Cable exercises

About cable exercises

A cable machine keeps tension on the muscle through the whole range, and the pulley height and attachment can be changed in seconds. That makes it flexible: the same stack serves pulldowns, rows, presses, curls, pushdowns and core work.

Choosing between these exercises

The trade-off is setup. The pulley height, the attachment and your stance change what the exercise trains, so set them before you load. The stack also has a ceiling, so cables suit steady, controlled work more than the heaviest lifts. Single-arm versions are a simple way to notice and even out differences between sides.

At a glance

Where to start

These guides are rated beginner level: Seated cable row, Wide-grip cable lat pulldown, Rope triceps pushdown, Cable Pallof press, Standing cable chest fly and Standing cable chest press.

All 34 guides

Grouped by main muscle. Each line shows the equipment, the level and the supporting muscles from that guide.

Lats (8)

• Neutral-grip cable pulldown — beginner; also works biceps, brachialis and rhomboids
• Seated cable row — beginner; also works rhomboids, traps, rear deltoids and biceps
• Seated one-arm cable row — beginner; also works rhomboids, rear deltoids, biceps and obliques
• Straight-arm cable pulldown — beginner; also works triceps and serratus
• Wide-grip cable lat pulldown — beginner; also works biceps, brachialis, traps and rhomboids
• Cable neutral grip lat pulldown — intermediate; also works biceps, rhomboids and traps
• Cable reverse grip seated row — intermediate; also works rhomboids and biceps
• Cable wide grip seated row — intermediate; also works biceps and rear deltoids

Triceps (6)

• Overhead cable triceps extension — beginner; also works front deltoids
• Rope triceps pushdown — beginner; also works front deltoids
• Cable reverse grip triceps pushdown — intermediate
• Cable single-arm triceps pushdown — intermediate; also works forearm extensors
• Cable triceps kickback — intermediate; also works rear deltoids
• V/Y-bar cable triceps pushdown — intermediate

Chest (4)

• Standing cable chest fly — beginner; also works front deltoids
• Standing cable chest press — beginner; also works triceps, front deltoids and abs
• High-to-low cable fly — intermediate; also works front deltoids
• Low-to-high cable fly — intermediate; also works front deltoids

Biceps (3)

• Standing cable biceps curl — beginner; also works brachialis and forearm flexors
• Cable reverse grip lat pulldown — intermediate; also works rear deltoids and rhomboids
• Cable single arm hammer curl — intermediate; also works brachialis

Rear Deltoids (3)

• Cable face pull — beginner; also works traps, rhomboids and rotator cuff
• Cable rear-delt fly — beginner; also works rhomboids and traps
• Cable external rotation — intermediate; also works rhomboids and traps

Glutes (2)

• Cable pull-through — beginner; also works hamstrings and lower back
• Standing cable glute kickback — beginner; also works hamstrings and glute med

Side Deltoids (2)

• Single-arm cable lateral raise — beginner; also works rotator cuff and traps
• Cable upright row — intermediate; also works front deltoids and biceps

Obliques (2)

• Cable Pallof press — beginner; also works deep core, abs and glute med
• High-to-low cable wood chop — intermediate; also works abs, glutes and front deltoids

Adductors (1)

• Standing cable hip adduction — beginner; also works glute med and deep core

Brachialis (1)

• Cable rope hammer curl — beginner; also works biceps and brachioradialis

Abs (1)

• Kneeling cable crunch — beginner; also works obliques

Rhomboids (1)

• Cable lying shrug — intermediate; also works traps

Common questions

More exercise guides by muscle and equipment

Browse every guide in the Workout Explorer. Search all 178 guides, watch the demonstrations and compare two exercises side by side.

By muscle

• Chest exercises
• Front delt exercises
• Lat exercises
• Quad exercises
• Glute exercises
• Hamstring exercises
• Biceps exercises
• Triceps exercises
• Calf exercises
• Rear delt exercises
• Ab exercises
• Oblique exercises

By equipment

• Barbell exercises
• Dumbbell exercises
• Cable exercises
• Bodyweight exercises
• Gym machine exercises
• Cardio exercises
• Mobility exercises

Educational guidance, not an individual training prescription. Start with a manageable load, work within a comfortable range, and stop if a movement causes pain. Ask a qualified coach for help with an unfamiliar setup. Practice the technique before increasing load. Repetitions and working weight depend on your goals, experience, and individual needs.