Almost every gym has a cable machine, a versatile gym equipment for building strength and muscles.
The cable machine is a safe, easy-to-use, and effective tool. It allows you to adjust the angle by raising or lowering the pulley to the desired height and helps you target your muscles from multiple angles.
With just a cable pulley machine, you can perform various exercises for every muscle group, from the chest, shoulders, and arms to the back, legs, and abs.
In this article, I’ll show you how you can use the cable machine to develop your physique.
This blog includes a 30-minute cable machine workout for each major muscle group.
Whether you are male or female, these cable pulley exercises can help build lean mass and strengthen your bones and joints.
30-Minute Cable Machine Chest Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel Cable Fly | 3 | 12-15 | Set the cable to your chest height. |
| High-to-Low Cable Fly | 3 | 10-12 | Set the cable to a higher point (above your headline) |
| Incline Bench Cable Fly | 3 | 12-15 | Lie on a 30-degree incline bench and attach the pulley to a lower point. |
| Single-arm Cable Fly | 2 | 10/side | Set the pulley to your chest level. |
| 1-arm Upward Chest Fly | 2 | 10/side | Anchor the pulley to the lowest point. |
The cable machine targets the entire pectoral region, from the upper to the lower chest.
For example, the parallel cable fly bolsters the sternocostal head, the middle portion of your chest.
The high-to-low cable fly and incline bench cable fly reinforce the upper chest (the clavicular head).
The single-arm cable fly allows you to work on each side of the pecs individually and helps you bring out the best shape.
And the single-arm upward or low cable fly hits the abdominal head (lower chest).
The combination of all these cable chest exercises will help you build a strong and proportional chest.
30-Minute Cable Machine Shoulder Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-arm Overhead Press | 3 | 10/arm | Hook the cable to the mid-point of the body |
| Single-arm Lateral Raises | 3 | 10/arm | Anchor the pulley to a lower point |
| Overhead Reverse Cable Fly | 3 | 10-12 | Set the cable to your neck level. |
| Cable Face Pull | 2 | 10-12 | Set the pulley against your face. |
| Cable Front Raises | 2 | 10-12 | Anchor the rope/bar to a lower point. |
| Cable Shrug | 2 | 10-12 | Attack the bar to a lower point. |
The cable machine bolsters all three deltoids and rotator cuff of the shoulder muscles and helps build strength and mobility in your shoulders.
For example, the overhead press and front raise exercises mainly strengthen the anterior delts; the lateral raises engage the medial deltoids; reverse cable fly and face pull hammer the posterior delts; and shrug stimulates your upper traps.
All these exercises help you build strong and chiseled shoulders with the cable machine only.
30-Minute Cable Machine Workout for Back
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium-Grip Lat Pulldown | 3 | 12-15 | Set the cable to a higher point, connect the bar, and sit underneath with your legs straight. |
| Close Grip Lat Pulldown | 3 | 10-12 | Position the cable to a higher point and hook the V-handle. |
| Seated Cable Rowing | 3 | 12-15 | Position the pulley to the lower section and attach the V-bar or D-handles. |
| Standing Lat Pullover | 2 | 10-12 | Anchor the rope to a higher point and pull it with straight arms, engaging your lats. |
| Bent-Over Single-arm Row | 2 | 10/arm | Set the pulley to a lower section and anchor a D handle. |
The back is a group of multiple muscles that make the most of your body, located on the posterior torso.
The major muscles that make up the back are the latissimus dorsi (lat), trapezius, rhomboids, and erector spinae.
With the cable machine, you can efficiently hit all these major muscles and develop strength and mass.
For example, pulldowns and pullovers primarily work the lats, while rows engage the traps and other back muscles.
The cable machine also allows you to perform single-arm pulldown and rowing. These unilateral exercises individually train each side of your back and help build a jacked and symmetrical back.
30-Minute Cable Machine Leg Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Squat | 3 | 12-15 | Set the cable to the lowest point and connect the bar or D-handles. Grab the bar, step back, and perform the squat. |
| Single Leg Curl | 3 | 10/leg | Fix the cable to a lower point, fasten the D-handle, wrap it around your ankle, and perform leg curls. |
| Pull-Through | 3 | 12-15 | Position the pulley to the lower section, attach the rope, stand against the machine, and perform the movement. |
| Hip Abduction | 2 | 10/side | Anchor the rope to a lower point, hook a D-handle, wrap it around your ankle, and stand to your side to perform abduction. |
| Calf Raise | 2 | 10/arm | Set the pulley to a lower section, tie the rope to it, and stand on the stepper to perform calf raises. |
You can also train every lower body muscle with the cable machine only.
For example, the cable squat strengthens the quads (anterior thigh); the cable curl, pull-through, and kickback reinforce the hamstrings and glutes; the calf raises sculpt the lower legs, and the hip abduction makes the adductors and lateral thigh strong and aesthetic.
30-Minute Cable Machine Workout for Abs
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kneeling Cable Crunches | 4 | 15-20 | Set the cable to a higher point, connect the rope, sit on your knees, then perform the crunches. |
| Cable Reverse Crunches | 4 | 10-15 | Fix the cable to a lower point, fasten the D-handles, wrap it around your ankle, lie on the floor, and do the crunches. |
| Cable Knee-to-Chest Plank | 2 | 10/side | Position the pulley to a lower section, attach the D-handle, wrap it around your ankle, get into a straight-arm plank, and bring your knee toward your chest. |
| High-to-low Wood Chop | 2 | 10/side | Set the pulley to a higher point, connect the rope, stand to your side, and pull the band across toward your knee. |
| Low-to-high Wood Chop | 2 | 10/side | Set the pulley to a lower section, secure the rope to it, stand to your side, and pull the band across toward your shoulder. |
The cable pulley is the best machine to strengthen and sculpt your midsection.
The midsection or core usually has two important muscle groups to train – rectus abdominis (abs) and obliques (sides of your stomach).
Cable crunches, wood chops, and knee-to-chest exercises are some of the crucial exercises that hammer these two muscle groups and help build a sturdy core.
The best thing is that the cable core exercises can fit into anyone’s training plan, regardless of fitness level and goal.
30-Minute Cable Machine Biceps Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Cable Curl | 3 | 10-15 | Set the cable to a lower point, connect the bar, grab it with an underhand grip, and perform curls. |
| Overhead Cable Curl | 3 | 10-15 | Fix the cable to your head level, fasten the D-handles, grab them with an underhand grip, and do the curls. |
| Hammer Curl | 3 | 10-15 | Position the pulley to a lower section, attach the rope, grab with a neutral grip, and do the hammer curls. |
| Bayesian Curl/Spider Curl | 3 | 10/arm | Set the pulley below your knee height, connect a D-handle, stand against the machine, grab the handle in either hand, and perform on each side. |
| Reverse Curls | 3 | 10-15 | Fix the pulley to a lower section, attach the bar, grab it with an overhand grip, and perform the curl. |
You can build rounded and sizeable biceps with the cable pulley machine only.
The cable machine helps target the bicep’s short and long heads and brachialis with multiple angles and helps grow your arm size.
For example, the standard, overhead, and Bayesian curls bolster the long head, while the hammer, spider, and reverse curls strengthen the short head and brachialis.
30-Minute Cable Machine Triceps Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Rope Pressdown | 3 | 10-15 | Set the cable to a higher point, connect the rope, grab it with an overhand grip, and press down. |
| Incline Triceps Extension | 3 | 10-15 | Fix the cable to the knee point, secure the bar to it, position a 30-degree incline bench close to the machine, lie on the bench, grab the bar, and perform extensions. |
| Overhead Triceps Extension | 3 | 10-15 | Position the pulley to your stomach level, attach the rope, hold your elbows close to your ears, and extend your arms overhead. |
| Single-arm Triceps Pressdown | 3 | 10/arm | Set the pulley to a higher point, connect a D-handle, grab the handle with one hand, perform press downs, and then repeat on the opposite side. |
| Bent-over Triceps Kickback | 3 | 10/arm | Fix the pulley to a lower section, grab the ball of the pulley in your left hand, bend forward, and perform the movement. |
The cable machine triceps exercises strengthen all three heads (long, lateral, and medial) and build burly triceps.
For example, press-downs, overhead extensions, and kickbacks target the long and lateral heads, while single-arm reverse grip push-down engages the tricep’s medial heads.
The Bottom Line
The cable machine is an easy-to-use resistance training equipment. It provides the full range of motion and allows you to adjust the angle by lowering or raising the pulley to the desired height.
You can train every large to small muscle group with the cable pulley machine from the quads, glutes, abs, and calves to the chest, back, shoulder, and arms.
The cable machine allows you to put constant tension on any muscle you want to train.
This constant tension increases the strain on your muscles, leading to faster fatigue, which ultimately helps build strength and muscle mass over time.
The cable machine also allows you to perform unilateral exercises, which help correct strength imbalance, improve symmetry, and build a proportional physique.
That’s all about cable pulley machine workouts and exercises. If you want to follow a routine that contains all resistance machine exercises, check this gym machine workout plan.
