Instructions

  1. Set a cable pulley to its lowest position, attach a single handle, and stand next to the pulley. Grab the handle with your right hand, then turn so your back faces the weight stack.
  2. Step forward with your left foot, letting your arm straighten and pulling the slack out of the cable.
  3. Turn your right palm forward, place your left hand on your left thigh, and lean back slightly so that your right elbow is a few inches behind your torso. You should feel a stretch in your right biceps and shoulder.
  4. Curl the handle toward your shoulder as far as you can without moving your elbow forward.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the rep, then reverse the movement, finish the set, and repeat with your left arm.

Expert Tips

  • Some people find that they get an even stronger contraction if they lean forward slightly at the top of each rep, though personally I like to keep my torso more or less stationary.
  • It’s best to perform this exercise with a staggered stance, but it doesn’t matter which leg you put forward. I prefer to use my opposite leg (left leg forward if I’m curling with my right arm).
  • Keep your elbow a few inches behind your torso. Don’t push your hips forward or lean back excessively to try to get an even deeper stretch. This just makes the exercise more awkward and can irritate your shoulders.
  • Contract your biceps as hard as possible at the top of each rep. This ensures you’re getting a strong contraction and moving the weight under control, without using momentum to make it easier.

Workout Programming

It’s generally best to do the Bayesian cable curl after your heavier, more technical exercises in a pull or upper-body workout. Or, if you’re specifically trying to develop your biceps, you can also do it as one of the first exercises in your workout, as in the arm workout below.

A good default is 3 sets of 8–10 reps per arm. Take each set 1–2 reps shy of failure—the point where you can’t move the weight with proper form despite giving your maximum effort—and rest 2–3 minutes between sets.

If you’re doing a second curl exercise in the same workout, 2 sets of Bayesian curls is usually enough.

Mike’s Take

The Bayesian cable curl is one of my favorite biceps exercises for a few reasons:

  1. It allows you to isolate your biceps and isn’t limited by the strength of any other supporting muscle groups.
  2. The cable keeps consistent tension on your biceps throughout the entire rep.
  3. It allows you to use a long range of motion, which is generally good for muscle growth.
  4. It’s easy to learn, safe, and can be done in any gym that has a cable station (almost all of them).
  5. It (probably) better stimulates the long head of your biceps than most other biceps exercises.

The biceps brachii is a Y-shaped muscle that connects your scapula (shoulder blade) to the radius (one of your forearm bones). There are two sections or “heads” of your biceps, with each attaching to different parts of your shoulder blade.

The short head tendon attaches to the coracoid process, a bony projection at the front of your shoulder blade. The long head tendon passes through the shoulder joint and attaches to the supraglenoid tubercle, a bony bump just above the shoulder socket, and to the upper part of the glenoid labrum, the cartilage rim around the shoulder socket.

Both heads of the biceps are trained by any kind of biceps curl movement, although the long head is probably better activated during exercises performed with your elbows behind your torso. I say “probably” because this is a hypothesis based on biomechanics (how muscles and joints produce movement) rather than a proven fact.

As of this writing, no studies have measured how Bayesian cable curls affect biceps long-head growth specifically.

Two studies—one conducted by researchers at the University of Tehran and one conducted by researchers at Nord University—have shown that Bayesian cable curls produce similar muscle growth to preacher cable curls (elbows in front of your torso) or regular cable curls (elbows at your sides).12

Both were relatively small studies performed in men with little to no recent resistance training experience.

Given that beginners tend to grow easily regardless of what kind of curls they do (so long as they use proper technique and sufficient intensity), it’s unlikely any small differences in hypertrophy (muscle growth) would show up in studies like these.

Both studies also only lasted 10 weeks, and it’s possible that any potential advantages from Bayesian cable curls would take longer to show up.

All in all, I think there’s a strong biomechanical argument for doing Bayesian cable curls. And, even if they aren’t any more effective than regular cable curls for training the long head of your biceps, they’re still a great exercise for training your biceps generally for the other four reasons I listed above.

Bayesian Cable Curl Alternatives

  • Incline Dumbbell Curl. Keeps your upper arms behind your torso in a similar position as Bayesian curls, and lets you train both arms at once. The resistance curve isn’t as consistent throughout the entire rep, though (they often feel easier at the top of the rep and harder at the bottom).
  • Barbell Curl. The barbell curl allows you to add weight in small increments, is safe and comfortable for most people, and you can do it in nearly any gym in the world. Hard to beat.
  • EZ-Bar Curl. Identical to a barbell curl, but the EZ-bar is often more comfortable for your wrists. You can program these interchangeably.
  • Preacher Curl. The preacher curl makes it hard to use momentum to cheat so your biceps do most of the work. You can do this with either a straight bar or EZ-bar.
  • Machine Biceps Curl. The machine curl makes it almost impossible to cheat and requires little coordination or setup time, so you can focus on contracting your biceps as hard as possible and taking each set close or all of the way to failure. Depending on the machine, you can also get your arms close to the same position as the Bayesian cable curl if you scoot your butt forward on the seat.
  • Cable Biceps Curl. Lets you curl a straight bar or EZ-bar with both arms at once.
  • Dumbbell Hammer Curl. The dumbbell hammer curl uses a neutral grip (palms facing each other), which many people find more comfortable than the traditional palms up (supinated) grip and also helps emphasize the brachialis.

3 Bayesian Cable Curl Workouts

Here are three sample workouts that show how to program the Bayesian cable curl into a biceps, pull, or upper-body workout.

Biceps Workout with the Bayesian Cable Curl

Chin-Up (weighted if possible): 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 min rest
Bayesian Cable Curl: 3 sets | 8–10 reps per arm | 2–3 min rest
Barbell Curl: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 1–2 min rest

Note: I don’t typically recommend dedicating an entire day just to training your biceps, but if you prefer to train this way, this workout is a time-efficient and effective way to do it.

Pull Day Workout with the Bayesian Cable Curl

Barbell Deadlift: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Machine Row: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
V-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Bayesian Cable Curl: 3 sets | 8–10 reps per arm | 2–3 min rest

Upper-Body Workout with the Bayesian Cable Curl

Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Machine Row: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Lat Pulldown: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Bayesian Cable Curl: 3 sets | 8–10 reps per arm | 2–3 min rest

To progress these workouts, use double progression: use a weight that allows you to work within the given rep range, take each set 1–2 reps shy of failure, and once you hit the top of the range for your first set, add weight.

Muscles Worked by the Bayesian Cable Curl

The main muscles worked by the Bayesian cable curl are the biceps brachii (or “biceps”), brachioradialis, and your brachialis, which is a smaller muscle under the biceps that connects your upper arm to your ulna (your other forearm bone).

More Biceps Exercises

Scientific References +