For biceps growth
For biceps growth, preacher curl and rope hammer curl score the same.
Preacher curl keeps more of the work on the biceps; rope hammer curl is easier on the joints.
Both are good choices that train the biceps the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Preacher Curl. Big stretch, but bouncing out of the bottom is where elbows get tweaked.
Rope Hammer Curl. A neutral grip shares the work with the brachialis and forearms, under steady cable tension.
For biceps growth, preacher curl and rope hammer curl score the same. Preacher curl keeps more of the work on the biceps; rope hammer curl is easier on the joints. Both are good choices that train the biceps the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Preacher curl needs an EZ bar and a bench, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Rope hammer curl needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Rope hammer curl: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for preacher curl.