Overhead Bicep Curl (Cable)
The overhead bicep curl is a cable isolation exercise that targets the biceps brachii, specifically emphasizing the peak contraction. By curling the cables toward your ears with arms raised, you place the biceps in a unique shortened position to maximize muscle fiber recruitment.
Since this exercise places the shoulder joint in an abducted (raised) position, our AI analyzes your reported shoulder comfort and pain history to ensure this specific variation is safe for you. By correlating your daily recovery metrics like HRV and sleep with your RPE, the system can fine-tune your volume and load to maximize the metabolic 'pump' effect without overstressing the bicep tendons, which are susceptible to overuse when systemic recovery is low.
Form Cues
- Set the cable pulleys to a height slightly above your shoulders.
- Keep your elbows high and parallel to the floor throughout the entire set.
- Curl your hands toward your ears and squeeze hard at the peak.
- Control the weight slowly as you extend your arms back to the starting position.
- Brace your core to keep your torso upright and stable.
- Don't let your elbows drop below shoulder level as you fatigue.
- Don't jut your head forward to meet the handles.
- Don't use momentum or swing your body to move the weight.
- Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears.
Common Mistakes
- Dropping elbows during the lowering phase
- Using excessive weight that limits range of motion
- Protracting the neck forward (goose necking)
- Arching the lower back excessively
- Rushing the eccentric (release) portion
Muscles Worked
This exercise isolates the biceps brachii, placing significant emphasis on the short head due to the abducted shoulder position which prevents the front deltoids from assisting. It serves as an excellent finishing movement to fully shorten the muscle fibers, while also engaging the forearms as secondary stabilizers.
Primary
Secondary
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