Arms · Cable
Cable Close Grip Curl
How to do the cable close grip curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Attach a straight bar to a low cable pulley and grip it with a narrow, close grip, palms facing up. Stand back to load the cable, then curl the bar toward your chest by bending at the elbows and lower it under control, keeping your upper arms still.
- 1Feel constant cable tension on your biceps through the whole curl
- 2Keep your elbows pinned at your sides and squeeze at the top
- 3Control the bar back down without letting the stack pull your arms straight
Common mistakes
- Don't lean back or swing to move the weight
- Avoid letting your elbows drift forward off your sides
- Don't let the stack yank your wrists at the bottom
Muscles worked
The cable close grip curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the cable close grip curl for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More biceps exercises
- How to do the resistance band bicep curl
- How to do the resistance band hammer curl
- How to do the barbell bicep curl
- How to do the cable bicep curl
- How to do the cable hammer curl
- How to do the overhead bicep curl
Last reviewed June 2026.