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Exercise library · Biceps

Bayesian curl

Curl for the biceps on a cable.

How to do it

1 of 3

Arm extended behind your body

  1. Starting position

    Face away from a low cable, hold the handle in one hand and step forward until your arm is extended behind you.

  2. The movement

    Bend your elbow and curl the handle toward your shoulder without moving your upper arm forward, then lower until your arm is straight behind you again.

Most common mistake

Don't move your elbow forward, keep your upper arm behind your body as you bend and extend your elbow.

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Muscle group
Biceps
Equipment
Cable
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

In the Bayesian curl your biceps work one arm at a time, with the brachialis and brachioradialis helping. Your upper arm points back behind your body, so the biceps are stretched before the movement even starts. It resembles the incline dumbbell curl, with one key difference: a dumbbell hangs straight below the elbow when your arm is straight and gives hardly any resistance right there. The cable pulls backwards at an angle instead, so your biceps work hard in the stretched position.

Common mistakes

  • Your upper body twists towards the arm. When it gets hard, your chest tends to turn towards the working arm. Stand with one foot ahead of the other and keep your hips and shoulders facing forwards.
  • Your shoulder gets pulled forwards at the bottom. In the stretched position the cable drags your shoulder forwards and down. Keep your chest up, and shorten the movement slightly if the front of your shoulder starts to pull. If it hurts, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.
  • Your wrist bends back. The cable pulls your hand backwards, and a loose wrist takes some of the load. Grip the handle firmly and keep your wrist straight.

Variations and alternatives

  • The incline dumbbell curl gives a similar stretched position with dumbbells, when no cable is free.
  • The cable curl is done facing the same cable with both arms and usually takes more weight.
  • The spider curl is the opposite position, arms in front of your body, if you want to train your biceps from both ends in one session.

Sets and reps

You work one arm at a time, and the stack often has big steps for a single arm, so 10 to 15 reps per arm over two or three sets works well. Really heavy sets suit the stretched position poorly. For more on how your goal shapes your rep count, see the guide to sets and reps.

Your distance from the pulley changes how the exercise feels, so take the same number of steps forwards each time to keep sessions comparable. Add reps until every set reaches 15, then set the pin one plate heavier. Small, steady steps are progressive overload.

Also called

  • behind body cable curl

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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