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Arm blasters can offer many benefits but you may want other options. What are some alternatives to arm blasters with similar benefits?
An arm blaster is a pad of strong material that hangs down from your shoulders on which you can put your upper arms while doing a bicep curl.
This bicep curl accessory makes it so it becomes easier to keep your upper arms still and in turn isolate your bicep muscles more. That means arm blasters can help you achieve more bicep muscle gain faster.
Whether you don’t like using an arm blaster, you want a more comfortable alternative, or you want an alternative for any other reason, these arm blaster alternatives can benefit your bicep workouts in a similar way.
Keep in mind that implementing these alternatives can offer benefits but like while using any exercise equipment, there is always some risk of injury. Make sure you use these equipment options in a safe way and if needed, get guidance from an expert.
1. Preacher bench
When talking about bicep exercises you will almost always hear the preacher curl exercise come up. This is no surprise, this is a popular version of the bicep curl because it is so effective at isolating bicep muscles.
There is a type of bicep workout equipment made for this specific exercise called a preacher bench. A preacher bench is basically a slanted surface with padding for comfort and a seat to sit on.
You put your upper arms on the pad so your biceps are the only muscles you can use to curl a weight up and down. Additionally being seated helps you avoid using other body parts like your legs to move the weight.
The preacher bench is an even better alternative than arm blasters for a few reasons. Many people find the preacher bench more comfortable, you are seated, and you can easily use one arm at a time if you want to.
A potential downside if you plan to get this piece of fitness equipment for your home gym is that it has a relatively steep price for such a specific training goal and compared to arm blasters.
Check preacher curl bench prices
2. Incline weight bench
A weight bench is a type of padded bench that is a very standard piece of equipment at most gyms. At first, it may be hard to imagine how this piece of equipment could be an arm blaster alternative in any way.
However, you can use an incline weight bench similar to a preacher bench. Simply put it at the desired angle, put your upper arm on the surface, and do your isolated bicep curls.
The main benefit of choosing an adjustable weight bench is that you can use it for a variety of other exercises. Including different bicep curl variations.
So if you are putting together a home gym with a limited budget, a weight bench can be a choice for multiple goals, including as a substitute for an arm blaster. Another benefit of a weight bench is that it generally lasts a long time.
A potential downside compared to an arm blaster or a preacher bench is that the surface of the weight bench is a lot narrower. You likely need to train one arm at a time.
If your only fitness goal is to do bicep curls, it likely does not make sense to choose a pricier option like a weight bench instead of an arm blaster.
Check adjustable weight bench prices
3. Sturdy sitting surface
Extra pieces of fitness equipment can definitely be helpful but sometimes there are also things you can do with just your body to achieve similar benefits.
In the case of bicep curls, you can sit down on a sturdy object and do concentration curls. These are bicep curls where you lean with your elbow on the leg of the same side.
Similar to using an arm blaster, this is done to isolate bicep muscles more.
A benefit of concentration curls is that you do not have to invest in additional equipment. And if you do invest in a sturdy sitting surface like a plyo box, it can often be used for other exercises too.
One potential downside is that you can only do bicep curls with one arm at a time. Besides that, some people find the bent-over position during concentration curls uncomfortable on their lower back.
4. Preacher curl machine
Preacher curls are already great in isolating your bicep muscles in the sense that they take movements of your upper arms out of the equation.
You can take it one step further and make it so the trajectory of your hands is fixed so that you don’t need to use balance muscles either.
A preacher curl machine is an arm blaster alternative where you lean on a preacher bench and lift a bar, sometimes two separate bars, connected to weights through a fixed trajectory.
There are models where your arms can lift separate weights and models where both arms curl a single weight. Depending on your situation and training goals you may prefer one or the other.
While preacher curl machines can be great for a bicep isolation workout, the main downside of this type of arm blaster alternative is that it has a steep price tag.
Check preacher curl machine prices
5. Bicep curl machine
The next arm blaster alternative is another bicep gym machine. A bicep curl machine is a seat with a handle on each side. You can then use your bicep muscles to curl these handles upward against resistance.
The main differences with a preacher curl machine are the angle of your upper arms compared to your body and the lack of anchoring of the upper arms.
This different upper arm angle can be helpful for focusing slightly more on certain parts of the biceps.
For example, by putting your arms behind your upper body during bicep curls you focus slightly more on the long head, the outer part, of your bicep muscles, compared to a regular upright bicep curl.
On the other hand, the lack of upper arm anchoring can lead to less bicep isolation. Bicep curl machines are also not very popular or common. On top of these things, these arm blaster alternatives are relatively expensive.
You can use a bicep curl machine if you have one at your local gym. However, even then the other options on this list may be more effective.
