Cable Curl
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Barbell
- Cable
- Band
- Machine
HOW TO PERFORM
- Stand tall with the load at arm's length, palms facing forward, elbows tucked at your sides.
- Curl the load up by bending the elbows, keeping the upper arms still.
- Squeeze at the top without letting the elbows drift forward.
- Lower slowly all the way to straight arms.
FORM TIPS
- The elbows stay at your sides. Swinging them forward at the top turns it into a front raise and takes the tension off the biceps exactly where you were about to earn it.
- The bottom half is where most of the growth is, so straighten the arms fully every rep rather than pumping the top third.
- The hammer version holds a neutral grip, palms facing each other, the whole way. That shifts work onto the brachialis and forearms, so expect a different load from a supinated curl.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Biceps
Secondary
- Forearms
In the app
This guide covers these exercises in the Ægir Iron library:
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl
- Barbell Bicep Curl
- Cable Curl
- Band-Only Bicep Curl
- Bicep Curl Machine
- Cable Bicep Curl
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl
- Dumbbell Incline Bicep Curl
- EZ Bar Bicep Curl
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.