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

Ranked 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.
Standing Biceps Cable Curl

4. Standing Biceps Cable Curl

93% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up with your torso upright while holding a cable curl bar that is attached to a low pulley. Grab the cable bar at shoulder width and keep the elbows close to the torso. The palm of your hands should be facing up (supinated grip). This will be your starting position.
  2. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the muscle.
  3. Slowly begin to bring the curl bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
High Cable Curls

5. High Cable Curls

92.2% Match
Biceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand between a couple of high pulleys and grab a handle in each arm. Position your upper arms in a way that they are parallel to the floor with the palms of your hands facing you. This will be your starting position.
  2. Curl the handles towards you until they are next to your ears. Make sure that as you do so you flex your biceps and exhale. The upper arms should remain stationary and only the forearms should move. Hold for a second in the contracted position as you squeeze the biceps.
  3. Slowly bring back the arms to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Overhead Cable Curl

6. Overhead Cable Curl

92.2% Match
Biceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To begin, set a weight that is comfortable on each side of the pulley machine. Note: Make sure that the amount of weight selected is the same on each side.
  2. Now adjust the height of the pulleys on each side and make sure that they are positioned at a height higher than that of your shoulders.
  3. Stand in the middle of both sides and use an underhand grip (palms facing towards the ceiling) to grab each handle. Your arms should be fully extended and parallel to the floor with your feet positioned shoulder width apart from each other. Your body should be evenly aligned the handles. This is the starting position.
  4. While exhaling, slowly squeeze the biceps on each side until your forearms and biceps touch.
  5. While inhaling, move your forearms back to the starting position. Note: Your entire body is stationary during this exercise except for the forearms.
Cable Curl

7. 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

8. 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 Seated One Arm Concentration Curl

9. 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 Concentration Curl

10. 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.

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.

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