Standing Biceps Cable Curl

Stand tall like a curious bear sniffing honey, grab the cable, and curl with your elbows tucked in tight. The cable keeps steady tension, so your biceps have to work the whole time. Move smoothly, squeeze at the top, and don’t let your shoulders do the foraging!

Instructions

1. Set a cable pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight bar or single handle.
2. Stand facing the machine, feet hip-width apart, and grasp the attachment with palms up.
3. Step back slightly to create tension; brace your core and keep your chest up.
4. Pin your elbows close to your sides and keep your shoulders down and back.
5. Curl the handle/bar up toward your shoulders without swinging your torso.
6. Pause and squeeze your biceps at the top.
7. Lower under control to full elbow extension while keeping tension on the cable.
8. Repeat for the desired reps, maintaining strict form.

Benefits

• Builds biceps size and strength with consistent cable tension
• Improves arm flexion strength for pulling movements
• Allows easy load adjustments and smooth resistance profile
• Helps reinforce strict curling mechanics with reduced momentum

Key Points

• Keep elbows tucked and mostly fixed in place; only the forearms should move.
• Avoid leaning back; keep ribs down and core braced.
• Control the eccentric and reach near-full extension without relaxing at the bottom.
• Use a neutral wrist position; do not let wrists bend back.
• Exhale as you curl, inhale as you lower.

Common Mistakes

• Swinging the torso or leaning back to move the weight
• Letting elbows drift forward, turning it into a front-delt movement
• Using wrists to curl (excessive wrist extension) instead of the biceps
• Dropping the weight too fast on the way down
• Shrugging shoulders up during the curl