a pen while wearing mittens — and you position your upper arms flat against that pad with your chest pressed against it.

The bar sits at shoulder height in the starting position, your palms facing forward and tilted slightly inward thanks to the EZ bar's wavy shape. You slowly lower the bar until your arms are fully extended and your biceps are stretched to their absolute limit — this is the bottom, and it feels like your muscles are being unzipped. Then you curl the weight back up using nothing but bicep power, squeezing hard at the top like you're trying to crush a walnut between your forearm and upper arm.

The preacher bench is brilliant because it eliminates every possible cheat. You can't swing your body, you can't use momentum, and you can't recruit your back or shoulders to help. It's just you and your biceps in a very honest conversation about how strong they actually are. This isolation builds the kind of peaked, full biceps that make short-sleeve shirts feel like a personal accomplishment. Repeat for the prescribed reps and prepare to have trouble lifting your coffee mug tomorrow morning.