Spider Curls and Preacher Curls two popular variations that promise to target your biceps from different angles. But which one reigns supreme?
This blog will examine each exercise’s biomechanics, benefits, and unique challenges. By the end, you will understand which help is helpful and how to incorporate it into your routine for optimal gains.
Let’s get started.
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Spider Curl
Spider curls are a bicep isolation exercise performed on an incline bench. The easiest way to do them is with dumbbells, and you can also use other equipment such as an EZ-Bar or barbells.
The spider curl is one of the most effective bicep curl variations that mainly targets the short head of the biceps.
In this exercise, your chest is against a bench that prevents you from cheating or using other muscles, like your back and shoulders.
There are different ways to do a spider curl to build a bigger and stronger bicep.
- Barbell spider curl: Allows heavier load but less range of motion. Challenges stability.
- EZ bar spider curl: This exercise helps reduce stress on the wrists, making it a good option for people with wrist pain.
- Dumbbell spider curl: Allows greater range of motion. Each arm works independently.
- Reverse grip spider curl: Palms down to target brachioradialis.
- One-arm dumbbell spider curl: It is a great way to balance muscle and strength development.
- Spider hammer curl: The neutral grip is also effective to train forearm.

Preacher Curl
The preacher curl is one of the best bicep isolation exercises for building bigger arms and an impressive bicep peak.
The exercise’s design focuses attention on the negative portion of each rep (when you lower the weight back to the starting position). This promotes a strong brain-muscle connection and maximizes time under tension — both are essential aspects of muscle growth.
Additionally, it’s virtually impossible to cheat with the bench curl. Since this movement completely isolates the biceps, you cannot use momentum to make reps easier, as people often do when doing seated or standing bicep curls.
Try Many other variations of it:
- Ez Bar Preacher Curl
- Machine Preacher Curl
- Single Arm Dumbbell Preacher CUrl
- Hammer Preacher Curl
- And Many Other

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Incline Curl
Incline curls differ from traditional curls due to the incline bench and position of your elbows, which are behind your body and extend your shoulder joint. This unique setup provides several benefits that many other bicep curl variations don’t offer.
Adding incline curls to your workout routine gives you more variety, refreshes, and prevents plateauing.
The incline dumbbell curl allows your bicep muscle fibers to experience a deep stretch at the bottom of each repetition.
This increased stretch leads to a greater range of motion.
There are many ways to do incline curl:
- Incline Hammer Curl
- Incline Zottman Curl
- Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl
Wanna Know about Sam Sulek’s Arms Workout
For More Bicep Workout
- 10 Best Bicep Cable Exercises (With Workout Plan).
- 7 Best Resistance Band Bicep Exercises For Bigger Arm.
- 10 Best Compound Bicep Exercises for Mass and Strength.
- 12 Different Ways to Do Bicep Curl For Bigger Arms.
- 12 Best Barbell Bicep Exercises For Mass and Strength.