Drug-Free Mr. Universe and biomechanics expert Doug Brignole was against using the preacher curl for biceps mass.
His argument: Too dangerous—very easy to rip your biceps from the bone at the insertion. No thanks!
While I agree with Doug, I do use the exercise, but not the way most trainees do it. My way has a safety net: the incline bench.
When you use a dumbbell with your upper arm against an incline bench, the dumbbell stops your biceps from full extension at the bottom…
Notice that in the first photo above, his biceps is not fully extended; there’s still a slight bend at the elbow. On the other hand…
When you use a preacher bench, you can hyperextend the elbow, and if it’s your unlucky day, you may hear a popping noise. Probably not someone eating Rice Krispies in the gym.
I often sing the praises of concentration curls as my go-to biceps builder; however, the preacher curl on the incline bench provides a unique angle and slightly more resistance at elongation. That can give you variation in fiber recruitment, as explained in Old Man, Young Muscle.
Also, the sideways position can affect the inner biceps head more, like a wide-grip curl, whereas the inward-arm concentration curl emphasizes the outer head. That’s what some studies suggest anyway.
So if you use preachers, go with the one-arm dumbbell version on an incline bench to prevent elbow hyperextensions. Word on the street is that biceps reattachment surgery is not a fun experience.
Your Efficient Mass-Building Handbook: For complete mass workouts that include Speed Sets, the ideal exercise for each muscle, and the best stretch and contracted add-on moves, get your copy of Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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