Exercise Comparison
Barbell Curl vs Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Instructions
Barbell Curl
Stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at a shoulder-width grip. The palm of your hands should be facing forward and the elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.
While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Tip: Only the forearms should move.
Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.
Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Place the upper part of both arms on top of the preacher bench as you hold a dumbbell in each hand with the palms facing each other (neutral grip).
As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells until your upper arm is extended and the biceps is fully stretched.
As you exhale, use the biceps to curl the weight up until your biceps is fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder height.
Squeeze the biceps hard for a second at the contracted position and repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Verdict
Both exercises target the biceps. Barbell Curl is a beginner exercise using barbell, while Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl is beginner and uses dumbbell. Choose Barbell Curl if you have access to barbell, or Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl if you prefer dumbbell.