Sex does not significantly moderate the effects of cable versus barbell preacher curl training on changes in biceps thickness and elbow flexion torque across all joint angles in young adults.

When people train with either cable or barbell preacher curls, their muscles experience different levels of tension depending on how bent or straight their elbow is. This tension activates nerve signals that make the brain better at turning on muscle fibers at those specific angles, increasing strength. At the same time, the total amount of physical stress and chemical buildup in the muscle is similar between the two exercises, which triggers the same muscle-building processes in both men and women. As a result, both sexes gain the same amount of muscle thickness and strength, no matter which equipment they use.