This site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Read Our Disclosures
The XMark XM-4417 FID Bench has been designed with a high quality steel frame and range of preacher curl positions, while still keeping the price lower than more commercial designs, such as the York Commercial Preacher curl.
In our review, we’ll take a closer look at the design features, exercise options available, and customer feedback, to help you decide if this is the best preacher curl bench for your own home gym.
Design features
If you are considering making a new preacher curl bench the latest addition to your own home gym, there are a few important design features to consider.
The first is the adjustment of the preacher curl pad. Unless you can adjust the height through a range of settings then the chances are you won’t be curling at a height that best suits your natural range of motion.
Fortunately, this is one of the areas where the XMark XM-4417 preacher bench excels, with 10 height adjustment settings to choose from.
A simple hand wheel and locking pin system makes it easy to switch between the different heights, with settings placed close together to find the ideal position.
Preacher curl seat positioning and transport
The second feature to look for is the quality and positioning of the seat. While this doesn’t necessarily have to be adjustable, it’s important you can position yourself close to the curling pad and remain comfortable throughout the exercise.
This is why XMark Fitness have designed the XM-4417 with thick, 2.5″ hi-density padding covered in high quality Duraguard vinyl.
The seat also tapers towards the back to provide more support closer to where you will be curling the weight, which is where you need it most.
Despite being a fairly common feature on standard weights benches, you won’t often find a preacher curl bench that has transport wheels built into the base.
This is another of the reasons why the XMark XM-4417 comes so highly rated, and makes it easier to move the bench when not in use.
XMark XM-4436 Preacher Curl – Features Summary
- LIFETIME in-home warranty
- Preacher arm curl pad has 10 height adjustments
- Perform barbell, dumbbell, and reverse grip barbell exercises
- Sturdy steel frame delivers a solid, stable platform
- Extra thick 2.5″ Hi-density cushioning covered in sweat and tear resistant Duraguard vinyl
- Heavy duty 14-gauge steel construction
- Mainframe built using 2″ x 2″ and 2″ x 3″ rectangular steel
- Bar catch for added convenience
- Baked scratch resistant powder coat finish for long-lasting durability
- Ideal for in-home use
Exercise options
Unlike your standard FID (flat, incline, decline) bench, the XMark XM-4436 is designed purely for variations on the preacher curl.
Although the frame includes a set of barbell supports for performing the exercise with both hands and a cambered bar, there are a couple of other options involving the use of a dumbbell that are equally as effective.
The following 3 variations have proven to be the most popular over the past few years, although there’s nothing to stop you combining this preacher curl with a low cable pulley if you have a machine at home.
1. Cambered bar curls – This is an exercise that can be performed with a couple of different grip positions; overhand and underhand.
An underhand grip will focus more on the actual bicep, while an overhand grip will focus more on training your forearms, specifically the Brachioradialis.
2. Single arm dumbbell curls – With preacher curls being such an effective isolation exercise already, you can even target one arm at a time with the single arm dumbbell version.
This is another of the exercises that will help to build higher bicep peaks.
3. Single arm hammer curls – Similar to the single arm curls, but gripping the bar with your thumb facing you rather than the palm of your hand.
This helps to build thicker biceps, and in particular the brachialis, a muscle that also gets worked with standard hammer curls.
Customer reviews
Besides their reputation for designing high quality FID benches, XMark Fitness are one of the few companies to be able to backup their preacher curl benches with highly rated reviews.
With such a wide range in the price you can expect to pay for a preacher curl bench, this makes it even more important to find one that’s actually backed by customers who have bought and used the bench already.
After reading through each of these reviews we’ve been able to put together the following list of pros and cons, based on the points that were mentioned most often.
Pros:
- Quick and easy to assemble
- High quality paint finish does a good job of preventing scratches and enhancing the aesthetic appeal
- Having so many height settings for the preacher pad makes it easier to find a position that suits your body type
- Protects your lower back against any swing involved in bicep exercises
- Isolates your bicep muscle without involving any momentum
- Comfortable padding
- Wide bar supports make it easy to place the bar back on the rests after a set
Cons:
- Slight movement in the preacher curl pad at the higher height settings
You can find the full reviews for the XMark XM-4436 on Amazon.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4.5 / 5
With its 10 height adjustment settings, the XMark XM-4436 Seated Preacher Curl has been designed to fit your body and ensures perfect form every time.
The extra thick 2.5" Duracraft cushion also allows you to focus on building the size and shape of your biceps and forearms, without unnecessary stress on your elbows or triceps.
The width of the barbell catches makes it easier to replace the bar when you complete a set, with the gap between them leaving plenty of space for dumbbell preacher curls.
With many fitness equipment companies not offering a preacher curl for under $300, the quality and features make the XM-4436 excellent value for money.
Total weight capacity: 350 lbs.
Assembled dimensions:
40.5" (L) x 28" (W) x 37.5" (H)
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
