Zottman Preacher Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Zottman Preacher Curl
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand and place your upper arms on top of the preacher bench or the incline bench. The dumbbells should be held at shoulder height and the elbows should be flexed. Hold the dumbbells with the palms of your hands facing down. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells keeping the palms down until your upper arm is extended and your biceps are fully stretched.
- Now rotate your wrists once you are at the bottom of the movement so that the palms of the hands are facing up.
- As you exhale, use your biceps to curl the weights up until they are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder height. Again, remember that to ensure full contraction you need to bring that small finger higher than the thumb.
- Squeeze the biceps hard for a second at the contracted position and rotate your wrists so that the palms are facing down again.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Zottman 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
Zottman Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
-
2
Cable Preacher Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
-
3
Preacher Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
-
4
Drag Curl
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
-
5
Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
-
6
Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using an E-Z curl bar.
-
7
Lying Cable Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
-
8
Lying High Bench Barbell Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
-
9
One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
-
10
Overhead Cable Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do zottman preacher curl work?
Zottman Preacher Curl primarily works the biceps. The forearms assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for zottman preacher curl?
Zottman Preacher Curl uses dumbbells.
Zottman Preacher Curl: is it suitable for beginners?
Zottman Preacher Curl is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of zottman preacher curl?
Zottman Curl, Cable Preacher Curl, Preacher Curl train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my zottman preacher curl reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; zottman 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 Zottman 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.