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biceps

Straight Bar Low Pulley Cable Curl

Standing at a low cable, you curl a straight bar with your palms facing up.

beginnercable machinestraight bar attachment

Straight Bar Low Pulley Cable Curl, start position
START
Straight Bar Low Pulley Cable Curl, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START2
  1. Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach the straight bar.
  2. Choose the weight with the pin.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Hold the bar with your palms facing up, hands shoulder-width apart.
  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 bar up to your shoulders.
  2. Squeeze for a second at the top.

Check: The bar is at your shoulders and your elbows have not moved forward.

Lower slowly

  1. Lower the bar 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
Straight Bar Low Pulley Cable Curl: muscles worked, front view
Straight Bar Low Pulley 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: rope cable curl, barbell curl

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