Single-Arm Cable Curl
Trains the Biceps.
- Equipment
- A cable station
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Set a single handle on a low pulley and take it in one hand with an underhand grip.
- Step back until the cable is taut and stand tall with the elbow tucked at your side.
- Rest the free hand on your hip.
- Curl the handle up, keeping the upper arm still.
- Stop when the forearm is roughly vertical, then squeeze briefly.
- Let the cable draw the arm straight again under control, then finish the side before swapping.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbow drift forward or back. A cable pulls down and behind, which makes the elbow want to travel — keeping it pinned is more work here than with a dumbbell.
- Turning the torso toward the working side. One arm means the trunk stays square against an asymmetric pull, and rotating is how that gets avoided.
- Standing too close to the pulley. A step back puts the cable under the arm for the whole range; too close and the bottom goes slack.
- Letting the cable snap the arm straight. The lowering half is where a cable still pulls at the bottom, which is exactly where a dumbbell has gone light.