EXECUTION
• If possible, adjust the pulley heights on each side of a cable station so that the stirrup handles are about 12 to 15 inches above shoulder level.
• Grasp the handles with a supinated (palms up) grip and then assume a well balanced standing position centered between the weight stacks.
• In the starting position your arms should be slightly flexed in the elbows and positioned level or slightly above level.
• Inhale and hold your breath as you bend (flex) both elbows pulling the handles toward your head. Keep bending the elbows until the forearms are well past the vertical position.
• Hold the end position for 1-2 seconds for greater peaking and then exhale and return under control, to the start position.
• Pause momentarily and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
• Your body and upper arms must be stabilized throughout execution. The only action should occur in the elbows. Performance
• To get maximum involvement of the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis, be sure that the upper arms remain in place out to the sides of the body in line with the shoulders. If you move your elbows up or down during execution, you will bring in other prime muscles, which will lessen the effect on the muscles involved.
• To get an equal pull from both sides, be sure your body is centered and well-balanced. When you work only one or mainly one arm at a time, there is a tendency for the upper body to turn and incline toward the pulley to resemble a regular standing biceps curl. As a result, you will not get the same effect.
• Inhale and hold your breath during execution to stabilize the trunk, and to help hold the arms in place. In addition, you will exert more force with less chance of injury.
• Adjust the cable pulleys so the handles are higher or level with the hands after you flex the elbows. This ensures a full range of motion in the elbow joint and full contraction of the muscles.
• Keep the elbows slightly flexed in between repetitions to maintain muscle tension and to protect the elbow joint
• When you position the arms level with or slightly above your shoulders, the long head of the biceps has a straight line pull contracting at the shoulder joint for stabilization and at the elbow joint for moving the forearm. Thus, this exercise is superior to other exercises for working this head of the biceps.
• Keep your wrists firm so hands don’t lie back as you execute the curl. For more force, flex the wrist slightly, which also taxes the anterior forearm muscles. The firm or slightly flexed wrist is important not only for preventing wrist injury, but also for maintaining a long forearm-hand lever for producing maximum resistance.
• This exercise can also be done in a seated position. However, the standing variant is preferred because you have greater balance and can concentrate more on the performance.
Primary Muscles Involved
In the two-arm overhead cable curl the primary muscles are the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis with assistance from the pronator teres. The biceps brachii is most pronounced in its location on the front of the upper arm. When well developed, a division can be seen between the long and short heads which also have actions at the shoulder joint. The biceps is also involved in supination of the forearm when the resistance is sufficiently great. Underneath the biceps and closer to the elbow is the brachialis muscle. This muscle has great leverage and can be as strong as the biceps brachii. It is considered the workhorse of the elbow flexors since it is involved in all elbow flexion movements. The biceps comes into play only when there is greater resistance and when the hand is in a neutral or supinated position. The brachioradialis, located on the thumb side of the forearm close to the elbow, provides the outer contour of the upper forearm. The pronator teres is partially covered by the brachioradialis and is located on a diagonal high on the front side of the forearm. Muscle/Joint Actions In the overhead cable curl the arm is stabilized in an abducted position (arms are raised and held in line with or slightly above the shoulders). The deltoid, teres minor, supraspinatus, latissimus dorsi and other muscles contract isometrically to hold the arm firmly in the shoulder joint socket and in a level position. During execution there is flexion in the elbow joint in which the lower arm moves toward the upper arm while the body and upper arms remain stabilized. The major role is played by the biceps and brachialis muscles.
Sports Uses
Bodybuilders use this exercise to add more mass to the upper arm and to get greater definition of the biceps and other elbow flexor muscles. Powerlifters do this exercise for balancing strength of the triceps and in overall handling of weights. In weightlifting, elbow flexion and the muscles involved are important when trying to raise a weight as high as possible as, for example, in the top pull for the squat under in the clean exercise. The greatest value of the two-arm overhead cable curl is in pulling actions as seen in climbing, pull-ups and pulling up on various pieces of equipment as in gymnastics. It is needed in sports such as wrestling and football where you grab and hold or pull in your opponent. Basketball players grab and pull down the ball and in the martial arts elbow flexion is involved when pulling an opponent in as when preparing for a throw and other actions. In sports such as tennis, elbow flexion occurs during and after hitting forehands to get a good “whip” on the ball. In lacrosse and field and ice hockey, elbow flexion and the muscles involved are important in shooting and handling the stick.