High Cable Curl
The high cable curl is a biceps curl performed between two cable pulleys set at shoulder height, with your arms held out to the sides and the handles curled in towards your head. It works the biceps and the other elbow flexors, with the cable tension highest in the bent-arm, squeezed half of the curl.
Also called: High Pulley Curl, High Cable Bicep Curl, Double-Biceps Cable Curl, Overhead Cable Curl · Equipment: cable · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Set both pulleys of a cable crossover at shoulder height and attach a single handle to each.
- Take a handle in each hand with your palms facing up and step to the centre, so both cables are taut with your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height.
- Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your trunk braced, upper arms level with your shoulders.
- Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows and curl the handles in towards the sides of your head.
- Squeeze at the top with your hands beside your ears and hold for one second.
- Take two seconds to straighten your arms back out to the sides, keeping your upper arms at shoulder height.
- After the last rep, straighten your arms and step towards one pulley to slacken the cables before letting go of the handles.
- Upper arms level with your shoulders
- Curl the handles to your ears
- Squeeze and hold for a second
- Palms up through the whole rep
- Chest tall, trunk still
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Biceps brachii: long head | Prime mover | B |
| Biceps brachii: short head | Prime mover | B |
| Brachialis | Secondary | B |
| Brachioradialis | Secondary | C |
| Posterior deltoid | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Upper arms dropping
Fix: Keep your elbows level with your shoulders on every rep.
Elbows drifting forwards
Fix: Keep your upper arms pointing out to the sides so only your forearms move.
Rushing the squeeze
Fix: Hold the handles beside your ears for one second before returning.
Palms rolling inwards
Fix: Keep your palms facing up and your wrists straight throughout.
Leaning to one side
Fix: Stand tall and centred between the pulleys with your trunk braced.
What the research says
Muscle growthEndurance
- Muscle length — Biceps trials find training at long muscle lengths produced more growth and strength than training at short lengths. The high cable curl loads the short, squeezed end of the range most, so programmes commonly pair it with a curl that loads the stretch.
- Grip — In an EMG study of bodybuilders, a palms-up grip produced about 12% more biceps activity than a neutral grip and 19% more than a palms-down grip. Activation is not the same as growth.
- Load and reps — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure; high cable curls are commonly done with light loads for 10–20 reps.
- Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the growth benefit; true failure adds only a small extra effect.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Many lifters place this curl at the end of an arm session as a finisher.
Swap it mid-workout
- Cable Bicep Curl
- Cable Hammer Curl
- Standing High Pulley Cable Curl
- Barbell Curl
- Barbell Drag Curl
- Dumbbell Curl
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the high cable 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.