Cable Curl

1. Attach a straight or EZ bar to the low pulley of a cable station and select your weight.
2. Grip the bar underhand at shoulder width and step back half a step so the cable is taut with your arms extended.
3. Stand tall with feet hip width apart and elbows tucked to your sides.
4. Exhale and curl the bar up toward your shoulders, keeping the upper arms vertical.
5. Squeeze the biceps at the top while the cable is still pulling against you.
6. Inhale and lower the bar under control to full elbow extension without letting the stack touch down.
7. Maintain a still torso and repeat for the full set.

Common Mistakes

• Standing too close to the pulley: slack in the cable at the bottom kills the constant tension advantage; step back until resistance starts from the first centimetre.
• Leaning back as you curl: tilting the torso turns the cable curl into a row and hides the true load on the biceps.
• Letting the stack rest between reps: touching the weights down releases all tension mid set; stop the descent just above the stack.
• Curling with the wrists: flicking the bar up with wrist flexion strains the forearms; keep the wrists straight and move only at the elbow.

Programming Tips

The cable curl brings the one thing free weights cannot offer to biceps training: tension that never disappears. A dumbbell curl loses almost all resistance at the bottom and the top of the arc, while the low pulley pulls against the biceps through every degree. Program 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps at the end of pull or arm days, after the heavier barbell and dumbbell work, where its smooth resistance lets you chase full fatigue without beating up the elbows.

Setup does most of the coaching. Step back far enough that the cable is taut with arms fully extended, pin the elbows to the ribs, and curl without letting the upper arms drift forward. Lower over 2 to 3 seconds and stop just short of letting the stack touch down between reps, preserving the constant tension that is the whole point. Progress one stack plate at a time, and when the stack jumps are too big, add reps before adding weight.

Common Questions

Are cable curls better than dumbbell curls?

They are better at the bottom and top of the rep, where dumbbells go slack, and worse at nothing except convenience. Most good arm programs use both: free weights for heavy work, cables for strict high-rep finishing.

Which attachment should I use?

A straight bar hits the biceps most directly, an EZ bar spares cranky wrists, and a rope turns it into a hammer curl for the brachialis. Rotating them across weeks covers everything; none is wrong.

Why should the stack not touch down between reps?

Because the second it rests, the biceps get a free pause the exercise was chosen to eliminate. Stopping one plate's width above the stack keeps the muscle loaded for the entire set.