Single Arm Reverse Cable Curl

The single-arm reverse cable curl is a unilateral biceps and forearm exercise performed at a low pulley with a pronated, palms-down grip. The reversed grip shifts emphasis away from the biceps brachii and onto the brachialis and forearm extensors, building forearm thickness and grip strength. Training one arm at a time prevents the stronger side from compensating and keeps constant cable tension throughout the range of motion. It's a common finishing exercise on arm or pull-day sessions.

Muscles Targeted

• Primary: Brachioradialis, forearm extensors
• Secondary: Brachialis, biceps brachii
• Tertiary: Wrist flexors, anterior deltoid (stabilization)

Starting Position

Attach a single handle to a low pulley. Stand facing the machine and grasp the handle with an overhand grip, palm facing down. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, upper arm pinned to your side, and elbow extended so your arm hangs straight down with tension already on the cable.

Execution Steps

1. Brace your core and pin your elbow against your ribs before starting the rep
2. Curl the handle upward toward your shoulder by bending only at the elbow
3. Keep your wrist locked in a neutral position throughout, resisting the urge to let it break backward
4. Squeeze at the top of the movement, holding briefly at full elbow flexion
5. Lower the handle slowly, resisting the cable's pull back to the starting position
6. Complete all reps on one side before switching arms

Form Cues

• Pin the elbow to your side: any forward drift shifts the work to the front deltoid
• Keep the wrist rigid: a locked, neutral wrist keeps tension on the forearm extensors instead of the joint
• Move slowly on the way down: the eccentric phase is where much of the forearm stimulus comes from
• Avoid leaning or rotating the torso: keep the movement isolated to the elbow and forearm
• Use a lighter load than your standard curl: the reverse grip is mechanically weaker

Common Mistakes

• Letting the elbow swing forward, which recruits the shoulder and reduces tension on the target muscles; keep it fixed against your ribs
• Bending the wrist, which converts biceps and forearm tension into wrist joint stress; keep the wrist straight throughout
• Using body momentum to swing the weight up, which defeats the purpose of the strict, unilateral movement
• Loading too heavy, since the reverse grip is inherently weaker than a supinated curl and forces poor form
• Rushing the eccentric, which skips the lengthened-position stimulus that builds the forearm most

Variations

• Reverse EZ-bar cable curl: trains both arms simultaneously on an angled bar, allowing more total load
• Reverse dumbbell curl: a free-weight substitute when a cable station isn't available
• Cable hammer curl: neutral grip with a rope attachment, blending brachialis and biceps work
• Standing barbell reverse curl: bilateral, heavier-loading version for building raw forearm strength

Tips for Progression

• Master strict form with a light weight before adding load, since wrist and elbow position matter most here
• Add small increments (2.5-5 lb) once you can complete every rep without wrist break or elbow drift
• Increase reps to 15 before adding weight, since this is a smaller-muscle accessory movement
• Slow the tempo, especially the lowering phase, to increase difficulty without adding weight

Training Notes

Perform single-arm reverse cable curls for 3 sets of 12-15 reps per arm, resting 45-60 seconds between sets. Place them near the end of an arm or pull-day session, after heavier back and biceps work, since they target smaller muscles best suited for higher-rep finishing work.