Cable Arm Workouts: No Dumbbells, No Problem

Why we love it: The American Council of Exercise (ACE) found that the cable bicep curl provides the best biceps muscle activation next to the concentration curl, meaning it’s the best cable exercise for your biceps workout.

How to do it: 

1. Set the cable machine to the low pulley position and attach the straight bar attachment.
2. Select the desired amount of weight and grip the handle with an underhand grip.
3. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
4. Slowly curl the bar toward your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top.
5. Slowly lower the bar to the starting position, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides.

Why we love it: “You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck with standard curls, but hammer curls shift the emphasis from the short head to the long head of the bicep,” says Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1. “Working them both is beneficial for both improving strength and ensuring even growth of the muscle.”

How to do it: 

1. Set the cable pulley to the lowest position and attach the rope attachment.
2. Select the desired amount of weight and grip the ends of the rope handle with both hands using a neutral grip, meaning you’ll have your palms facing each other.
3. Facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart, slowly curl the rope toward your shoulders. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
4. Slowly lower the attachment back down.

RELATED: How to Do Hammer Curls

Why we love it: Performing bilateral movements results in some level of compensation; the stronger side typically picks up the slack of the weaker side. You can nip this in the bud by converting the cable curl into a unilateral cable curl.

How to do it: 

1. Set the cable machine to the low position and attach a single-handle attachment.
2. Face the machine and grip the handle with an underhand grip.
3. Curl the handle toward your shoulder, then slowly bring it back down.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch sides and repeat the set.

Why we love it: “Lying supine (facing up) places your shoulders against a flat bench, so you don’t wind up using them unintentionally to assist the bicep curl movement,” says Amanda. “You won’t always know if your shoulders are moving forward or back while standing, but from this position, you’ll definitely know if they start coming off the bench, and then you can correct.”

How to do it: 

1. Set up a weight bench so that it’s perpendicular to the cable machine.
2. Set the machine to the high pulley position and attach the straight bar attachment.
3. Lie with your head near the weight stack and grip the handle with an underhand grip.
4. Pull the bar toward your face using only elbow flexion.
5. Squeeze your biceps at the bottom of the movement, then slowly guide the cable back up.

RELATED: Best Weight Bench

Why we love it: Using a preacher bench or preacher pad to stabilize the elbow joint is another way to ensure you keep the bicep as virtually the only muscle working during the curl.

How to do it: 

1. Set the cable machine to the low position and attach a straight bar attachment.
2. Position a preacher bench so it’s facing the cable machine and have a seat. If you don’t have one, an incline bench set to approximately 45-degrees should work, but you’ll need to stand to recreate the motion.
3. Extend your arms across the pad and grip the handle with an underhand grip.
4. Curl the bar attachment toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows against the pad or bench.
5. Squeeze your biceps at the top, then slowly lower back down.

Why we love it: The tricep pushdown is one of the best tricep exercises. Using the straight bar allows you to move heavier weights and emphasizes the long head of the triceps.

How to do it: 

1. Set the cable machine to the high position and attach the straight bar attachment.
2. Grip the handle with an overhand grip and push it straight down.
3. Squeeze your triceps at the end of the movement, then slowly bring the handle back up.

Why we love it: “Using the rope attachment for your triceps pushdown provides more muscle activation due to an increased range of motion and the neutral grip,” says Amanda. “Using the rope also emphasizes the lateral head of the triceps, so try rotating between the straight bar and rope for a truly comprehensive tricep workout routine!”

How to do it: 

1. Set the cable machine to the high position and attach the rope attachment.
2. Grip the handles using a neutral grip, then push it down by extending your elbows. Unlike the straight bar, the rope allows you to bring your hands all the way to your sides.
3. Squeeze the triceps, then slowly return to the starting position.

Why we love it: According to a 2023 study in the European Journal of Sport Science³, “cable elbow extension training should be performed in the overhead…position [to maximize] muscle hypertrophy of the triceps brachii.” That’s because this positioning emphasizes the long head of the triceps, which “growing evidence suggests…promotes muscle hypertrophy”

How to do it: 

1. Set a cable machine to the low pulley position and attach the rope attachment.
2. Grip the attachment using a neutral grip and stand with your back to the machine.
3. Lean forward slightly, keeping your back straight and core tight, and step forward to enter a staggered split stance. The rope should now be held right behind your head.
4. Extend your elbows, bringing the rope directly overhead.
5. Squeeze the triceps, then slowly return to the starting position.

RELATED: Hypertrophy Workout

Why we love it: Converting your standard overhead tricep extension to a single-arm version takes away your ability to compensate. You’ll get equal work done and correct imbalances doing the unilateral version.

How to do it: 

1. Set a cable machine to the low pulley position and attach the single handle attachment.
2. Grip the attachment stand with your back to the machine.
3. Lean forward and enter a staggered split stance.
4. Extend your elbow, bringing the handle overhead.
5. Squeeze your tricep, then return to the starting position.
6. Repeat as needed, then switch sides and repeat the set.

Why we love it: “Think of [the supine cable tricep extension] as a reverse skullcrusher,” says Amanda. “The positioning is nearly identical, but now the starting position has the bar in front of your face. You’re fighting to move the weight against the tension of the cable rope rather than gravity.”

RELATED: How to Perfect the Skull Crusher Workout

How to do it: 

1. Set up a weight bench so that it’s perpendicular to the cable machine.
2. Set the machine to the low pulley position and attach the straight bar attachment.
3. Lie with your head near the weight stack and grip the handle with an overhand grip.
4. Push the bar away from your face using only elbow flexion.
5. Squeeze your triceps, then slowly guide the bar back down.