Cable Curl
Muscles worked: Biceps (assisted by forearms).
How to do it
- Place a preacher bench about 2 feet in front of a pulley machine.
- Attach a straight bar to the low pulley.
- Sit at the preacher bench with your elbow and upper arms firmly on top of the bench pad and have someone hand you the bar from the low pulley.
- Grab the bar and fully extend your arms on top of the preacher bench pad.
- Now start pilling the weight up towards your shoulders and squeeze the biceps hard at the top of the movement.
Coaching cues
The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:
- Constant tension - that's the point of the cable
- Elbows stay at your sides
Logging it
IronPack suggests working in the 10 to 15 rep range, progressing in 2.5 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.
Related exercises
- Chin-Up - back, biceps
- Barbell Curl - biceps
- Dumbbell Curl - biceps
- Hammer Curl - biceps, forearms
Track the cable curl properly
IronPack logs every set, tracks your records at every rep count, shows these form photos mid-workout, and turns the training into a card game you play with your mates.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreFree download, iPhone. Currently on the New Zealand App Store, wider rollout to follow.
Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.