Apparatus for performing an arm curl exercise by a user comprising: a frame, a seat mounted on the frame in a position relative to the ground such that a user can sit on the seat with the user's feet touching the ground, a backrest mounted to the frame relative to the seat such that the user can engage the user's back against the backrest when seated on the seat, a pair of elbow pads mounted to the frame laterally relative to the backrest in an arrangement and adapted such that a user seated on the seat can engage the posterior surface of the user's elbows (13e, 13e) against the elbow pads when seated, an input arm assembly comprised of a pair of pivotable arms (30r, 30f) having mounted to their distal end a pair of manually graspable grips or handles, the arms (30r, 30f) being mounted and adapted to dispose the grips or handles in a starting or rest position forwardly and below the point of engagement of the user's elbows with the elbow pads, the pivotable arms comprising first and second arm portions (30r, 30f), the first arm portion being pivotable around a first axis and the second arm portion being pivotable around a second axis generally perpendicular to the first linear axis, a non-rotating portion of a distal end of the arms being connected to a manually selectively adjustable weight resistance mechanism, the grips or handles being rotatably mounted on the distal end of the arms and interconnected to the resistance mechanism through the non-rotating portion of the distal end of the arms, wherein the non-rotating portion of the distal end of the arms (30r, 30f) is connected to one end of a cable and another end of the cable is interconnected to the resistance mechanism; the seat, the backrest and the elbow pads are fixedly mounted to the frame; and the first arm portion of the arms is pivotably mounted to the frame at an acute angle relative to horizontal of between about 20 degrees and about 75 degrees. a frame, a seat mounted on the frame in a position relative to the ground such that a user can sit on the seat with the user's feet touching the ground, a backrest mounted to the frame relative to the seat such that the user can engage the user's back against the backrest when seated on the seat, a pair of elbow pads mounted to the frame laterally relative to the backrest in an arrangement and adapted such that a user seated on the seat can engage the posterior surface of the user's elbows (13e, 13e) against the elbow pads when seated, an input arm assembly comprised of a pair of pivotable arms (30r, 30f) having mounted to their distal end a pair of manually graspable grips or handles, the arms (30r, 30f) being mounted and adapted to dispose the grips or handles in a starting or rest position forwardly and below the point of engagement of the user's elbows with the elbow pads, the pivotable arms comprising first and second arm portions (30r, 30f), the first arm portion being pivotable around a first axis and the second arm portion being pivotable around a second axis generally perpendicular to the first linear axis, a non-rotating portion of a distal end of the arms being connected to a manually selectively adjustable weight resistance mechanism, the grips or handles being rotatably mounted on the distal end of the arms and interconnected to the resistance mechanism through the non-rotating portion of the distal end of the arms, wherein the non-rotating portion of the distal end of the arms (30r, 30f) is connected to one end of a cable and another end of the cable is interconnected to the resistance mechanism; the seat, the backrest and the elbow pads are fixedly mounted to the frame; and the first arm portion of the arms is pivotably mounted to the frame at an acute angle relative to horizontal of between about 20 degrees and about 75 degrees.