Almost every gym has a few of them: the cable station, the cable crossover or the functional trainer. Still, a lot of people stick to the lat pulldown and the triceps pushdown, even though one cable station is enough to train your whole body.
In this article you'll learn why cable exercises are so useful for building muscle, which 8 cable exercises you can add to your program and how to combine them with drop sets to get more out of every set.
Why cable exercises work
With a cable, you decide the direction of the resistance. By moving the pulley higher or lower, you can put the tension exactly where a muscle has to work hardest. With a dumbbell, gravity always pulls straight down, so some parts of a movement barely load the muscle at all.
Cables are also easy to adjust. You change the weight by moving the pin, you can train one arm at a time and the movements are easy to control. That makes them a good fit for beginners and for experienced lifters who want to isolate a muscle. Want to know how cables and machines compare to a barbell or dumbbells? Read machines vs free weights as well.
The 8 best cable exercises
With these exercises you train chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs and core, all on the same station.
Cable fly
Set both pulleys at shoulder height, step forward and bring your hands together in an arc in front of your chest. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. Set the pulleys low to put more emphasis on your upper chest.
Lat pulldown
The go-to exercise for a wide back. Pull the bar to your upper chest, lead with your elbows and keep your torso still. In lat pulldown technique you'll find the step-by-step execution.
Seated cable row
Sit up straight, pull the handle to your stomach and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Let the weight return under control without swinging your lower back.
Face pull
Set the pulley at eye level, use the rope and pull towards your face while pulling your hands apart. A great exercise for your rear delts and the muscles between your shoulder blades.
Cable lateral raise
With the pulley low and one arm at a time, raise your arm out to the side up to shoulder height. Thanks to the cable, you already feel the side of your shoulder working at the bottom of the movement.
Triceps pushdown
Keep your elbows against your sides and push the rope or bar down until your arms are straight. Spread the rope slightly at the bottom for a full contraction.
Cable curl
With the pulley low and a straight bar or rope, curl the weight up without letting your elbows drift forward. A good alternative to dumbbell curls.
Cable pull-through
Stand with your back to the low pulley, hold the rope between your legs and push your hips back. Come up by squeezing your glutes. A controlled way to train your glutes and hamstrings without a heavy bar on your back.
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Cable exercises fit well after your heavy compound lifts. Start with squats or bench press, for example, and then use the cables to give specific muscles extra volume. A simple split:
| Training day | Cable exercises |
|---|---|
| Push | Cable fly, cable lateral raise, triceps pushdown |
| Pull | Lat pulldown, seated cable row, face pull, cable curl |
| Legs | Cable pull-through |
Pick a weight that lets you control the movement through the full range of motion. With cables it's tempting to pull with your whole body, but then the load shifts to other muscles.
Tip
Set the pulley so that the cable pulls as directly as possible against your arm in the hardest part of the movement. With cables, small changes in height or stance often make a big difference in what you feel.
Drop sets on the cable station
Cables are ideal for drop sets because you can lower the weight quickly. You do a set until you can barely do another rep, lower the weight and keep going right away. The only thing slowing you down is moving the pin.
An example for the triceps pushdown:
- Start with a weight that lets you do about 10 clean reps.
- Lower the weight and keep going right away until you're close to failure again.
- Drop once more and finish the set.
With PUMPSETZ Dropset Pins you set up the lower weights in the weight stack in advance, so you can move on to the next drop without searching. In how to use a dropset pin you'll learn exactly how that works, and in the best drop set exercises you'll find more exercises that suit this method.
Common mistakes with cable exercises
- Too much weight: you start swinging your torso and the target muscle does less work.
- Wrong pulley height: the tension then lands on a different part of the movement than you want.
- Letting the weight slam back: the way back is part of the exercise too, so lower the stack under control.
- Standing too far from the station or too close: find a position where the cable keeps tension through the full range.
Tip
Do you feel pain in your shoulder or elbow during a cable exercise? Stop that exercise and, if the pain persists, have it checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.
Frequently asked questions about cable exercises
Are cable exercises good for building muscle?
Yes. Muscles grow from enough tension and volume, and you can get both with cables. Combine them with compound lifts and make sure the weight or reps go up over time.
Are cables suitable for beginners?
Definitely. The movements are easy to control and the weight can be adjusted in small steps. Start light and learn the correct technique first.
Can I train with cables only?
You can, since a cable station lets you train almost every muscle group. For building maximum strength in lifts like the squat and deadlift, free weights are still valuable.
Do dropset pins fit a cable station?
Dropset pins are made for weight stacks with a selector pin, like the ones on most cable stations. Check the size beforehand; the dropset pin size guide shows you how.
Summary
With a cable station you train your whole body with constant control over direction and resistance. Pick a few of these 8 cable exercises, place them after your compound lifts and use drop sets to get the most out of your sets. You'll find more training articles in the Fitness Hub.
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