The Scott bench EZ bar biceps curl is abicepsisolation exercise performed with the upper arms braced on a preacher pad and an angled-grip EZ bar curled from a full stretch. Scott bench is the older name for the preacher bench, so this is a preacher curl with a cambered bar. The pad pins the upper arms in front of the torso, removing the shoulder swing of a standing curl and loading the biceps hardest at the stretched bottom. The angled grips sit easier on the elbows. It goes late in an arm session as a strict second curl.
What Muscles Does the Scott Bench EZ Bar Biceps Curl Work?
- Primary: Biceps brachii (both heads)
- Secondary: Brachialis, brachioradialis
- Tertiary: Wrist flexors, anterior deltoid, forearm flexors (grip)
How Do You Set Up for the Scott Bench EZ Bar Biceps Curl?
Set the seat so the top of the pad tucks into your armpits when you sit. Sit with your feet flat and your chest against the pad, and lay the backs of both upper arms flat on the slope. Grip the inner angled sections palms up, hands a little inside shoulder width, wrists straight. Lift the bar off the rest and lower it until the elbows are almost straight.
How Do You Perform the Scott Bench EZ Bar Biceps Curl?
- Press the triceps into the pad with the elbows a few degrees short of locked and the bar hanging under control.
- Curl the bar up in an arc, moving only at the elbow while the upper arms stay flat on the slope.
- Stop when the forearms pass vertical and the bar sits a hand's width from your chin.
- Hold the top for one second, squeezing the biceps without letting the elbows lift off the pad.
- Lower the bar on a slow three-count until the elbows are nearly straight and the biceps are fully stretched.
- Pause for a beat at the bottom, reset the wrists and start the next rep from a dead stop.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Triceps glued to the slope: if the backs of your arms peel off the pad, the shoulders are curling; press them down through the whole rep.
- Knuckles toward the ceiling: the EZ bar lets the wrists curl inward, so keep them flat and let the angle of the grip do the work.
- Slow the last third of the descent, where the biceps is longest and weakest.
- Keep the chest on the pad so the torso cannot rock back to lift the bar.
- Think of dragging the bar toward your chin, not your chest, to finish the contraction.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading the bar heavier than the bottom position can hold: the hips lift and the shoulders heave the bar through the sticking point; use a weight you can lower under control.
- Dropping into the bottom: the elbow snaps into extension under load with the distal biceps tendon at full stretch, which is where preacher curls injure people; lower slowly and stop just short of straight.
- Letting the elbows drift off the pad at the top: the front delt finishes the rep and tension leaves the biceps; keep the upper arms pressed down.
- Gripping the outer wide sections of the bar: the hands sit past the elbows and the wrists twist; use the inner angled grips.
- Cutting the rep short at the bottom: the stretched half is the whole reason for the pad; lower until the elbows are almost straight.
What Are the Best Scott Bench EZ Bar Biceps Curl Variations?
- Seated EZ barbell curl: the same bar without the pad, allowing some elbow drift and more load.
- Barbell close grip preacher curl: a straight bar with narrow hands biases the long head and fully supinates the wrists.
- Reverse grip EZ bar preacher curl: palms down shifts the work to the brachioradialis.
- Single arm dumbbell preacher curl: one arm at a time, with the free hand steadying the elbow on the pad.
- Dual cable preacher curl: low pulleys keep tension at the bottom where a bar goes slack.
How Do You Progress the Scott Bench EZ Bar Biceps Curl?
- Add 5 pounds to the bar once every set reaches the top of the rep range with the upper arms flat on the pad.
- Build from 8 reps a set to 12 before each weight jump.
- Add a fourth set when three sets no longer leave the biceps fatigued.
- Lower on a four-count, or add a two-second pause at the stretched bottom before each rep.
How Should You Program the Scott Bench EZ Bar Biceps Curl?
Place the Scott bench EZ bar biceps curl after a standing barbell or dumbbell curl in an arm or pull session, once or twice a week. Work 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with 60 to 90 seconds of rest. It pairs with a hammer curl, which trains the brachialis and forearm the supinated grip leaves behind. Keep the last set strict rather than adding weight you cannot lower slowly.
