Barbell hip thrusts and deadlifts are some of the most popular exercises for building strong glutes. And while they're certainly effective, they're not the only options worth considering. Enter: the cable machine.
Although this machine is commonly used for upper-body training, you're doing your glutes a disservice if you totally skip the cables. Bring some extra burn to your lower-body workouts with the six best cable glute exercises, demonstrated by Kevin Moya, CPT, a coach at TS Fitness in New York City. Your buns will thank you.
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The Best Cable Glute Exercises
1. Cable Squat
- Begin facing the cable machine with the pulley on the lowest setting (as close to the floor as possible).
- Grip the straight bar with an overhand grip, arms straight.
- Take a few steps back away from the machine.
- With a flat back, lower into a squat by sitting your hips back and bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the ground (or as close to parallel as you can comfortably go). Keep your arms straight as you move through the squat.
- Press into your heels and reverse the motion to return to standing.
Tip
For an extra glute-burn, Carolina Araujo, CPT, a New York-based strength coach, recommends adding a pulse rep. After you've lowered into the squat and before you stand back up, come up halfway and then return to the bottom of the squat. Then, come fully to standing.
2. Cable Hip Abduction
- Lower the pulley to its lowest setting.
- Attach an ankle strap to the cable machine. Place the strap around your left ankle.
- Stand with your right side facing the cable machine. Your right foot should be perpendicular to the pulley.
- Root your right foot into the ground and place your right hand on the cable machine for extra balance.
- On an exhale, sweep your left leg away from your body until your foot is in line with your right knee.
- With control, return to the starting position.
- Once you've done all your reps, switch sides.
3. Cable Glute Kickback
- Lower the pulley to its lowest setting.
- Attach an ankle strap to the cable machine. Place the strap around your left ankle.
- Stand facing the cable machine, bending your right knee slightly. Push your hips back slightly, keeping your back flat.
- Root your right foot into the ground. Place your hands on your hips (or the machine) for extra balance.
- Keeping your knee straight, sweep your left leg behind your body until you feel tension in your left glute.
- With control, return to the starting position.
- Once you've done all your reps, switch sides.
Tip
"Think about moving the weight from your hip, not your leg muscles," Araujo says. "This is going to be the best way to target your glute muscles."
4. Cable Romanian Deadlift
- Adjust the pulley to the lowest setting and attach a straight bar.
- Grasp the bar in both hands and take several steps away from the machine.
- Facing the machine, stand straight with feet at hip-width distance.
- Initiate the movement by bending your knees slightly. Keep your chest tall as you reach your hips back behind you. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the bar close to your legs.
- Reach your hips back as far as you can without rounding your low back or your shoulders.
- Finish the rep by driving your legs into the ground and returning to the starting position.
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5. Cable Pull-Through
- Adjust the pulley to the lowest setting. Attach a rope handle.
- Facing away from the machine, grab the handles, step over the cable (so it's between your legs) and walk forward a few feet.
- Hold the rope between your legs with straight arms.
- With a flat back, push your hips back and hinge forward.
- Squeezing your glutes, drive your hips forward and return to the standing position.
6. Cable Reverse Lunge
- Adjust the pulley so it's just below shoulder height. Attach a handlebar attachment.
- Stand so your right side is facing the cable machine and take a few steps to your left to create tension.
- Hold the handle with both hands. Raise your arms so that they're straight and in line with your shoulders.
- Keep your arms here for the entire duration of the exercise.
- Root your right foot into the ground.
- Step your left foot back and bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle.
- At the same time, lower your left knee until it hovers right above (or taps) the ground.
- Reverse the motion to return to standing.
- Once you've finished all your reps, switch sides.
Tip
For some extra challenge on your glutes, Araujo recommonds making this a deficit reverse lunge. Place a bumper plate or low step under your standing leg. This deepens the lunge, adding more tension on your glutes.
Benefits of Cable Glute Exercises
1. You Get Consistent Tension
Imagine a dumbbell deadlift. The tension on your glutes is highest at the bottom of the exercise but it feels easier through different points of the movement. On the other hand, a cable machine gives consistent tension throughout the entire range of motion of an exercise, according to Araujo.
That's where a concept called time under tension (TUT) comes in. The longer your muscles are contracted or under tension, the more muscle-building benefits an exercise offers, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
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2. You Can Do More Reps
This isn't the case for everyone, but chances are you can do more reps of an exercise with a cable system. You can adjust the cable machine by smaller increments than a free weight, plus the horizontal pull puts less pressure on your body.
"Instead of the weight pulling you straight down, cable machines have a horizontal pull," Araujo says. "This engages more muscles in your lower body, keeping the pressure off more sensitive areas, like your lower back."
3. You Have More Range of Motion
Compared to a barbell, you get a broader range of motion with a cable system, which means you activate and work more of your muscle.
Again, imagine a barbell deadlift.You can only hinge forward as far as the weight plates allow. Once they hit the ground, the exercise is at its largest range of motion. But cables don't have plates, which means you can move deeper into the exercise. And, as mentioned above, a longer TUT means more muscle strengthening.
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