Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Cable Concentration Curl

The cable concentration curl is a seated, one-arm biceps curl using a low cable pulley, with the back of your upper arm braced against your inner thigh. It works the biceps and brachialis, and the brace keeps the rest of the body out of the movement.

Also called: Seated Cable Concentration Curl, Low-Pulley Concentration Curl, One-Arm Cable Concentration Curl · Equipment: cable · Pattern: pull

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How to do it

Step by step

Set a cable pulley at the lowest position with a single handle. Place a flat bench beside it and sit near the front edge, feet wider than hip-width.
Take the handle in your working hand with your palm facing up, and turn slightly so the cable runs from the pulley to your hand.
Lean forward and rest the back of your upper arm against the inside of the same-side thigh, with the arm hanging straight.
Curl the handle up towards the front of your shoulder, keeping your upper arm pressed against your thigh.
Squeeze your biceps briefly at the top, with your palm still facing up.
Let the handle travel back down under control until your arm is straight again.
Complete all the reps on one arm, then swap sides.

Coaching cues

Upper arm stays pressed to your thigh
Palm faces up the whole way
Curl to the front of your shoulder
Squeeze at the top
Straighten your arm fully each rep

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

Muscle	Role	Evidence
Biceps brachii: short head	Prime mover	C
Biceps brachii: long head	Prime mover	C
Brachialis	Secondary	C
Brachioradialis	Secondary	C
Forearm flexors	Stabiliser	D

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Upper arm lifting off the thigh

Fix: Press the back of your upper arm into your thigh for the whole set.

Leaning back to finish the rep

Fix: Stay leaning forward and use a load you can curl with your arm only.

Wrist curling in

Fix: Keep your wrist straight and your palm facing up.

Half reps at the bottom

Fix: Let your arm straighten fully before each curl.

Dropping the handle

Fix: Let the handle travel down slowly under control.

Programming

What the research says

Muscle growthRehab & prehab

Muscle activity — An EMG comparison of eight biceps exercises found the dumbbell concentration curl produced the highest biceps activity. Muscle activity is not the same as growth, and the cable version was not tested.
Grip — EMG research finds a palm-up grip produces the most biceps activity compared with neutral or palm-down grips.
Load and effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, and true failure adds only a small extra benefit.
Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns.
Placement — A common approach is to use it after heavier curls as a finishing exercise. There is no research comparing its placement.

Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the cable concentration curl in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.

General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.