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biceps

Rope Cable Curl

Standing at a low cable, you curl a rope with your palms facing each other. The cable keeps tension on the biceps the whole way.

beginnercable machinerope attachment

Rope Cable Curl, start position
START
Rope Cable Curl, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START2
  1. Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach the rope.
  2. Choose the weight with the pin.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Hold one end of the rope in each hand with your palms facing each other.
  2. Step back until the weight lifts off the stack with your arms straight.
  3. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  4. Pin your elbows to your sides and keep them there for the whole set.

Check: You are standing tall facing the machine, elbows at your sides, with the weight off the stack and your arms straight.

Curl up

  1. Curl the rope up to your shoulders, pulling the ends apart at the top.
  2. Squeeze for a second at the top.

Check: Your hands are at your shoulders with the rope ends apart, and your elbows have not moved forward.

Lower slowly

  1. Lower the rope slowly until your arms are straight.

Check: Your arms are straight again with your elbows still at your sides.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set.

Breathe out as you curl up in about 1 second; squeeze; breathe in as you lower over 2 to 3 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Rope Cable Curl: muscles worked, front view
Rope Cable Curl: muscles worked, back view

biceps

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES2
  • Swinging the body or the elbows forward to lift the weight. Momentum and the shoulders do the work instead of the biceps. Fix: Keep your elbows pinned at your sides and your trunk still; use less weight.
  • Dropping the weight back down. Fix: Lower over 2 to 3 seconds; the lowering half builds the muscle too.
SAFETY1
  • Keep your wrists straight; do not let them bend back under the weight.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • cable machine · pulley: lowest position
RELATED EXERCISES

variants: straight bar low pulley cable curl, single arm low pulley cable curl

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