Cable Curl

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Set the pulley to the appropriate height for the exercise — low for curls, high for tricep pushdowns, mid for crossovers.

2. 2

   Grip the handle or attachment firmly. Step into a stable stance with a slight stagger for balance.

3. 3

   Perform the movement by contracting only the target muscle. Cables provide constant tension, so move slowly and deliberately.

4. 4

   Control the return to the starting position. The cable should never go slack during the set.

Common Mistakes

• Swinging the body to generate momentum. Pin your elbows to your sides and use only your biceps.

• Not fully extending the arm at the bottom, which reduces the stretch and shortchanges the range of motion.

• Going too heavy and compensating with front delt activation. Isolation exercises work best with strict form and moderate loads.

Pro Tips

• Supinate your wrist (turn your pinky toward the ceiling) at the top of the curl. The biceps are powerful supinators, and this squeeze maximizes contraction.

• Use a 3-second eccentric (lowering) on every rep. The biceps grow exceptionally well from slow eccentrics.

Related Exercises