If you’re new to cables, you might want to check out my Using Cables In Your Workout entry. One of my favorite cable exercises, cable curls are a great way to isolate and incinerate the biceps muscle. These can be done one arm at a time (as described here) or ith both arms together using a rope or cambered bar attachment. I perform one-arm cable curls near or at the end of my bicep workouts, sometimes using 21’s and sometimes doing them in straight sets. Either way the key here is to focusing on isolating the bicep (an objective cables are well-suited for) and really squeezing the hell out of it at the peak of the contraction. Also work on not letting your hand return completely to the starting position so you can make full use of the continuous tension provided by the cable apparatus. If you’re looking to etch some cuts in your bi’s, try cable curls on for size.
Performance: Stand facing a cable stack and grasp a D-handle attached to a low pulley in one hand. Turn your wrist outward (so it’s facing the weight stack) and stand slightly to the side so your working arm is in line with the stack, not your body. Concentrating on contracting your biceps, slowly curl the handle upwards. Hold the contraction at the top of the rep to get a nice squeeze happening. You also might want to twist your wrist slightly into your body (pinky of your hand moves toward your body) to put even more of a squeeze on the bicep at the top. Slowly lower the handle in a controlled motion to slightly higher than the start position (this will keep the tension on your biceps throughout the set). Repeat for reps. Some people like to bend their knees and lean into the weight stack for more balance and stability; I prefer to stand up straight. Try both out and see what you think.
Muscle Emphasis: biceps, secondary stress on brachialis and forearm flexors
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