Cable Concentration Curl

Beginner

Biceps

Cable

Skip the guesswork: Cable Concentration Curl leans on unbroken cable tension for strength you can feel outside the gym.

How to do Cable Concentration Curl

Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly bent.
Hold the cable handle with an underhand grip and rest your elbow against the inside of your thigh.
Keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the cable handle towards your shoulder while contracting your biceps.
Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then inhale and slowly lower the cable handle back to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

Add to an AI Workout Plan All Arms Exercises Cable Arm Exercises All Cable Exercises

Cable Concentration Curl Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top.

Hypertrophy

3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight.

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy.

Common Cable Concentration Curl Mistakes

Setting the pulley at the wrong height for the line of pull

Match pulley height so the cable lines up with the working muscle.

Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains

Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.

Skipping warm-up sets and starting at working weight

Run two light build-up sets so the first hard set is not the first rep.

Easier and Harder Than Cable Concentration Curl

Harder progression

Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl

Swap Cable Concentration Curl For

Dumbbell Seated Preacher Curl

Biceps Narrow Pull-ups

Barbell Curl

Cable Concentration Curl — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Cable Concentration Curl?

Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly bent. Hold the cable handle with an underhand grip and rest your elbow against the inside of your thigh. Keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the cable handle towards your shoulder while contracting your biceps. Use a cable machine and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Cable Concentration Curl work?

The Cable Concentration Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with a cable machine.

How many sets and reps of the Cable Concentration Curl should I do?

For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Cable Concentration Curl good for beginners?

Yes. The Cable Concentration Curl is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.

What can I do instead of the Cable Concentration Curl?

Try the Dumbbell Seated Preacher Curl, Biceps Narrow Pull-ups or the Barbell Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.