Home / Exercises / Lever Preacher Curl (Plate Loaded)
Lever Preacher Curl (Plate Loaded) animation

How to do the Lever Preacher Curl (Plate Loaded)

BicepsMachineBeginner

The lever preacher curl plate loaded machine removes momentum from the equation, forcing your biceps to do every bit of the work through a strict, controlled range of motion. Master this machine and you will build the kind of bicep peak that comes only from disciplined, isolated effort.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Biceps
Secondary
BrachialisForearms

Step-by-step

  1. Adjust the seat so your upper arms lie flat along the pad with your armpits just touching the top edge, then select your plate load.
  2. Grip the handles with a supinated wrist position and brace your upper arms firmly against the pad throughout the entire set.
  3. Curl the handles upward in a smooth arc until your forearms approach vertical, squeezing hard at the top without letting your elbows flare off the pad.
  4. Lower the weight slowly under full control back to near full extension, resisting the pull of gravity on every inch of the descent.

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the shoulders to help lift the load — keep your shoulders packed down and let only the elbow joint move so the biceps bear the full demand.
  • Cutting the descent short by stopping halfway down — lower until the arms are nearly straight to train the full muscle length and maximize growth stimulus.
  • Using a load so heavy the elbows lift off the pad on each rep — reduce the weight until your upper arms stay in contact with the pad for the entire range of motion.

Pro tip — At the top of each rep pause for a full one-second squeeze while actively trying to push your wrists toward your shoulders, this isometric contraction recruits the peak of the bicep in a way that continuous movement alone never will.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

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