HVO Preacher Curl Machine Review

The HVO preacher curl machine promises precise biceps isolation plus bonus uses beyond curls.

If you’re looking for an effective way to isolate your arms with strict form and a little bit of versatility, this preacher curl bench may be worth a try.

In this review, I’ll break down what makes it stand out from other preacher curl benches, who’s it best for, and how its other uses actually feel.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

All the parts come bubble wrapped in one box and some come in their own small boxes.

There was a small part of the box that ripped but nothing was damaged.

I like to see companies cover every gap inside the box so there’s no shifting parts shifting around that can damage the box.

So there’s room for improvement here from HVO’s part.

Here’s everything once I took it out of the box.

There’s about a dozen big parts and it was not hard to assemble.

And here it is all put together…

It takes up less floor space than I thought it would, which is great for home and garage gyms.

Although this is considered a budget bench, I like what I see and I’m excited to try it out and tell you what I think.

Specs

• Dimensions: 35’L x 33.1’W x 41.5’H

• Weight: 65 lbs

• Max weight plate capacity: 300 lbs

• Max user weight capacity: 350 lbs

• Weight plate compatibility: Olympic (2″ center hole) and standard weight plates (1″ center hole)

• Weight horn length: 7.5″

• Preach pad width: 23.5″

• Preacher pad thickness: 2″

• Warranty: 1 year on the frame

What Is HVO Preacher Curl Machine?

The HVO Fitness preacher curl machine is a lever based preacher curl bench designed to isolate the biceps.

It uses a fixed lever arm so I get consistent resistance with strict form.

And I can also use it like a regular preacher curl bench with dumbbells and with an EZ curl bar that I can rest on the uprights.

The bench has a tripod design with two legs in front and one in the back.

Those legs in the front make the bench very stable and I haven’t experienced any side to side tilting or the bench tipping forward.

They added band pegs at the bottom so if you’re into accomodating resistance, then you have that option.

I don’t use the band pegs much but adding bands does make preacher curls much harder.

I like that the 2″ weight horn covers are chrome so that reduces the amount of visible scratches on them.

These are also removable and have a 1″ weight horn underneath so that people with standard weight plates (1″ center hole) can use them too.

Notice that right at the bottom of the lever arm, there’s a pin that goes through it horizontally.

I can flip down the handle and lock it in place to create a longer lever arm for Romanian deadlifts.

Is it gonna replace barbell deadlifts? No, but I can see this being useful for people that don’t have a lot of space.

RELATED: AbMat Preacher Pad

Top Benefits Of The HVO Preacher Curl Machine

Compact

I was surprised at how little space the bench takes up in my garage gym and that is a big plus because home gyms don’t have a ton of real estate.

It is less than 3 feet by 3 feet so it’s smaller than one of my horse stall mats (stall mats are 4′ x 6′).

I’m a big fan of equipment that doesn’t take up a lot of floor space and keeping my gym organized, which is why I mount a lot of stuff on my walls.

READ NEXT: Home Gym Organization Ideas

Biceps Isolation

The fixed lever keeps constant tension on my biceps for the majority of the exercise.

I like to set the height of the preacher pad at a point where it keeps me from getting full tension when I fully straighten my arm.

I’ve seen too many videos online of people snapping their biceps tendon when the arm is fully loaded in a straightened position.

If you like full tension at the bottom, you can always bring the pad higher.

Versatile

I’d be happy with just having the lever arm bicep curl option, but being able to throw on an EZ curl bar is cool too.

It doesn’t take up any extra floor space and it gives me another way to hit my biceps.

And of course, I can always just pick up a dumbbell and do one arm at a time.

My left arm is weaker so every once in a while I switch it up and isolate each arm independently.

Here’s the Romanian deadlift set up I talked about earlier…

I locked the handles at the bottom of the lever arm so they extend past the uprights.

Once I load it up, I can do Romanian deadlifts off the front of the bench.

Are they perfect? No, the weight isn’t going up and down in a vertical path but I can still feel a good stretch under load on my hamstrings and glutes.

This is not the reason whey I would buy this machine but it’s something that I see being useful for people who lack space.

Best Features Of The HVO Preacher Curl Machine

Preacher Pad

The preacher pad is wider than my shoulder width so I have plenty of space where my arms land on the pad in a natural position.

I’ve tested preacher curl pads that were too narrow and forced me to bring my arms in which wasn’t comfortable.

I like that the padding is 2″ thick so it feels comfortable.

The upholstery is not the best but that’s expected for a piece of equipment at this price range.

Ergonomic Handle

The handles are angled which for me is a good thing.

At my age (47), I try to avoid straight bars and go for ergonomic grips to avoid pain in my wrists and elbows.

When I lock the handle at bottom, it turns into a semi-pronated grip which still feels good on my joints.

ALSO CHECKOUT: Bulletproof Isolator

Adjustable

The preacher curl machine adjusts from several places which is good so people of all shapes and sizes can use it.

I can adjust the height of the preacher pad with a pop pin that sits right below it.

Right below the seat pad, there’s a tension knob that lets me move the seat closer and further away from the preacher pad.

And a pop pin to adjust the seat up and down.

And the uprights are also adjustable with a pop pin when I wanna use my EZ curl bar.

This much adjustability is smart because it allows more people to use the product.

HVO Preacher Curl Machine Pros & Cons

Pros

• Compact: Doesn’t take up a lot of floor space which is always good in a home gym

• Isolation: Isolates the biceps really well

• Ergonomic: Handles are angled at 45 degrees so they feel good when I’m doing preacher curls and with RDL’s

• Adjustable: Seat pad adjusts vertically/horizontally, preacher curl pad and curl bar uprights adjust vertically

• Plate compatibility: Works with Olympic sized (2″ center hole) and standard sized (1″ center hole) plates

• Price: More economical than similar products in this category

Cons

• Upholstery: Quality of the vinyl is just ok, could be better, but that is expect at this price point

Price

The HVO preacher curl machine is currently priced at $269.99

This is $72 cheaper than the only other lever based preacher curl machine I found online with similar quality and less functions.

So this is actually good price when comparing it to the competition.

HVO Fitness Discount Code?

As of right now I haven’t seen a discount code for HVO fitness equipment.

If I do, I’ll update this section here.

Click the red button below to check out the current lowest price available…

HVO Preacher Curl Machine Alternatives

GMWD Bicep Curl Machine

The GMWD preacher curl machine is almost identical to HVO’s.

Biggest difference I see in this one, is that it doesn’t have the locking feature for the handle to do RDL’s.

Not a huge deal since these benches are primarily designed for biceps but this one priced $72 higher than HVO’s.

My Hands-On Experience (Real Garage Gym Use)

I really like this machine and it reminds me of the preacher curl setup on the Bulletproof Isolator.

With this being a dedicated station, it takes way less setup time than the Isolator.

Having the option to use an EZ curl bar is cool, but I would buy this just for the lever based preacher curls cause they feel real good.

For those who like the versatility of using it like a regular preacher curl bench, you have the option to do so.

It’s comfortable, stable, and functions like it should.

As far as the Romanian deadlift setup goes, I would rather use a barbell but this minimalist setup may be beneficial for people who lack space.

Who This Is Best For (And Who Should Skip It)

This machine is for people who like traditional bodybuilding isolation bicep exercises (lever based, EZ curls, and with dumbbells).

Yes, I can use it for Romanian deadlifts but that’s not it’s main use and I can load a barbell with more weight than this preacher machine can hold.

It is not for powerlifters, CrossFitters, and those who don’t emphasize isolation in their workouts.

Final Verdict: Is The HVO Preacher Curl Machine Worth It?

If your goals including building bigger arms, the HVO preacher curl machine is definitely worth considering.

It’s compact but solid so it’s perfect for garage gyms.

The lever gives me smooth, constant, controlled resistance so I can really isolate my biceps.

And with the built-in handle lock, those with small spaces can use it as a lever arm deadlift as well.