The cable single arm biceps hammer curl is a biceps isolation exercise performed one arm at a time on a low pulley with a neutral grip that loads the brachialis under constant tension. A dumbbellhammer curlunloads near the top, where the forearm passes vertical and gravity stops pulling across the elbow; the cable keeps pulling down the line of the wire, so the last third of the curl stays heavy. Working one arm also lets the free hand steady the torso. Lifters use it as a late arm accessory.
What Muscles Does the Cable Single Arm Biceps Hammer Curl Work?
- Primary: Brachialis, biceps brachii
- Secondary: Brachioradialis (upper forearm), wrist flexors
- Tertiary: Anterior deltoid, rectus abdominis, obliques
How Do You Set Up for the Cable Single Arm Biceps Hammer Curl?
Set a single pulley at its lowest setting and clip on a rope or a single handle. Stand facing the stack about a foot back, feet hip-width apart, knees soft. Take the handle in one hand with the palm facing your midline and the thumb on top. Let the arm hang straight with the elbow pinned just in front of your ribs, brace your abs, and step back until the cable is already tight.
How Do You Perform the Cable Single Arm Biceps Hammer Curl?
- Pin the working elbow to your ribs with the arm straight and the palm facing in.
- Curl the handle upward by bending only the elbow, keeping the thumb pointing at the ceiling.
- Stop at the top of your chest with the forearm just past vertical and the cable still pulling against you.
- Squeeze for one count, resisting the wire rather than letting the handle rest on your shoulder.
- Lower for a three count along the same line until the arm is straight and the elbow opens fully.
- Hold the bottom for a beat with the cable taut before starting the next rep.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Fight the cable at the top: the pull does not disappear as your hand rises, so keep tension on the handle through the squeeze.
- Wrist locked straight: hold the knuckles in line with the forearm so the grip does not curl the load instead of the elbow.
- Keep the working shoulder pulled down as the hand rises.
- Feel the outside of the upper arm tighten, where the brachialis takes over from the biceps.
- Keep the free hand light on your hip rather than pushing off it.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Choosing a weight that drags you forward: the torso leans in and the hips help, so drop a plate until the feet stay planted.
- Letting the elbow travel back on the way up: the shoulder starts the curl and the brachialis loses range, so keep the elbow in front of the ribs.
- Standing too close to the stack: the cable goes slack at the bottom and the first inches of every rep are free, so step back until it is tight.
- Rotating the palm up as you curl: the movement becomes a supinated curl and the brachialis drops out, so keep the thumb up throughout.
- Snapping the elbow straight at the bottom: the load lands on the biceps tendon at full length, so slow the last few inches.
What Are the Best Cable Single Arm Biceps Hammer Curl Variations?
- Two-arm cable hammer curl with a rope: both hands on one rope, more load and less balance work.
- Cross body cable hammer curl: curl across toward the opposite shoulder to lengthen the brachialis path.
- High pulley single arm hammer curl: the pulley above shoulder height shifts the hardest point to the bottom.
- Kneeling single arm cable hammer curl: kneeling removes the hip drive entirely.
- Dumbbell hammer curl: the free weight version, heaviest through the middle instead of the top.
How Do You Progress the Cable Single Arm Biceps Hammer Curl?
- Move up one plate on the stack once both arms finish every set with the elbow fixed.
- Build from 10 reps to 15 per arm before each weight jump.
- Add a fourth set once three no longer fatigue the outside of the upper arm.
- Slow the lowering to a four count, or hold two seconds at the top, before adding load.
How Should You Program the Cable Single Arm Biceps Hammer Curl?
Place this curl late in an arm or pull session, after your rows and heavier supinated curls, once or twice a week. Work 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per arm with 45 to 60 seconds of rest, starting with the weaker arm and matching its reps on the strong side. Pair it with acablepushdown in a superset so the elbow flexors rest while the triceps work.