Cable Bar Curl

How to do it

1. Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight bar, then grip it underhand at shoulder width.
2. Step back so the cable has tension at full arm extension and stand tall with your elbows tucked at your ribs.
3. Curl the bar up toward your shoulders by bending only at the elbows, keeping the upper arms locked in place.
4. Squeeze the biceps hard at the top with the bar a few inches from your collarbone.
5. Lower the bar slowly over 2 to 3 seconds, fighting the cable tension all the way back to full extension.
6. Reset your stance and repeat for 10 to 15 controlled reps without using your back or hips.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the torso back to fling the bar up, which steals load from the biceps and risks lower-back strain.
• Letting the elbows drift forward at the top, turning the curl into a partial front raise.
• Cutting the lockout short at the bottom, missing the long-head stretch where most growth lives.
• Rushing the lowering phase, which throws away the highest-tension half of the rep where the biceps grow most.