Cable Lying Curl

How to do the Cable Lying Curl

1. 1Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight or EZ bar to the cable.
2. 2Lie flat on your back on the floor or a bench with the top of your head close to the pulley.
3. 3Reach back and grip the bar with an underhand (supinated) grip, hands roughly shoulder-width apart, arms extended overhead toward the machine.
4. 4Brace your core and keep your upper arms fixed and pointing back toward the pulley throughout the set.
5. 5Curl the bar toward your forehead by bending only at the elbows, squeezing your biceps at the top.
6. 6Pause briefly in the fully contracted position without letting your upper arms drift.
7. 7Lower the bar under control back to the extended start position, resisting the pull of the cable.
8. 8Complete your reps, then set the bar down and release the cable safely.

Form tips

• Keep your elbows fixed in place and pointing toward the pulley so the biceps do the work, not your shoulders.
• Lower the bar slowly to take advantage of the constant cable tension that this movement provides.
• Use a lighter weight than you would for standing curls, since the lying position removes any cheating momentum.
• Squeeze and hold for a beat at the top of each rep to maximize the peak contraction in the biceps.

Common mistakes

• Letting the upper arms swing toward your torso, which turns the curl into a pullover and takes tension off the biceps.
• Using too much weight and yanking the bar, which recruits the back and shoulders and reduces the load on the target muscle.
• Cutting the range short instead of fully extending the arms, which loses the deep stretch where the cable tension is highest.
• Bouncing out of the bottom rather than reversing under control, which sacrifices muscular tension and risks elbow strain.

Frequently asked questions