How to do it
- Attach a straight or EZ bar to a low pulley and stand a step back from the machine.
- Curl the bar up with the elbows fixed at your sides.
- Lower slowly all the way to a straight arm.
Cues that matter
- Cables keep tension on the biceps at the bottom, where dumbbells go slack.
- Stand upright — no leaning back at the top.
Common mistakes
- Standing too close, which kills the resistance at the top.
- Letting the stack pull the arms down fast.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Biceps
- Short head
- Long head
Also works
- Forearms
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Cable Curl in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the biceps with different equipment — for a day the cable is taken, or a gym that does not have one.