10 Best Standing One-arm Cable Curl Alternatives for No-Cable Gyms

What can I do instead of Standing One-arm Cable Curl? Use unilateral dumbbell curls, band one-arm curls, EZ-bar curls, hammer curls, or chin-ups to replicate elbow flexion and supination that load the biceps. Keep the elbow fixed against your torso and supinate the wrist through the concentric phase for full activation.

Original Exercise: Standing One-arm Cable Curl

Standing One-arm Cable Curl
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Cable
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Standing One-arm Cable Curl
  1. Start out by grabbing single handle next to the low pulley machine. Make sure you are far enough from the machine so that your arm is supporting the weight.
  2. Make sure that your upper arm is stationary, perpendicular to the floor with elbows in and palms facing forward. Your non lifting arm should be grabbing your waist. This will allow you to keep your balance.
  3. Slowly begin to curl the single handle upwards while keeping the upper arm stationary until your forearm touches your bicep while exhaling. Tip: Only the forearm should move.
  4. Hold the contraction position as you squeeze the bicep and then lower the single handle back down to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
  6. Switch arms while performing this exercise.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Best Standing One-arm Cable Curl Alternatives

Best Match
Cable Standing Inner Curl

1. Cable Standing Inner Curl

99.9% 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 One Arm Curl

2. Cable One Arm Curl

97.9% 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 handle with an underhand grip, palm facing up.
  3. Keep your elbow close to your side and slowly curl your forearm up towards your shoulder.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your forearm back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Reverse One Arm Curl

3. Cable Reverse One Arm Curl

96% 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 handle with an underhand grip, palm facing down.
  3. Keep your elbow close to your side and slowly curl your forearm up towards your shoulder.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your forearm back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Curl

4. Cable Curl

91.7% 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 Drag Curl

5. Cable Drag Curl

91.7% 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 Overhead Curl

6. Cable Overhead Curl

91.7% 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 Seated One Arm Concentration Curl

7. Cable Seated One Arm Concentration Curl

91.4% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight.
  2. Hold a cable handle with one hand and place your elbow on the inside of your thigh, just above the knee.
  3. Keep your upper arm stationary and curl the cable handle towards your shoulder while exhaling.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Slowly lower the cable handle back to the starting position while inhaling.
Cable One Arm Preacher Curl

8. Cable One Arm Preacher Curl

91.2% 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. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the cable handle with an underhand grip and position your upper arm against the preacher curl pad.
  4. Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
  5. Slowly curl the cable handle towards your shoulder, keeping your upper arm against the pad.
Cable Concentration Curl

9. Cable Concentration Curl

91.2% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Hold the cable handle with an underhand grip and rest your elbow against the inside of your thigh.
  3. Keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the cable handle towards your shoulder while contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then inhale and slowly lower the cable handle back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Cable Close Grip Curl

10. Cable Close Grip Curl

90.2% 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.

Why You Might Need a Standing One-arm Cable Curl Alternative

You may swap the standing one-arm cable curl for several reasons: no cable station, wrist or shoulder irritation, travel, or a goal shift toward heavier loading. Cables maintain constant tension and a slightly forward line of pull; dumbbells and bands change the torque curve and demand more stabilizer activation. If you have elbow pain, choose a neutral-grip hammer curl to reduce biceps tendon stress. For unilateral balance, select single-arm dumbbell curls and focus on controlling the eccentric for 2–3 seconds. Always keep the elbow pinned to the side to isolate elbow flexion and minimize shoulder involvement.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to the constraint you face. If you lack cables but want constant tension, use a short loop band anchored low and perform slow, full-range one-arm band curls—keep wrist supinated and avoid shoulder swing. If you need heavier load for strength, pick EZ-bar or barbell curls and emphasize a controlled 2-second eccentric. For tendon sensitivity, opt for neutral-grip hammer curls to shift activation to the brachialis and reduce biceps tendon load. Prioritize unilateral moves if correcting imbalances, and choose grips (supinated vs neutral) based on whether you want more long-head or brachialis engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Standing One-arm Cable Curl work?

The exercise primarily targets the biceps brachii (short and long heads) and secondarily the brachialis and brachioradialis. Maintain elbow flexion and wrist supination to maximize biceps activation while minimizing shoulder contribution.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Standing One-arm Cable Curl?

A close-grip chin-up is the best bodyweight substitute because it produces high elbow-flexor demand and similar biceps activation. Pull with elbows tight to the ribcage and use a supinated or neutral grip; control the descent for a 2–3 second eccentric to increase hypertrophic stimulus.

Can I build muscle without doing Standing One-arm Cable Curl?

Yes—progressive overload and consistent tension on the biceps matter more than the exact exercise. Use compounds like chin-ups and weighted curls, ensure full range of motion, and add tempo (2–3s eccentrics) and volume to stimulate growth without that specific cable curl.

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use our free tool to discover the best substitute exercises based on your available equipment and goals.

Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →

Our similarity scores are calculated using a weighted algorithm based on movement patterns, muscle activation, and biomechanics. Learn about our methodology