Cable Curl
Trains the Biceps.
- Equipment
- A cable station
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Attach a straight bar to a low cable pulley and stand facing the machine, a step back from it.
- Take an underhand grip about shoulder-width apart and stand tall with your arms straight down.
- Tuck your elbows against your sides and brace your stomach so the cable does not pull you forward.
- Curl the bar up by bending your elbows, keeping the upper arms still.
- Squeeze at the top, then lower under control until the arms are fully extended and the cable is still under tension.
Common mistakes
- Standing too close to the machine, so the cable goes slack at the bottom. The constant tension through the whole range is the reason to use a cable rather than a barbell — standing back preserves it.
- Leaning back against the pull. The stomach and glutes should hold you upright; leaning turns the curl into a partial row.
- Letting the elbows drift forward, which lets the front deltoid finish the movement.
- Rushing the return. The cable will pull the bar down if you let it, and that is the half of the movement most often given away.