Cable Preacher Curl

A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.

Cable Preacher Curl — Starting position Starting position
Cable Preacher Curl — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Strength
Equipment Cable Machine
Primary Muscle Biceps
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Cable Preacher Curl

  1. Place a preacher bench about 2 feet in front of a pulley machine.
  2. Attach a straight bar to the low pulley.
  3. Sit at the preacher bench with your elbow and upper arms firmly on top of the bench pad and have someone hand you the bar from the low pulley.
  4. Grab the bar and fully extend your arms on top of the preacher bench pad. This will be your starting position.
  5. Now start pilling the weight up towards your shoulders and squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the movement. Exhale as you perform this motion. Also, hold for a second at the top.
  6. Now slowly lower the weight to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Cable Preacher Curl does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Cable Preacher Curl

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl

    Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  2. 2 One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

    One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  3. 3 Preacher Curl

    Preacher Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  4. 4 Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

    Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  5. 5 Reverse Cable Curl

    Reverse Cable Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  6. 6 Standing Biceps Cable Curl

    Standing Biceps Cable Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  7. 7 Zottman Preacher Curl

    Zottman Preacher Curl

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  8. 8 Alternate Hammer Curl

    Alternate Hammer Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  9. 9 Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

    Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  10. 10 Barbell Curl

    Barbell Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do cable preacher curl work?

Cable Preacher Curl primarily works the biceps. The forearms assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for cable preacher curl?

Cable Preacher Curl uses cable machine.

Cable Preacher Curl: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Cable Preacher Curl is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of cable preacher curl?

Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl, One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl, Preacher Curl train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my cable preacher curl reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; cable preacher curl can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Cable Preacher Curl with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.