At a glance
- Main muscle
- Biceps
- Equipment
- Cable
- Rep range in Mitta
- 10 to 15 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 2.5 kg
How to do it
- Preacher bench in front of the low cable, straight or EZ bar.
- Upper arms flat on the pad.
- Lower until your arms are almost straight.
Pick a weight you can lift for 10 to 15 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank.
Why rating A
Preacher curl on a cable: the biceps is loaded in the stretch and also at the top, where a dumbbell drops off.1
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Machine Preacher Curl · Machine · rating A
- Dumbbell Preacher Curl · Dumbbell · rating A
- EZ-Bar Preacher Curl · Barbell · rating A
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the cable preacher curl.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the cable preacher curl with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
cable preacher curl
What muscles does the cable preacher curl work?
The cable preacher curl mainly trains your biceps.
How many reps of the cable preacher curl should I do?
Mitta plans the cable preacher curl at 10 to 15 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the cable preacher curl?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the machine preacher curl, dumbbell preacher curl and EZ-bar preacher curl.
Is the cable preacher curl good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the cable preacher curl have rating A?
Preacher curl on a cable: the biceps is loaded in the stretch and also at the top, where a dumbbell drops off.
Sources
- Kassiano et al. 2025, Int J Sports Med (preacher vs incline curl: regionaal verschil, totaal vergelijkbaar) doi.org/10.1055/a-2517-0509