Single-Arm High Cable Curl
With the cable set high and the arm out to the side, this loads the biceps in a shortened, contracted position and lets you get a hard peak squeeze one arm at a time. Working unilaterally exposes and fixes strength differences between sides. It is a focused peak-contraction accessory rather than a heavy loader.
- Equipment
- Cables
- Body part
- Biceps
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
- Browse by movement
- Elbow Flexion
- Target
- Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
- Secondary
- Brachioradialis
- Tertiary
- Deltoid Anterior
How to do it
- 1
Set a cable pulley above head height and attach a single handle.
- 2
Stand side-on to the stack and grip the handle with an underhand grip.
- 3
Raise your upper arm so it is roughly parallel to the floor, pointing toward the pulley.
- 4
Curl the handle in toward the side of your head by flexing the elbow.
- 5
Squeeze the biceps hard in the fully contracted position.
- 6
Extend slowly back to the start and complete all reps before switching arms.
Tips
- Keep your upper arm still and high; only the forearm should move.
- Use a controlled tempo and chase the squeeze, not heavy weight.
- Keep your torso upright and avoid leaning into the rep.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Running the strong arm first and then matching its number with a sloppier set on the weaker side. Start with the weak arm and let it set the reps for both.
- Standing too close to the pulley, so the plates touch down right as your hand reaches your ear and the squeeze disappears. Step out until the line stays loaded through the finish.
- Hanging on to the machine frame with the free hand and hauling your torso toward the stack. Rest that hand on your hip so the working arm has to do the job.
- Turning your chest away from the pulley as you curl, which shortens the arc and hides how far the elbow actually bent. Stay side-on to the stack from the first rep to the last.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the single-arm high cable curl should I do?
- Two or three sets of 12 to 15 per arm, weaker side first, at the end of an arm session. Hold the top for a beat on every rep and pick a plate that still allows that on the last one. Progress by adding reps or lengthening the hold before you touch the pin, since this is a squeeze exercise and extra weight mostly buys a worse position. If one arm is well behind, give it an extra set rather than more load.
- How can I do a single-arm high cable curl at home?
- Anchor a band in a door at head height or over a pull-up bar, stand side-on and curl one hand toward your ear; the line of pull and the arm position both match. A partner holding the end of a band works too. Dumbbells cannot copy it, because with the upper arm out to the side a dumbbell falls straight down and loads the shoulder rather than the biceps. Without a band, a concentration curl is a different route to the same hard squeeze.
- What is the single-arm high cable curl for?
- It trains the biceps in a shortened, fully contracted position, one side at a time, which is how you close a gap between arms: the weaker side gets its own set and its own weight instead of hiding behind the stronger one. Use it as a finisher or as extra volume for a lagging arm. It is a poor main lift, since the loads are small, each set costs twice the time, and holding one arm out to the side is hard to brace. Skip that position if it makes your shoulder ache.
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