Skip to content

Cable Rope Hammer Curl

A thumbs-up curl on a rope that trains the biceps, brachialis and forearms together, with easy-to-change weight.

Drag to rotate

Muscles worked

Front
Back
Equipment
Cable, Cable station, Rope attachment
Level
Beginner
Tempo
Lift 1 s · Lower 2 s

How to do the cable rope hammer curl

  1. 1Clip a rope to a low pulley and hold one end in each hand, thumbs up.
  2. 2Stand tall with your arms straight and elbows close to your sides.
  3. 3Curl the rope up toward your shoulders, keeping your thumbs pointing up.
  4. 4Lower slowly until your arms are straight.

When to pick it: Pick it for thicker arms and forearms, or as a wrist-friendly curl on a cable.

Form cues

  • Thumbs lead the way up
  • Elbows stay still
  • Stand tall, no swing

Common mistakes

  • Swinging from the hips
  • Letting the wrists curl in
  • Rushing the lowering

Stop if something hurts, and check with a doctor before starting if you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury. Terms

Sets and reps

GoalSetsRepsRest
Strength3–53–62–3 min
Muscle size3–46–151–2 min
Endurance2–315–2530–60 s

Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time. Get a full 4–12 week program →

Equipment taken? Swap it for

These train the same muscles with different equipment.