Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl

What it is

This exercise effectively isolates your biceps for focused development. Performed on a preacher bench with dumbbells, it builds strength in your biceps and forearms. The preacher bench setup minimizes unwanted momentum, ensuring your arm muscles perform the work.

Technique tips

• Keep your upper arms firmly on the preacher pad throughout.
• Control the movement, lowering the weights slowly and deliberately.
• Squeeze your biceps hard at the peak contraction point.
• Avoid using momentum; let your biceps do all the work.
• Inhale as you lower the weight, exhale as you curl up.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.