10 Best Cable Close Grip Curl Alternatives for Limited Equipment

If you can’t do the cable close grip curl, choose movements that preserve elbow flexion and supination to load the biceps. Try EZ-bar close-grip curls, dumbbell concentration curls, preacher machine curls, resistance-band close curls, or barbell spider curls. Cue: keep your elbow fixed against your torso and supinate the wrist at the top to maximize biceps activation.

Original Exercise: Cable Close Grip Curl

Cable Close Grip Curl
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Cable
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform Cable Close Grip Curl
  1. Attach a straight bar to a low pulley cable machine.
  2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary throughout the exercise.
  5. Exhale and curl the bar up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  6. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  7. Inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best Cable Close Grip Curl Alternatives

Best Match
Cable Overhead Curl

1. Cable Overhead Curl

97.4% Match
Biceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a straight bar to a high pulley cable machine.
  2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary.
  5. Exhale and curl the bar down towards your forehead, keeping your upper arms stationary.
Cable Drag Curl

2. Cable Drag Curl

97.4% Match
Biceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp the cable attachment with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the cable attachment towards your shoulders by contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the cable attachment back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Cable Curl

3. Cable Curl

97.4% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp the cable attachment with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
  3. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary.
  4. Exhale and curl the cable attachment towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
Cable Reverse Curl

4. Cable Reverse Curl

96% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a straight bar to a low pulley cable machine.
  2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary throughout the exercise.
  5. Exhale and curl the bar up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
Cable Hammer Curls - Rope Attachment

5. Cable Hammer Curls - Rope Attachment

96% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a rope attachment to a low pulley and stand facing the machine about 12 inches away from it.
  2. Grasp the rope with a neutral (palms-in) grip and stand straight up keeping the natural arch of the back and your torso stationary.
  3. Put your elbows in by your side and keep them there stationary during the entire movement. Tip: Only the forearms should move; not your upper arms. This will be your starting position.
  4. Using your biceps, pull your arms up as you exhale until your biceps touch your forearms. Tip: Remember to keep the elbows in and your upper arms stationary.
  5. After a 1 second contraction where you squeeze your biceps, slowly start to bring the weight back to the original position.
Cable Hammer Curl (with Rope)

6. Cable Hammer Curl (with Rope)

94.4% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
  2. Hold the cable rope attachment with an underhand grip, palms facing each other, and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the cable rope attachment until your biceps are fully contracted and the rope is at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Cable Standing Inner Curl

7. Cable Standing Inner Curl

90.2% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp the cable handle with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
  3. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your upper arms stationary.
  4. Exhale and curl the cable handle towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
Cable Seated Curl

8. Cable Seated Curl

90% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a cable machine with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Grasp the cable attachment with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the cable attachment towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the cable attachment back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Cable Preacher Curl

9. Cable Preacher Curl

90% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the cable machine so that the preacher curl pad is at chest height.
  2. Sit on the preacher curl bench and place your upper arms on the pad, gripping the cable attachment with an underhand grip.
  3. Keep your back straight and your elbows tucked in at your sides.
  4. Slowly curl the cable attachment up towards your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement.
  5. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower the cable attachment back down to the starting position.
Cable Two Arm Curl On Incline Bench

10. Cable Two Arm Curl On Incline Bench

90% Match
Biceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Grasp the cable handles with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the handles towards your shoulders while contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the handles back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.

Why You Might Need a Cable Close Grip Curl Alternative

You may substitute the cable close grip curl for several reasons: no access to a cable station, elbow or wrist irritation from cable routing, or a need for variety to overcome plateaus. Different tools change the tension curve; free weights create peak load at different joint angles while bands increase tension at end range. Choose an alternative that preserves elbow flexion and supination to keep biceps brachii activation high. For example, use a preacher curl to limit shoulder involvement—pin the upper arm to the pad and drive the movement with elbow flexion only to reduce compensatory shoulder torque and protect the joint.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Decide based on equipment, joint tolerance, and desired biceps emphasis. If you lack cables, pick an EZ-bar close-grip curl to replicate the narrow grip and medial biceps stress; cue a slow 2-1-2 tempo and keep elbows tucked to emphasize the short head. If you feel wrist pain, use dumbbell neutral-grip concentration curls to allow natural forearm rotation and reduce wrist torque. For constant tension across range of motion, use a resistance band anchored low and maintain constant tension by avoiding full lockout. Prioritize range, supination, and elbow stability when selecting a substitute.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Cable Close Grip Curl work?

The exercise primarily targets the biceps brachii, emphasizing elbow flexion and forearm supination. Maintain a supinated grip and keep the elbow fixed by your side to increase biceps activation while minimizing brachialis compensation.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Cable Close Grip Curl?

A close-grip chin-up is the top bodyweight substitute because it combines elbow flexion with forearm supination, loading the biceps through a full range. Cue a narrow underhand grip and lead with the elbows to maximize biceps recruitment and avoid excessive shoulder pull.

Can I build muscle without doing Cable Close Grip Curl?

Yes. You can build biceps size with many movements that produce progressive overload, such as EZ-bar close-grip curls, dumbbell concentration curls, and chin-ups. Focus on controlled eccentrics, full range of motion, and progressive loading while keeping elbows stable to ensure consistent biceps activation.

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