Preacher Curls vs Concentration Curls – Which is Better?

Preacher curls vs concentration curls – which is the better biceps exercise?

Consider this fact: According to one study, produced by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the concentration curl significantly outperformed seven other common biceps exercises (including the preacher curl) in terms of muscle activation of the biceps brachii, as measured through Electromyography (EMG) tests. The preacher curl had the lowest muscle activation of any of the exercises.

So, concentration curls are better then, right?

Well, it turns out it’s not so simple. The preacher curl has some unique benefits of its own, and we’re going to explore how those benefits stack up against the concentration curl right now.

Preacher Curls: Benefits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIWP-FRFNU0

Effective Dumbbell, Barbell, and EZ Bar Variations

Now, there is a barbell variation of the concentration curl. But, I don’t think it’s a good exercise. It’s quite uncomfortable, having to bend over and support a barbell while curling. And, the research that’s been done on concentration curls have been done with a dumbbell. So we’ll stick with that.

But, the preacher curl is classically done with a barbell. And it works well. You can use an EZ curl bar or a straight bar.

Preacher curls with dumbbells are my favorite. I like to focus on one arm at a time and get a better stretch in the biceps. Using dumbbells helps me further isolate the biceps.

Heavier Loads = More Progression

Perhaps the most significant benefit of the preacher curl is the amount of weight lifted. Most people can lift significantly more on the preacher curl than the concentration curl.

What this means is concentration curls are limited in terms of long-term progression. If the maximum weight you will ever be able to concentration curl (with good form) is 50-pound dumbbells for 10 reps, then you are necessarily limited in the amount of progress you can make. And that’s not an unrealistic number for most people.

Progressive overload is the name of the game when it comes to strength and size gains.

It’s true, there are other ways to achieve progressive overload outside of increasing the weight or reps. But, all of these other ways have quicker diminishing returns. I’ve talked about this elsewhere. You can only lower rest time in between sets, increase sets, or increase time under tension so much until you reach that point of diminishing returns. And, this usually happens sooner rather than later.

Not so with increasing weight and reps. You can consistently do this for years, so long as you aren’t trying to make big jumps. One small step at a time.

Easier to Maintain Form

It’s pretty hard to screw up your form on a preacher curl. I mean the preacher bench is there to hold your arms in place. There are some technical aspects to it, but for the most part, all you have to do is curl the weight up!

The concentration curl is much more difficult to maintain proper form. Especially if you do the (somewhat) silly standing version. Even the seated version is easier to screw up than a preacher curl. Getting the angle right is essential (and you’ll see how to do it properly in the video below).

Concentration Curls: Benefits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KySC0rUgpQ

Higher Biceps Brachii Muscle Activation

Let’s go back to that study sponsored by ACE. In the study, 16 healthy male and female volunteers with weightlifting experience were chosen. A 1rm (one rep maximum) was established for these eight biceps exercises:

1. Barbell Curl
2. Cable Curl
3. Concentration Curl
4. Preacher Curl
5. Chin-up
6. Wide Grip EZ Bar Curl
7. Narrow Grip EZ Bar Curl
8. Incline Dumbbell Curl

The volunteers had electrodes fixed to the biceps brachii, Anterior Deltoid, and brachioradialis to measure EMG activity. Cable curls were performed first, and then four more biceps exercises were assigned randomly. The next day of testing, each volunteer completed the remaining biceps exercises.

The results were as follows:

As we can see, the concentration curl had the highest percentage of muscle activation of the biceps brachii. By a longshot.

And the preacher curl had the lowest.

Whether or not the difference is significant enough to have a difference in overall hypertrophy is unknown. And, it also depends on the other benefits and costs of both exercises, which we will weigh up shortly.

Don’t Need Much Equipment

It may seem a bit silly, but for those of use who don’t go to a commercial gym or have endless money to spend on home gym equipment, this is a serious matter.

With the concentration curl, all you need is a dumbbell. For preacher curls, you need a preacher bench or at least an incline bench (to perform dumbbell preacher curls). I mean, I have used the frame of my couch as a preacher bench in the past, but it’s not exactly ideal (especially for the couch!).

Preacher Curls vs Concentration Curls – Which is Better?

Preacher Curl	Concentration Curl
Barbell and dumbbell variations are both effective	Highest biceps brachii muscle activation of most common curl variations
Can use heavier loads than the concentration curl	Don’t need much equipment
Easier to achieve progressive overload
Easier to maintain form

Measuring these two curls will obviously require some degree of subjective interpretation. For example, how much should we value the significantly higher percentage of biceps brachii activation for concentration curls vs preacher curls? Especially when we take into account the numerous advantages of preacher curls?

It’s hard to say.

But, I don’t want to ride the fence here. So, ride or die, which exercise would I choose between the two if I had to?

I would choose preacher curls over concentration curls. I know, it may seem a bit counter-intuitive with the data seeming to back up the concentration curl. But, as we’ve talked about, the data doesn’t encompass everything. The significance of being able to achieve progressive overload with the preacher curl cannot be understated.

You are simply going to run out of weight to make progress with using the concentration curl.

Now, ideally, you will be able to include both in your routine. And, that’s the best of both worlds. You are able to lift heavier weight and use strict form on your preacher curl, while getting the potential benefit of increased activation of the Biceps with the concentration curl.

I recommend using the concentration curl as a “finishing exercise”. If you are doing arms, this means it would be the last exercise, to finish off and thoroughly fatigue your Biceps.

Wrap Up

Both the preacher curl and concentration curl have unique benefits which can elevate your biceps training. When paired together in a training routine, you will get excellent results (so long as you are eating enough to grow and trying to achieve progressive overload).

However, if you are going to stick with one or the other, choose the preacher curl. It will have the better long-term benefits.

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