How To Do The Cable Curl

The Cable Curl is one of the most iconic gym movements for biceps growth and the key to building strength.

But here’s the truth:

Even the best exercises can turn into wasted effort if you’re not dialed into the details.

The Cable Curl keeps constant tension on your biceps, making it a key player in building muscle strength and targeting those stubborn biceps brachii, but most people get it wrong by ignoring form and grip.

Today, we’re going to break down how to master the Cable Curl with perfect form, examine curl benefits and avoid common mistakes.

These same tips also apply to variations like Concentration Curls, Spider Curls, and Rope Bicep Curls, to hit your muscles from every angle.

It doesn’t matter if you’re using a flat weight bench, focusing on cable attachments, or transitioning from heavy Dumbbell Curls, understanding the mechanics of this movement is the key to rapid strength gains.

Get movement ready, because we’re about to take your biceps from ordinary to extraordinary—let’s get into it!

CABLE CURL: MUSCLES WORKED

Let’s break down what’s really happening when you’re cranking out those Cable Curls.

Understanding the anatomy of your biceps muscle isn’t just a science lesson—it’s your roadmap to maximizing muscular strength and muscular hypertrophy.

A strong mind-to-muscle connection is your ticket to bigger hypertrophy gains, better form, and fewer injuries.

When it comes to Cable Curls, biceps brachii strength takes center stage.

This muscle is split into two heads: the short head and the long head, each playing a unique role in your curl variations, including Traditional Biceps Curls, Preacher Curls, and Hammer Curls.

BICEPS BRACHII: SHORT HEAD

The short head sits on the inner side of your biceps muscle, closest to your body.

It’s responsible for elbow flexion, the very movement that drives every biceps exercise you perform—from Standard Curls to cable machine variations.

The short head is also helpful during shoulder flexion, which helps stabilize your shoulder joints during any upper body movement.

The short head’s work during your Biceps Cable Curls is essential for maintaining tension throughout the range of motion, especially when using the cable machine in a seated position or preacher bench.

BICEPS BRACHII: LONG HEAD

The long head is what gives your biceps that defined peak.

Originating from the shoulder blade, it runs along the outer side of your arm, through the bicipital groove.

The long head of the biceps doesn’t just look good; it plays a role in elbow flexion and supination—think about how the twist at the top engages your biceps long head. Same goes for the Cable Rope Hammer Curl. The long head is one of the most important One-Arm Cable Curl muscles.

This is the part of your biceps that really gets targeted when you focus on exercises that keep the muscle under constant tension, like the biggest Cable Bicep Curl or the Single Arm Cable Curl.

BRACHIALIS

The brachialis isn’t technically part of the biceps, but if you’re aiming for serious hypertrophy gains, you can’t ignore it.

This muscle sits underneath your biceps and contributes significantly to elbow flexion.

It’s a hidden powerhouse that comes into play during every curl movement, particularly when you use an underhand grip or switch up your curl variations with the curved curl bar.

Targeting the brachialis with Cable Bicep Curl variations can lead to bigger overall arm size and enhanced bicep strength.

FOREARMS

Forearms provide the grip strength you need to stabilize the bar, handle attachment, or cable rope attachment during your Biceps Cable Curl exercises.

The brachioradialis forearm muscles are particularly engaged during overhand position and hammer position curls, helping you maintain wrist stability and control the path of motion.

If you neglect your forearms, you risk muscle imbalances that can compromise your strength and form during your biceps exercises.

Keeping your forearms strong ensures that you can maintain constant tension through each movement, whether it’s a Traditional Cable Curl, a Double Bicep Cable Curl, or any other variation that challenges your grip and control.

THE ONE FORM CHANGE YOU NEED TO MAKE

So, you’re looking to build those biceps, and you’re probably hitting some version of the Cable Curl with a bar attachment.

You’ve got your feet shoulder-width apart, shoulder squared up to the cable machine, and you’re ready to curl away.

But here’s the thing: how you grab that bar can make or break your gains. When you approach the cable machine, you’ll notice the EZ-curl bar attachment is engineered to hang in one position.

This setup often leads us to grab the bar in a way that feels comfortable but isn’t necessarily optimal for muscle growth. The bar offers two grip options: a narrower, palms-up position or a wider, more natural shoulder-width grip.

Most of us instinctively go for the wider grip, but here’s the catch—doing so can actually compromise the effectiveness of your Cable Biceps Curl.

When you grab the bar at shoulder-width, you’re in a less supinated (palms-up) position, which limits the activation of the biceps brachii.

This means you’re engaging more of the brachialis muscle, which, while important, isn’t your primary target for isolation exercises like the Cable Bicep Curl benefits.

To get the most out of this movement, you need to optimize your starting position.

Here’s what you do:

Flip the bar before you grab it. This will naturally put your hands in a more supinated position, allowing for better activation of the biceps brachii as you curl.

As you perform the movement, focus on maintaining a slight backward bend in your wrists.

This small adjustment not only enhances wrist stability limitations but also keeps the tension on your biceps throughout the range of controlled motion.

Why is this important?

Because when you keep your wrists slightly extended, you improve the angle of pull on the biceps and the lengthened position.

The cable becomes more perpendicular to your forearm, increasing the biceps under tension, especially at the top of the curl.

This results in more effective muscle growth and hypertrophy over time.

But what if you’re using a straight bar attachment? Well, the same idea applies here.

When you grab the straight bar, focus on where you’re directing your force.

The key area is the inside portion of your hand, specifically the area around the thumb and index finger.

By pushing through this part of your hand during your Cable Machine Bicep Curls, you can encourage more supination, which brings your elbows tighter into your sides.

This setup is important because when your elbows drift out, you lose tension on the biceps and shift some of the workload to other muscles, limiting the isolation effect.

Here’s how it works:

When you grip the straight bar attachment, think about pushing through the inner portion of your palms.

This subtle shift in your hand positions allows your wrists to naturally supinate as you curl up, even with a bar that doesn’t have a natural rotation like a Dumbbell Bicep Curl.

This simple adjustment helps you maintain a more effective angle of pull, maximizing biceps activation and promoting muscle growth.

Getting your elbows tucked in this way also prevents them from flaring out, which is a common Cable Bicep Curl mistake.

By keeping your elbows close, you ensure that you don’t start in a compromised position, which is essential for proper Cable Bicep Curl form and optimal muscle engagement.

This is what sets the straight bar attachment apart as a challenging Cable Bicep Curl exercise—when done correctly, it forces your biceps to work harder to manage both the slight angle and tension of the cable.

And don’t forget, this isn’t just about one exercise; the principles apply across your usual arm routine including Cable Rope Bicep Curls, Bar Bicep Cable Curls, or even transitioning to Classic Dumbbell Curls.

That’s how you take your strength training to the next level, ensuring consistent hypertrophy gains over time.

The next time you hit the cable machine for your biceps workout, make sure you’re dialing in your grip and wrist position.

It’s a small tweak that can lead to big gains, making your Cable Bicep Weight Curls more challenging and rewarding.

HOW TO DO THE CABLE CURL

If you’re not doing the Cable Curl, you’re missing out on one of the best ways to blow up your biceps.

Forget just going through the motions—this move keeps your biceps under constant tension, forcing them to work harder from start to finish.

But here’s the catch: it’s only as effective as your form.

One small mistake, and you’re leaving gains on the table.

Let’s break down exactly how to master the Cable Curl so you can build bigger, stronger biceps with every rep.

CABLE CURL

CABLE BICEP CURL MISTAKES

Mastering the Cable Bicep Curl is all about nailing the form, but there are a few common mistakes that can derail your progress.

Correcting these Cable Bicep Curl mistakes will keep your form effective, helping you build strong, defined biceps with every workout.

Let’s make sure you’re not just moving weight but maximizing every rep for strong biceps.

INCORRECT HAND POSITION AND GRIP

One of the biggest mistakes is not positioning your hands correctly on the cable bar attachment.

Grabbing too wide or in a compromised position can reduce the biceps brachii activation and shift the focus to other muscles like the brachialis.

To get the most out of your Cable Bicep Curl exercises, ensure your grip is slightly narrower to encourage a full supination and optimal muscle engagement.

USING TOO MUCH WEIGHT

A heavy weight isn’t always your friend, especially if it’s sacrificing your form.

Avoid using excessive weight that forces you to swing your body or lean back.

Stick to a lighter weight that allows you to maintain steady motion and keep the tension directly on the biceps throughout the range of angles.

ELBOW FLARING

When your elbows flare out during the movement, you’re not in the preferred position for maximum biceps isolation.

This common mistake can shift the load away from the biceps and put unnecessary strain on your shoulders.

Keep your elbows tucked close to your body at a 90-degree angle to maintain the correct angle of pull and maximize the benefits of Cable Bicep Curls.

LEANING BACK OR USING MOMENTUM

Using momentum to get the bar up is a shortcut that only cheats your gains.

This negative movement takes tension off your biceps and puts your back in a compromised position.

Focus on controlled motion, and keep your body stable, avoiding any lean.

This isolation movement is meant to target your biceps, not involve your lower back.

IMPROPER WRIST POSITION

If your wrists are flexing during the curl, you’re losing the mechanics for growth.

Instead, maintain a slight backward bend in your wrists to keep the cable under tension and prevent the force from shifting away from your biceps.

This is key to maintaining optimal tension and achieving improved strength in the muscle.

RUSHING THE ECCENTRIC PHASE

The lowering phase of the curl, or the eccentric, is just as important as lifting.

A common mistake is letting the bar drop too quickly, missing out on the benefits of time under tension compared.

Slow down the negative movement to keep your biceps under constant load and stimulate more muscle growth.

NOT VARYING ANGLES AND ATTACHMENTS

Sticking to just one type of curl can lead to discrepancies in strength and limit your results.

Incorporate variations like the Standing One-Arm Cable Curl, Cable Hammer Curl, and even Cable Preacher Curl to hit the biceps from a variety of angles to maximize curl benefits.

Switching up attachments—like using the rope or single-hand attachment—keeps your arms workout routine fresh and challenges your muscles in new ways.

Mastering the Cable Curl is all about dialing in your form and avoiding the common mistakes that can rob you of your gains.

By keeping constant tension on your biceps and focusing on the right angles and positions, you can build serious muscle strength and size.

Apply these tips, perfect your technique, and watch your biceps grow stronger with every rep.

If you’re having trouble creating an arm workout, we’ve got you covered!  Check out our ATHLEAN-X programs to see which is the best fit for your goals and fitness level.

HOW TO DO CABLE CURLS FAQS