Single Arm Bicep Curl (Cable)
The Single Arm Cable Bicep Curl is a unilateral isolation exercise that uses a low pulley to target the biceps with constant tension. This movement is excellent for correcting muscle imbalances and maximizing hypertrophy by maintaining stress on the muscle throughout the entire range of motion.
Since cable exercises provide continuous mechanical tension, the AI analyzes your RPE and rep duration to distinguish between true muscular failure and simple fatigue. By integrating recovery data like HRV and sleep quality, the app can adjust volume to prevent tendonitis in the elbow while ensuring you perform enough high-quality sets for growth. If you are tracking nutrition, the AI may suggest intensity adjustments based on whether you are in a caloric surplus or deficit.
Form Cues
- Stand tall and pin your working elbow firmly against your ribcage.
- Squeeze the bicep hard at the top of the movement for a full second.
- Control the lowering phase for 2-3 seconds to maximize time under tension.
- Keep your wrist neutral or slightly supinated (palm up) throughout the curl.
- Exhale as you curl the handle up toward your shoulder.
- Don't let your elbow drift forward or backward during the curl.
- Don't swing your torso or hips to generate momentum.
- Don't curl your wrist inward at the top of the movement.
- Don't let the weight stack touch down completely between reps.
Common Mistakes
- Using momentum to swing the weight up
- Allowing the elbow to travel forward
- Rushing the eccentric (lowering) phase
- Flexing the wrist excessively
- Shrugging the shoulder towards the ear
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily isolates the biceps brachii, engaging both the long and short heads through a full range of motion. The brachialis and brachioradialis in the forearm also work as secondary movers to stabilize the elbow joint and assist in flexion.
Primary
Secondary
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