The dumbbell reverse preacher curl is an isolation exercise targeting the bicep and forearms. It is performed seated on a preacher bench, with the upper arms resting on the pad and dumbbells held in an underhand grip. The movement involves curling the dumbbells upward while keeping the upper arms stationary, emphasizing the bicep and forearm muscles.
Also Works
Forearms
How to Perform
1
Sit on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the pad and your chest against the support.
2
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
3
Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbells as you contract your biceps.
4
Continue to curl the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
5
Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
6
Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
7
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Press your upper arms firmly against the preacher pad with a palms-up (underhand) grip and curl from a fully extended position.
•Control the lowering phase for 2-3 seconds to avoid jerking the tendons at the bottom of the range of motion.
•Squeeze the biceps at the top and hold for one second before lowering to maximize the peak contraction.
Common Mistakes
•Dropping the weight too fast at the bottom, which puts dangerous stress on the biceps tendon in its most vulnerable stretched position.
•Lifting the elbows off the preacher pad to cheat past the sticking point midway through the curl.
•Using too much weight for the strict preacher position, leading to half reps that miss the full stretch.