Cable Curl

How to Perform

1. Attach a straight bar, EZ bar, or rope to a low cable
2. Stand upright about one step back from the machine with elbows at your sides
3. Curl the handle up, squeezing the biceps hard at the top
4. Hold the peak contraction for 1 second
5. Lower slowly over 2-3 seconds

Tips

• Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and your upper arms still — the cable will try to pull them forward
• No cable machine? Resistance band curls anchored under your feet provide a similar increasing-tension curve
• Use a 2 second curl, 1 second squeeze, and 3 second descent — the constant cable tension makes slow tempos incredibly effective
• Leaning back and using your shoulders to initiate the curl is the most common mistake — stay upright and isolate
• Feel the tension in your biceps throughout the entire range — unlike dumbbells, you should feel it at the top, so squeeze hard at peak contraction