cable preacher curl: technique and muscles worked

Animated demonstration of cable preacher curl

How to do this exercise

Step:1 Adjust the cable machine so that the preacher curl pad is at chest height.
Step:2 Sit on the preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the cable attachment with an underhand grip.
Step:3 Keep your back straight and your elbows tucked in at your sides.
Step:4 Slowly curl the cable attachment up towards your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement.
Step:5 Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the cable attachment back down to the starting position.
Step:6 Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Equipment: Cable machine
Body part: Arms
Target muscle: Biceps
Secondary muscle: Forearms

Hypertrophy grade

Very good9 / 10

Nemeo’s take

The pulley desk curl is one of the most formidable exercises for isolating the biceps and accentuating the “peak” of the arm. By bracing your arms on the desk, you eliminate any momentum and possible cheating coming from the shoulders. It is the “big brother” of surgical isolation: unlike the version with a free bar where the tension decreases at the top of the movement, the pulley maintains a constant and linear resistance over each millimeter of the repetition. This forces the biceps to work intensely, from full stretch to maximum contraction.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

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cable preacher curl

How to do this exercise

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