Biceps · Cable machine

Cable Curl

The cable curl is an isolation exercise that provides continuous resistance on the biceps throughout the entire range of motion. It is suitable for lifters of all experience levels and typically fits into the middle or end of an arm or pull-focused workout.

Muscles: Biceps
Equipment: Cable machine
Type: Strength
Animation: Men and women

How to do it

Stand in front of a cable machine and attach a straight bar to the low pulley.
Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
Step back slightly from the pulley, feet shoulder-width apart, and slightly bend your knees.
Keep your elbows close to your torso and your back straight.
Inhale and brace your core. Exhale as you curl the bar towards your shoulders, flexing your biceps.
Keep your upper arms stationary, focusing on moving only your forearms.
Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position, controlling the movement and fully extending your arms.

Common mistakes

Drifting the elbows forward during the curl shifts tension onto the anterior deltoids instead of the biceps.
Swinging the torso to generate momentum reduces the mechanical tension on the working muscle.
Dropping the weight quickly on the eccentric phase eliminates the muscle-building benefits of controlled lowering.

Tips

Keep your elbows pinned in place against your sides from the first rep to the last.
Pause for a full second at the top of the movement to maximize peak contraction.
Lower the attachment slowly over two to three seconds to keep tension on the biceps throughout the negative phase.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy and muscular endurance, perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Why choose a cable curl over a barbell curl?

Cables maintain continuous tension on the biceps even at the very bottom and top of the movement, where gravity reduces resistance with free weights.

Which cable attachment is best for this exercise?

A straight bar maximizes supination and bicep activation, an EZ-bar attachment is easier on the wrists, and a rope attachment shifts focus toward the brachialis and forearms.

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