Incline curls may favor upper biceps growth, preacher curls may favor lower arm muscles, but differences are small and context-dependent.
Original: Incline vs Preacher Curls for Biceps Growth (New Study)
TL;DR
Evidence shows modest, context-dependent differences in muscle growth between incline and preacher curls, with training status and method influencing outcomes.
Quick Answer
Incline curls produce greater growth in the mid to upper regions of the biceps, while preacher curls lead to greater growth in the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, particularly at the 70-80% region of muscle length. Two studies on untrained individuals found incline curls superior for biceps hypertrophy, while a third study directly measuring muscle compartments confirmed preacher curls stimulate more brachialis and brachioradialis growth. The first study suggesting preacher curls were superior overall was underpowered and lacked statistical significance.
Claims (10)
1. When the resistance is set to be equal at the beginning of the movement, both shoulder-extended cable curls and neutral-position barbell curls produce similar levels of muscle growth in the biceps.
2. When people lift weights until they are very close to being unable to complete another repetition, using a variety of exercises, their muscles tend to grow significantly in size.
3. Using blood flow restriction with light weights, both incline curls and preacher curls produce similar amounts of muscle growth in different parts of the biceps.
4. Performing different types of biceps curls, such as hammer curls or preacher curls, leads to different amounts of muscle growth and strength improvements depending on how the movement is performed.
5. When incline curls are added to a resistance training routine that includes multiple exercises, the upper part of the biceps muscles grows more than when only standard barbell curls are performed.
6. When performing incline dumbbell curls, the upper part of the biceps and related elbow flexor muscles tends to grow thicker than when performing preacher curls. Conversely, preacher curls tend to produce greater thickening in the lower part of these muscles.
7. Different ways of performing biceps curls lead to small but detectable differences in how much muscle grows in specific areas and how much strength improves for that movement.
8. Different bicep curl exercises lead to different patterns of muscle growth: incline curls cause more growth near the shoulder end of the biceps, while preacher curls cause more growth in the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles along the forearm side of the upper arm.
9. When performed by the same person, incline curls lead to more growth in the main bicep muscle, while preacher curls lead to more growth in the forearm muscles that help bend the elbow.
10. Among women who train recreationally, preacher curls lead to more muscle growth in the elbow flexors than incline curls, especially toward the lower part of the muscle.
Key Takeaways
- •Problem: People want to know which curl variation— incline or preacher—grows their biceps and forearm muscles better.
- •Core methods: Incline dumbbell curls, Preacher dumbbell curls
- •How methods work: Incline curls stretch the biceps more at the bottom, activating the upper part of the muscle; preacher curls lock the elbows forward, increasing tension on the brachialis and brachioradialis deeper in the arm.
- •Expected outcomes: Incline curls grow the upper biceps more; preacher curls grow the brachialis (under the biceps) and brachioradialis (forearm muscle) more.
- •Implementation timeframe: Noticeable muscle growth occurs after 8 to 12 weeks of training twice per week with progressive overload.
Overview
The question of whether incline curls or preacher curls are superior for biceps growth has been debated with conflicting evidence from limited studies. This analysis synthesizes four peer-reviewed or conference-presented studies comparing these two exercises, with a focus on regional muscle growth in the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis. The solution involves examining muscle-specific hypertrophy patterns across different training populations and measurement regions to determine optimal exercise selection for targeted growth.
Key Terms
How to Apply
- 1.Perform incline dumbbell curls twice per week: sit on a 45-degree incline bench, hold dumbbells with palms facing forward, lower arms until fully stretched, then curl to full contraction for 3 sets of 8-12 reps to momentary failure.
- 2.Perform preacher dumbbell curls twice per week: use a preacher bench, place upper arms on the pad, hold dumbbells with palms facing forward, curl from full extension to full contraction for 3 sets of 8-12 reps to momentary failure.
- 3.Apply progressive overload each session by increasing weight, reps, or sets to maintain performance within the 8-12 rep range.
- 4.Ensure both exercises are performed with controlled tempo and full range of motion (elbows moving from 0° to 120° flexion).
- 5.Train consistently for at least 8 weeks to observe measurable muscle growth in the biceps and forearm muscles.
After 8-12 weeks of consistent training, users will observe greater hypertrophy in the upper biceps from incline curls and greater hypertrophy in the brachialis and brachioradialis from preacher curls, with both exercises producing significant overall arm growth when performed to near failure.
Studies from Description (4)
Claims (10)
1. When the resistance is set to be equal at the beginning of the movement, both shoulder-extended cable curls and neutral-position barbell curls produce similar levels of muscle growth in the biceps.
2. When people lift weights until they are very close to being unable to complete another repetition, using a variety of exercises, their muscles tend to grow significantly in size.
3. Using blood flow restriction with light weights, both incline curls and preacher curls produce similar amounts of muscle growth in different parts of the biceps.
4. Performing different types of biceps curls, such as hammer curls or preacher curls, leads to different amounts of muscle growth and strength improvements depending on how the movement is performed.
5. When incline curls are added to a resistance training routine that includes multiple exercises, the upper part of the biceps muscles grows more than when only standard barbell curls are performed.
6. When performing incline dumbbell curls, the upper part of the biceps and related elbow flexor muscles tends to grow thicker than when performing preacher curls. Conversely, preacher curls tend to produce greater thickening in the lower part of these muscles.
7. Different ways of performing biceps curls lead to small but detectable differences in how much muscle grows in specific areas and how much strength improves for that movement.
8. Different bicep curl exercises lead to different patterns of muscle growth: incline curls cause more growth near the shoulder end of the biceps, while preacher curls cause more growth in the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles along the forearm side of the upper arm.
9. When performed by the same person, incline curls lead to more growth in the main bicep muscle, while preacher curls lead to more growth in the forearm muscles that help bend the elbow.
10. Among women who train recreationally, preacher curls lead to more muscle growth in the elbow flexors than incline curls, especially toward the lower part of the muscle.
Claims (10)
1. When the resistance is set to be equal at the beginning of the movement, both shoulder-extended cable curls and neutral-position barbell curls produce similar levels of muscle growth in the biceps.
2. When people lift weights until they are very close to being unable to complete another repetition, using a variety of exercises, their muscles tend to grow significantly in size.
3. Using blood flow restriction with light weights, both incline curls and preacher curls produce similar amounts of muscle growth in different parts of the biceps.
4. Performing different types of biceps curls, such as hammer curls or preacher curls, leads to different amounts of muscle growth and strength improvements depending on how the movement is performed.
5. When incline curls are added to a resistance training routine that includes multiple exercises, the upper part of the biceps muscles grows more than when only standard barbell curls are performed.
6. When performing incline dumbbell curls, the upper part of the biceps and related elbow flexor muscles tends to grow thicker than when performing preacher curls. Conversely, preacher curls tend to produce greater thickening in the lower part of these muscles.
7. Different ways of performing biceps curls lead to small but detectable differences in how much muscle grows in specific areas and how much strength improves for that movement.
8. Different bicep curl exercises lead to different patterns of muscle growth: incline curls cause more growth near the shoulder end of the biceps, while preacher curls cause more growth in the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles along the forearm side of the upper arm.
9. When performed by the same person, incline curls lead to more growth in the main bicep muscle, while preacher curls lead to more growth in the forearm muscles that help bend the elbow.
10. Among women who train recreationally, preacher curls lead to more muscle growth in the elbow flexors than incline curls, especially toward the lower part of the muscle.
Related Content
Claims (10)
When performing incline dumbbell curls, the upper part of the biceps and related elbow flexor muscles tends to grow thicker than when performing preacher curls. Conversely, preacher curls tend to produce greater thickening in the lower part of these muscles.
Different bicep curl exercises lead to different patterns of muscle growth: incline curls cause more growth near the shoulder end of the biceps, while preacher curls cause more growth in the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles along the forearm side of the upper arm.
Performing different types of biceps curls, such as hammer curls or preacher curls, leads to different amounts of muscle growth and strength improvements depending on how the movement is performed.
When performed by the same person, incline curls lead to more growth in the main bicep muscle, while preacher curls lead to more growth in the forearm muscles that help bend the elbow.
Among women who train recreationally, preacher curls lead to more muscle growth in the elbow flexors than incline curls, especially toward the lower part of the muscle.
Studies (3)
Regional Hypertrophy: The Effect of Exercises at Long and Short Muscle Lengths in Recreationally Trained Women
DOI: 10.5114/jhk/163561
Distinct muscle growth and strength adaptations after preacher and incline biceps curls
DOI: 10.1055/a-2517-0509
Similar Regional Hypertrophy of the Elbow Flexor Muscles in Response to Low-Load Training With Vascular Occlusion at Short Versus Long Muscle Lengths
DOI: 10.1177/19417381241287522