What is a High Cable Curl?

The High Cable Curl is an effective isolation exercise primarily targeting the biceps, emphasizing the peak of the bicep during the contraction. This exercise is performed using a cable machine, allowing for continuous tension throughout the movement. Here’s how to perform the High Cable Curl correctly: Incorporating this exercise into your workout routine can be a great addition for building strong, defined arms. Always ensure you warm up before exercising and consult a fitness professional if you’re unsure about your form.

Build muscle & lose weight fast with Flex.

Download for Free

Available on iPhone + Apple Watch

How-to Do High Cable Curl

Stand in the middle of two cables with handle attachments set at the tops of the racks. Grasp the handles with your palms facing upward, arms straight.
Bend at the elbows, bringing the handles to your head. Keep your elbows stationary throughout the motion. Squeeze and briefly hold.
Slowly return to the starting position.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Forearms

The forearms help you grip objects and move your hands, wrists and fingers

Pro Tips

Adjust Your Stance- Most people stand too close to the machine. This severely limits your range of motion since you don’t have much space. Step back further than you’d think to get a deeper stretch at the bottom of the movement and more contraction at the top. This adjustment helps you engage your biceps fully throughout the curl.
Rotate Your Wrists- On the way up, slightly rotate your wrists so your pinkies draw closer to each other at the top. This subtle shift is great for activating the biceps, especially the long head. If you struggle with bad bicep genetics, working on activating the muscles this way can give you the look of more definition and fullness along your upper arms.
Squeeze Your Lats- Before starting your curl, give your latissimus dorsi (“lats”) a slight squeeze by pulling your shoulders down and back. This helps give you a more stable base for your movement and stops you from swinging or leaning forward too much. Stabilizing your torso with your lats engaged also isolates your biceps more efficiently for better results.

Equipments

Cable Machine

This pulley machine attaches to a steel frame and offers weighted resistance for pulling exercises

Benefits of High Cable Curl

More Constant Tension- Unlike free weights, high cable curls put constant tension on your biceps through your full range of motion, both at the top and bottom of the movement. This consistent resistance pattern is a good way to get more time under tension and load your muscles for longer. This can help with better muscle activation and potentially faster growth for your biceps.
Develop your Bicep Peak- The high cable curl's angle resistance angle puts more emphasis on your upper biceps. This can help grow what’s called the "bicep peak." Using a different line of pull on this specific area than you would in regular curls can give you a better overall shape and definition of the biceps. Bicep peak exercises like this are great if you value your arm aesthetics as well as strength.
Keeps Elbows Safe- Since high cable curls let you work with more control, there’s less risk of a jerky movement pattern. Compared to free-weight bicep exercises you’re less likely to make any sudden movements that can aggravate the elbow joints. The cable machine keeps your elbows in a more natural, fixed position, minimizing excess joint stress. It lets you get a smoother, safer curl, especially if you’re prone to elbow problems.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Warm Up

Arm Swings: Swing your arms forward and backward, making big movements or circles to loosen your shoulders, arms, and chest. Introducing a dynamic warm-up brings life to your shoulder joints and gets your upper body ready for a cable curl.
Resistance Band Bicep Curls: Use a light resistance band to do a warm-up set of bicep curls. Apply gentle resistance to feel your muscles work without strain. This helps activate your biceps and forearms while not overloading them. Try to work slowly and with control here.
Shoulder Rolls: Roll your shoulders in circles, both forward and backward. Try to feel your shoulder blades gliding along as you do this. Shoulder rolls let the blood flow to your shoulders and upper back and help the scapulae (shoulder blades) glide together effectively as you’d need in a high cable curl.

Cool Down

Bicep Stretch- Interlace your fingers behind your back with your palms facing down. Straighten your arms and gently lift them away from your body while keeping your head, neck, and spine aligned.
Tricep Stretch- Lift one arm overhead and bend your elbow, bringing your hand toward your opposite shoulder blade. Use the hand of your free arm to gently push your elbow down. This releases tricep and shoulder tension for a more balanced stretch across your upper body.
Wrist Flexor- Stretch Bring one arm out with your palm face up, and pull your fingers back towards you with your opposite hand to stretch your wrist. Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch sides. This stretches your wrist flexors and forearms, which engage during high cable curls.

FAQ

Not necessarily, but they work your muscles in a different way. High cable curls give you a different angle of resistance compared to traditional dumbbell or barbell curls. They provide more consistent tension. Traditional curls are great for overall strength, but high cable curls can emphasize the peak of your biceps and offer more isolation to your arms. Both are valuable additions to your pull day workout. Experiment with these bicep curl variations to see which one you like best.

You can adjust the difficulty of this exercise by adding or removing weight to your pulleys, changing the cable pulley height, or speeding up or slowing down your reps. For a harder exercise, you can try using more weight but always prioritize your form. It’s not worth using momentum and working with sloppy form. This only leads to injuries and makes the workout less beneficial. Slower reps also increase your time under tension, which can help with muscle growth (hypertrophy).

Get fit with Flex

Build muscle & lose weight fast for free.