Bicep cable workouts

Table of Contents

Bicep Cable Workout for Mass

You want to get bigger biceps? I am going to share some powerful bicep cable workouts. These techniques are going to give you pump and vascularity in your arms.

Why should you do bicep cable workouts?

Biceps cable exercises have certain benefits.

They put less strain on the joints so less injuries
They put your arm in a constant tension. You get more squeeze per rep
They allow you to train the bicep in a variety of angles with different grip, weight, hook positions.

Benefits of cable workouts

They allow you to change the angles as per your height and line of pull- This is especially beneficial if you are doing preacher curls. You can adjust the line of the pull and the distance according to your height
They come with a variety of grips – rope, bar, ez bar, single arm and many more. Cable allows you to train effectively. With the change of the grip you can target different muscles like biceps brachii, long head, short head, brachialis.
They allow you to change the weight easily – this helps when you are trying to do drop sets or pyramid training.
The torque increases as you progress with the lift – did you ever notice that the barbell curl gets easier at the top of the curl? When you do a barbell curl vs cable cable curl, During the starting of the lift you generate the same power with cable and barbel. However, as you go on lifting and are closer to the flex position, you have to generate more torque in case of a cable curl than a barbell curl. This puts your biceps at higher tension in a cable curl. Giving it more squeeze and pump.
Put muscle under constant tension – Additional benefit is that in case of cable curl, your muscle is under constant tension. This increases time under tension. Time under tension as you know is an important factor for muscle hypertrophy.
Cables are isolation exercises – Biceps cable curls restrict cheating. It allows you to train in a slow controlled manner.

Disadvantage of doing cable workouts

If the cable curls are so good then is there any problem in doing them all the time? Well, there are some disadvantages of doing biceps cable workouts

They don’t allow cheating – yes that’s correct. One of the best exercises for biceps mass is cheat curls. You don’t have to cheat every time. But cheating once every 2 weeks allows you to lift heavier weights which is important for muscle hypertrophy.
Difficult to get a hang on – if you are going to a commercial gym during peak hours, forget about cable curls. They are usually busy and you have to wait a lot to complete your sets. Not worth the time!

Best exercises for bicep cable workout

1. Standing Cable Curls

2. Rope Hammer Curls

3. Crucifix Curls

4. Reverse Cable Curls

5. Bent Over Concentration Curls

6. Cable Preacher Curls

7. Single-Arm Cable Curls

8. High Cable Curls

9. Cable Spider Curl

10. Behind the Head Curls

Bicep cable workout plans

Bicep cable workout plan for Strength

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Standing Cable Curls	4	6-8
Rope Hammer Curls	3	8-10
Bent Over Concentration Curls	3	8-10
Reverse Cable Curls	3	8-10

Bicep cable workout plan for Muscle Mass

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Cable Preacher Curls	4	8-12
Single-Arm Cable Curls	3	10-12
High Cable Curls	3	10-12
Cable Spider Curl	3	10-12

Bicep cable workout plan for Pump & Vascularity

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Standing Cable Curls	3	12-15
Rope Hammer Curls	3	12-15
Reverse Cable Curls	3	12-15
Behind the Head Curls	3	12-15

Biceps cable workout tips

Increase Weight & Reps Smartly To get bigger biceps you need to increase your strength. In the case of biceps it’s not easy to increase the weight because it’s a small muscle. You should try to increase weights in the lift. If you are unable to increase the weight then try doing higher reps with the same weight. Overtime you would be able to increase weight
Make each rep count: Do every rep in a slow and controlled manner. This will allow you to have proper mind muscle connection
Train to failure – once in a while, test your limits and try to train to failure. Pyramid training or reverse pyramid training is an excellent method for training to failure.
Monitor your weight – The ideal weight is 60-80% of your 1Rm. Try to get maximum reps in this weight zone.
Control the Negatives – Studies have shown that the negative portion of the rep is more effective in recruiting muscle fibers.

Bicep cable workouts mistakes

I am going to share common mistakes I see people doing in the gym.

Lifting too fast – You have to do SLOW and controlled rep if you want to gain muscle.
Not controlling the negative – If you are dropping the weight then you are missing the benefits of cable bicep exercises
Not doing full range of motion – bicep cable workouts allow you to vary the range of motion. This is a good thing for variety. But for the most part you should do full range of motion.

Bicep cable workouts Faq

Let’s get to the most frequent bicep cable workouts questions

Can you build biceps with cables?

Yes, cable workouts are an effective way to train the biceps. They allow constant tension and proper form. They also help you to train the biceps in different angles and grip.

What 3 exercises should I do for biceps?

Here are the three exercises you should do for biceps. 1. Single arm cable curls 2. Barbell curl 3. Hammer curls

What is the best cable attachment for biceps?

Rope and EZ bar are good attachments for biceps. Ez bar allows you to train the biceps brachii muscle, both long head and short head. Rope allows your focus on the brachialis muscle along with the long head of the biceps.