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Building muscle, getting stronger, losing body fat, improving your fitness – while these are all excellent training goals, they can also be time-consuming. That’s why most pros invariably achieve better results than amateurs; they get paid to train, so time is no object.
The average pro doesn’t have to balance their workouts with holding down a full-time job and all the demands that come with conventional employment. They don’t have to try and squeeze in a workout before going to the office, during a lunch break, or after work when they’d rather be chilling at home.
Pros can train when they want for as long as they want. Needless to say, this is a huge advantage. That’s why average folk should avoid following programs designed for pros; they were not the intended audience.
Because time is at such a premium, the average exerciser needs to learn how to train smarter and not longer. We must find ways to get more done in less time, maximizing our training results.
One way to do this is with supersets, and using a cable machine can also help.
So, for all of the people who have to balance their workouts with their careers, here is a cable superset workout designed to get you great results in less time.
Cables and Supersets – A Match Made in Heaven
Your muscles have a hard time differentiating between different types of training equipment. In truth, they don’t really know or care if you’re doing barbell or cable curls for your biceps. So long as you work hard and often enough, they’ll respond by getting stronger and bigger.
That said, using cables does have a few advantages over other types of training:
Quick exercise setup and weight adjustments
It’ll take you no more than a few seconds to attach the appropriate handle to a cable machine and slam in the selector pin to adjust the weight. Less time setting up means shorter workouts or that you can cram more exercises and sets into your training session.
Either way, cable machines make for a very time-efficient workout.
More constant muscle tension
Cable machines tend to keep your muscles under more constant tension compared to the same exercise done with freeweights. This makes each and every rep you perform more effective, so you won’t need to do as many sets per muscle group.
For example, compare cable crossovers with dumbbell flys. With dumbbell flys, the tension on your muscles peaks when your arms are far apart but almost vanishes when your arms come together. In contrast, cable crossovers keep your pecs under tension for the entire range of motion.
Perfect for drop sets
When time is of the essence, you may want to use intensity-boosting training systems so you can fatigue your muscles faster. One way to do this is with drop sets.
To do a drop set, rep out to failure, reduce (or drop) the weight by 10-20%, and then rep out again. The selectorized weight stack on most cable machines means you can reduce the weight in seconds, making your workout even more time-efficient.
This simple system lets you train well beyond your usual failure point. A couple of drop sets will soon fatigue your muscles, so you don’t have to do a long, time-consuming workout.
A safer, more joint-friendly workout
Training to failure with cables is a safe proposition. There are no bars to get pinned under, and dropping a weight will cause nothing more serious than a loud crash. The same cannot be said of most barbell and dumbbell exercises.
In addition, most cable exercises are easier on your joints than the same exercise performed with freeweights. There is less end-to-end joint compression, leading to less wear and tear. In addition, cable exercises can easily be modified to work around any aches, pains, or limitations you might have.
Finally, you can train to failure without a spotter, so you won’t have to wait for someone to help you when you just want to get on and train.
Perfect for supersets
Supersets and cable machines go together like peanut butter and jelly – they complement one another perfectly. Transitioning from one exercise to the next takes no more than a couple of seconds, and you can train your entire body on a single or double cable machine.
And speaking of supersets, their benefits include…
Less time spent resting
Most strength training workouts involve rest than actual training time. Lifters typically rest 60-90 seconds between every set they perform. Supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back, eliminating half of your rests. With less resting, you’ll be in and out of the gym in half the time.
A structurally balanced workout
Using supersets makes it much easier to train opposing muscle groups equally. For example, by pairing biceps curls with triceps pushdowns, you ensure that both main upper arm muscles get the same volume of training.
Balancing your pushes and pulls will help develop an aesthetically and structurally balanced physique.
Cable Superset Workout – Program Overview
Short on time? Got access to a cable machine? Like supersets? Then this is the workout for you!
This program involves three workouts per week, performed on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This provides a good balance between training and recovery and works well for most average trainees.
All exercises are to be performed as paired supersets. For example, do exercise 1a and immediately follow it with exercise 1b. Rest for the designated time and then repeat the pairing. Do the specified number of sets and then move on to the next pairing (2a and 2b). Simple, but effective!
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
By working in the horizontal plane, this workout hits your chest and upper back, specifically your mid-traps and rhomboids, with a bit of lats thrown in for good measure. We close things out with some direct upper arms training because everyone wants a ticket to the gun show!
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable supine chest press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable seated row
2a
Cable crossover
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable reverse fly
3a
Cable incline fly
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable face pull
4a
Cable biceps curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable triceps pushdown
Workout 2 – Legs and core
Friends don’t let friends skip leg day! Your legs make up at least 40% of your total muscle mass, and it would be a crime against bodybuilding not to give you a cable superset leg workout to try.
This workout focuses on your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but there are some direct abs exercises at the end for you to enjoy.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable goblet squat
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable Romanian deadlift
2a
Cable standing leg extension
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable standing leg curl
3a
Cable hip abduction
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable hip adduction
4a
Cable woodchop
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable stability ball crunch
Workout 3 – Vertical Push/Pull & Arms
The workout emphasizes your shoulders and lats to build upper body width and hone your V-taper. And because no upper body workout is complete without some arm training, you’ll also work your biceps and triceps again.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable shoulder press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable single-arm pulldown
2a
Cable lateral raise
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable straight arm pulldown
3a
Cable upright row
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable Y pulldown
4a
Cable preacher curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable skull crusher
Cable Superset Workout – Exercise Descriptions
Get the most from your cable workouts by performing each exercise with perfect form. Proper exercise technique keeps the tension on your workout muscles and away from your joints. In contrast, the wrong technique makes your workout less effective and more likely to cause injury.
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
1a. Cable supine chest press
This unique exercise looks like a bench press but feels more like a chest fly. The result is a challenging movement that will really pump up your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, triceps, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and pull the handles into your armpits. Turn your wrists so your palms face down your body.
Press your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
Return your hands to your shoulders and repeat.
Tips:
Drive your feet into the floor for increased stability.
Keep your wrists straight.
Focus on pushing your hands inward as much as pushing them up to maximally engage your chest.
1b. Cable seated row
Cable seated rows are an excellent exercise for building a thicker, broader back. Unlike freeweight bent-over rows, this horizontal rowing movement is very lower back-friendly.
Target Muscles:
Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
Attach a neutral grip handle to a low pulley machine.
Sit with your legs outstretched and knees slightly bent. Grab the handle and sit up tall. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Bend your arms and pull the handle into your abdomen. Keep your upper arms close to your sides.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Drive your elbows back to maximize lat engagement.
Hinge forward slightly from your hips to stretch your lats but take care not to round your lower back.
Wear wrist straps or use gym chalk to enhance your grip if required.
2a. Cable crossover
Cable crossovers isolate your chest and hit all three heads of the pectoralis major. This exercise is great for creating shape and separation in your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
Attach D-shaped handles to the high pulleys on a cable crossover machine.
Holding a handle in each hand, adopt a staggered stance and stand with your arms stretched out to the side.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, sweep your arms forward and down so your hands meet in front of your hips.
Raise your arms, get a mild stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
Keep your torso upright to emphasize your chest and prevent turning this into a pressing exercise.
Keep your core braced throughout.
You can also do this exercise with your arms horizonal or moving from low to high.
2b. Cable reverse fly
This exercise works the muscles on the rear of your shoulders that oppose your chest. The trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids are critical for better posture and holding you upright against the pull of gravity.
Target Muscles:
Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
Steps:
Using a high cable machine, cross your hands and grip the balls/carabiners at the ends of the cables.
Move back 1-2 steps so your arms are extended in front of you, hands at about head height.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, open your arms and pull the cables down and back to about hip height.
Raise your arms and repeat.
Tips:
You can also do this exercise with D-shaped handles if you don’t want to hold onto the cables directly.
Lead with your elbows and pull your shoulders back and down to make this exercise as effective as possible.
You can also do this exercise with your arms horizontal.
3a. Cable incline fly
Cable incline flys are so much more effective than the dumbbell variation that, once you try them, you’ll never go back to using freeweights to isolate your pecs. This exercise is VERY effective!
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Raise the backrest to around 30 degrees. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and extend your arms out so they’re roughly parallel to the floor.
Keeping your arms slightly bent but rigid, squeeze your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
Lower your arms to get a stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
Experiment with different bench angles to see what feels most effective and comfortable.
The steeper the angle, the more you’ll hit your upper chest.
Imagine you are hugging a tree to perform this movement correctly.
3b. Cable face pull
Face pulls target your upper back, i.e., the mid-traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. They’re an excellent exercise for improving your posture and will add some thickness to your upper back muscles. Face pulls are also good for your shoulder health and could prevent future shoulder joint pain.
Target Muscles:
Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a head-high cable machine.
Take one end of the handle in each hand and, with straight arms, step back into a staggered stance.
Bend your elbows and pull the handles into either side of your head. Keep your elbows up to fully engage your upper back.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Lead with your elbows and drive them back to emphasize your upper back muscles.
Don’t go too heavy, as doing so will make you lower your elbows and use your lats more than your upper back.
Raise your hands by externally rotating your shoulders to also work your rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis).
4a. Cable biceps curl
The cable biceps curl is a proven arm builder that keeps your arm flexors under near-constant tension to deliver a skin-splitting pump. Paired with triceps pushdowns, this final superset will leave you looking and feeling swole AF!
Target Muscles:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a low cable machine. Hold the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip, upper arms by your sides.
Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Bend your elbows and curl the handle up to your shoulders.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Use a rope handle and do cable hammer curls to target your brachioradialis and brachialis muscles more.
Use an EZ bar to take pressure off your wrists and elbows.
Try a palms-down grip to challenge your forearms and improve your grip.
4b. Cable triceps pushdown
Cable pushdowns are one of the most popular triceps exercises. They’re simple, effective, and ideal for beginners and more experienced lifters. Supersetting them with cable biceps curls provides a great way to pump up your arms without having to switch machines.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a high cable pulley. Grip the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
Pull your upper arms into your sides, brace your core, and set your shoulders down and back.
Extend your arms and press the bar down to your thighs. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
Bend your arms as far as possible without letting your upper arms move away from your sides.
Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
You can also perform this exercise with a V-bar or a rope handle.
For variation, try using an underhand grip.
Keep your torso uptight so you don’t turn this into a pressing exercise.
Workout 2 – Legs and Core
1a. Cable goblet squat
Muscles worked:
Most people are more than familiar with kettlebell and dumbbell goblet squats. After all, they’re an excellent lower body exercise. However, the cable variation is just as effective and could be a better option for some people as it’s even more lower back-friendly than the original version.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a low pulley. Hold it in front of your chest, just below your chin. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
Take a small step back and stand with your feet about shoulder-distance apart, toes turned slightly outward.
Bend your legs and descend until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back.
Stand upright and repeat.
Tips:
Work your glutes harder by wearing a booty band around your knees.
Increase quads engagement by resting your heels on weight plates.
Experiment with your stance (wider, closer) to see which feels the most comfortable.
1b. Cable Romanian deadlift
Romanian deadlifts are one of the best posterior chain exercises around. Not only are they a great muscle developer, but they’re also an effective move for mobilizing and stretching your hips and hamstrings. Cable Romanian deadlifts are easier on your lower back than the barbell or dumbbell variations.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.
Steps:
Attach a bar or rope handle to a low pulley. Hold the handle and stand up, taking 1-2 steps back to tension the cable.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and set your shoulders.
Bend over from your hips and reach forward with your arms. Do not round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.
Drive your hips forward and stand back up.
Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
Move further back from the weight stack to make this exercise more hip-centric.
Vary your stance width to see what works best and feels more comfortable.
Make this exercise harder by standing on one leg – single-leg cable stiff-legged deadlifts.
2a. Cable standing leg extension
While regular leg extensions are an effective quadriceps exercise, one of the four quad muscles doesn’t get such a great workout – the rectus femoris. That’s because this muscle crosses your hips and knees, and sitting with your hip flexed puts the rectus femoris into a relaxed position, so it cannot contract very well. This standing variation fixes that problem.
Muscles worked:
Quadriceps, hip flexors, core.
Wearing an ankle strap, stand with your back to the weight stack. Take 1-2 steps forward. Bend your knee and move your hip backward.
Drive your knee forward and extend your leg.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
Keep your supporting knee slightly bent for balance.
Brace your core to prevent unwanted hip and lumbar spine movement.
You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
2b. Cable standing leg curl
The hamstrings are a biaxial muscle, meaning they cross two joints – your hips and knees. As such, they are responsible for two movements; knee flexion and hip extension. Cable standing leg curls are one of the few exercises to address both of these functions simultaneously.
Muscles Worked:
Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
Steps:
Wearing an ankle cuff, attach it to a low pulley machine and stand facing the weight stack. Shift your weight onto the other leg and brace your core. Use your arms for balance.
Extend your leg to the rear and bend your knee, curling your foot up toward your butt.
Lower your foot and repeat.
Tips:
Extend your hip more or less to change the feel of this exercise.
Keep your calf relaxed so your hamstrings do most of the work during this exercise.
Home exercisers can do this move with a resistance band.
3a. Cable hip abduction
Cable hip abductions work the muscles on the outside of your hips. Strengthening these muscles will improve lateral hip stability and help you sculpt a better-looking butt.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae.
Steps:
Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cable running in front of your feet. Brace your core and hold on to the machine for balance.
Raise your leg out to the side as high as possible without twisting your hips.
Lower your leg and repeat.
Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
Rotate your hip inward slightly to emphasize the hip abductor muscles.
Keep your supporting leg slightly bent for better stability and balance.
You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
3b. Cable hip adduction
The adductor muscles are located on the inside of your thighs and hips. Like the abductors, these muscles help stabilize your hips. Stronger hip adductors will lower your risk of groin strain during activities that involve running, sprinting, lunging, and kicking.
Muscles Worked:
Adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus.
Steps:
Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cuff on your innermost leg.
Cross your leg in front of the other without twisting your hips.
Lower your leg and repeat.
Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
Brace your core to stabilize your lumbar spine and prevent unwanted movement.
Bend your supporting knee slightly for better balance.
Home exercisers can replicate this move with a resistance band.
4a. Cable woodchop
The cable woodchop is so called because it looks and feels a little like you are swinging an axe and cutting down a tress. This core rotation exercise will develop your obliques and strengthen your abs.
Muscles Worked:
Obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a high cable pulley. Hold the handle in both hands and then stand sideways onto the weight stack. Extend your arms and brace your core.
Rotate your upper body through 180 degrees, drawing a diagonal line with your hands.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Turn around and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Tips:
Keep your arms slightly bent but rigid throughout.
You can also do this exercise in a half-kneeling position to stop you from using your legs.
For variety, use a low cable and raise your arms upward.
4b. Cable stability ball crunch
Bodyweight crunches are a great exercise, but once you’ve been training for a while, they often become too easy. Doing crunches on a stability ball with a cable makes them much more challenging and effective. High-rep crunches? Just say no!
Muscles Worked:
Rectus abdominis.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a low pulley machine. Place your stability ball on the floor next to your cable machine.
Sit on the ball and hold the handle over your shoulders so the cable is behind you.
Walk your feet forward and lean back so the ball sits in the natural curve of your lower back.
Contract your abs, flex your spine, and curl your shoulders toward your hips.
Lie back down, get a mild stretch on your abs, and repeat.
Tips:
Anchor your feet to prevent being pulled backward over the ball.
Exhale as you lift your shoulders to increase abs engagement.
Move your feet further apart to increase stability and make this exercise easier. Bring your feet closer together to decrease stability and make it more challenging.
Workout 3 – Vertical Push/Pull & Arms
1a. Cable shoulder press
Cable shoulder presses look like any other overhead pressing exercise but feel very different. The angle of the load changes how your deltoids are recruited, hitting your shoulders in an entirely new way. This is a unique exercise, and you’re going to love it!
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids, triceps.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a low pulley machine.
Pick up the handle and hold it in front of your shoulders so your elbows are below your wrists. Set your shoulders and brace your core. Take 1-2 small steps backward.
Press the handle upward and slightly back until your arms are extended.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Tips:
Step back just enough that the cable doesn’t touch your face when your arms are overhead.
You can also do this exercise with a neutral grip.
Experiment with the width of your grip to see what feels most comfortable.
1b. Cable single-arm pulldown
Lat pulldowns are a popular lat-building exercise. However, training both sides of your back at the same time could lead to muscle imbalances. This unilateral version hits one side of your back at a time and will also enhance your mind-muscle connection.
Muscles Worked:
Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a high pulley.
Hold the handle with one hand and sit or knee beneath it with your arm extended above you.
Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the handle down to the front of your shoulder.
Extend your arm and repeat.
Do the same number of repetitions with the opposite arm.
Tips:
Use an overhand, underhand, or neutral grip as preferred.
Brace your core to keep your torso upright and balanced throughout.
Drive your elbow down and back to maximize lat engagement.
2a. Cable lateral raise
Lateral raises target the medial head of your deltoids, which is the part of your shoulders that give them their width. Doing this exercise with give you bigger, broader, more rounded shoulders.
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a low cable machine. Stand sideways onto the weight stack and hold the handle in your outside hand so the cable runs in front of your body.
Keeping your arm slightly bent but rigid, raise it up and out until it’s roughly parallel to the floor.
Lower the handle to the front of your hips and repeat.
Tips:
Hold onto the cable machine with your non-working arm for balance if required.
Lead with your elbows (and not your hands) to get more from this exercise.
You can also do this exercise with both arms at the same time if you wish:
2b. Cable straight arm pulldown
When it comes to training the lats, most people tend to focus on pulldowns and rows. While these are effective exercises, the lats can also be worked with straight arm extensions. This move hits your upper lats, and you should really feel it in your armpits. It also works the long head of your triceps.
Muscles worked:
Latissimus dorsi, triceps, posterior deltoid.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a high cable machine.
Hold the handle with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your abs and set your shoulders
With your arms slightly bent but rigid, push the bar down to your thighs.
Raise your arms, get a stretch in your lats, and repeat.
Tips:
You can do this exercise on a cable crossover or a lat pulldown machine.
Pause at the bottom of each rep to maximize muscle engagement.
Lead with your elbows, and avoid pressing the bar down with your triceps.
3a. Cable upright row
Upright rows are a slightly controversial exercise, and some coaches believe they’re bad for your shoulders. While that may be true for the straight barbell version, cable upright rows are more shoulder-friendly and usually better tolerated. Using a rope handle also allows for more comfortable movement.
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids, trapezius, biceps.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a low cable machine. Hold one end in each hand and stand up straight. Take a small step back, brace your abs, and set your shoulders.
Bend your arms and pull your elbows up until they’re above your hands.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Keep your knees slightly bent for better balance and stability.
Squeeze your shoulders back to maximize mid-trap engagement.
Only pull your arms up as high as your shoulders comfortably allow.
3b. Cable Y pulldown
This unique exercise hits your lats from a very unusual angle. You should feel it in the middle of your back as well as the sides. Avoid going too heavy with this exercise. Instead, focus on contracting your lats as hard as possible.
Muscles Worked:
Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius.
Steps:
Attach D-shaped handles to the high pulleys of a cable crossover machine. Hold a handle in each hand and kneel between the pulleys, arms raised to form a Y-shape.
Bend your arms and pull your elbows down and into your sides. Squeeze your shoulders down and back.
Extend your arms up and out and repeat.
Tips:
Try using an underhand, overhand, or neutral grip to see which you prefer.
Kneel on a folded exercise mat or foam pad for comfort.
Think about leading with your elbows rather than pulling with your hands to maximize lat engagement.
4a. Cable preacher curl
Preacher curls are usually done using a barbell or dumbbells. However, that means there is very little tension on your muscles at the top of each rep. Using a cable ensures there is tension on your biceps throughout the movement.
Muscles Worked:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Steps:
Move a preacher curl bench over to a low cable machine. Attach a straight bar to the low pulley.
Hold the bar with an underhand grip and rest your upper arms against the bench.
Bend your arms and curl the handle up until your forearms are roughly vertical.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Use an EZ bar to make this exercise more comfortable.
You can also do this exercise using one arm at a time with a single D-shaped handle.
No preacher curl bench? No problem! Just use the inclined backrest of an adjustable exercise bench:
4b. Cable skull crusher
Cable skull crushers might sound like an MMA knockout move, but they’re actually a very effective triceps exercise. Utilizing a large range of motion, they take your triceps into a deep stretch, ensuring your arms get a great workout and an intense pump.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps.
Steps:
Place a flat bench next to your cable machine and attach a straight bar to the lowest pulley.
Lie on the bench with your head nearest the weight stack and hold the handle above your chest.
Keeping your upper arms stationary, bend your elbows and lower the bar to your forehead.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
You can also do this exercise while lying on the floor instead of a bench.
Use a rope handle to hit your triceps from a different angle.
Extend your shoulders backward to get an even deeper stretch in your triceps.
Cable Superset Workout – FAQs
Do you have a question about this workout, training with cables, or superset in general? No worries because we’ve got the answers!
1. Is this a cutting or a bulking program?
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not your workout that determines if you are cutting or bulking, but your diet. Bulking invariably involves consuming a surplus of calories, leading to rapid weight and muscle gain.
In contrast, cutting involves eating fewer calories, and this deficit leads to fat burning and weight loss.
Consequently, you can use this workout plan for bulking or cutting; you just need to adjust your diet according to your goals.
Read more about cutting vs. bulking here.
2. Can I change some of the exercises?
You are very welcome to make changes to any of these programs. However, make sure that whatever new exercises you choose are similar and work the same muscles. For example, while cable reverse lunges are an acceptable replacement for cable goblet squats, cable biceps curls are not.
Stick to the spirit of the program, and you’ll be fine. However, avoid making changes just for the sake of it or swapping out an exercise just because it’s hard. When it comes to building muscle, harder exercises are usually the most effective.
3. How should I warm up before these workouts?
Warming up prepares your muscles, joints, and mind for the workout you are about to do. It helps lower your risk of injury and also gets your muscles firing properly so you can work harder.
Warming up is usually a three-stage process:
Pulse raiser – 5-10 minutes of light cardio.
Dynamic flexibility and mobility – loosen up those muscles and joints.
Practice sets – a couple of light sets of your first 1-2 movements to prepare your body for the exercises you’re about to do.
It’s beyond the scope of this short Q&A to tell you how to warm up, but this in-depth guide should provide you with all the answers you seek.
4. What weights should I use for these workouts?
Because we don’t know how strong or experienced you are, we cannot tell you how much weight you should lift. Instead, you need to self-select your weights based on your performance.
If you can do more than 20 reps or any exercise, the load is too light. In contrast, if you are unable to do 12 reps, it’s too heavy. Pick weights that keep you in the sweet spot of 12-20 reps for all the exercises.
Remember, though, that you also need to make the workouts progressively more challenging by either increasing the weights or doing more reps whenever you feel you are able. It’s this progressive overload that keeps you moving forward.
5. Are there any supplements I can take that will enhance my progress?
While you don’t have to take supplements to get good results from your workouts, there are a few products that may help. However, even the most exotic or expensive substance won’t do anything for you if you aren’t training hard, eating right, and getting enough sleep.
Supplements that may be helpful include:
Closing Thoughts
While there is no need to use just cables or supersets in your workouts, doing so could be just the change you need to reignite your gains and bust out of your current training rut. Cable exercises are very joint-friendly and stress your muscles in a unique way. Supersets make great use of your training time and will save you from having to do two-hour workouts.
Cable machines and supersets? We think they’re a match made in heaven!
Building muscle, getting stronger, losing body fat, improving your fitness – while these are all excellent training goals, they can also be time-consuming. That’s why most pros invariably achieve better results than amateurs; they get paid to train, so time is no object.
The average pro doesn’t have to balance their workouts with holding down a full-time job and all the demands that come with conventional employment. They don’t have to try and squeeze in a workout before going to the office, during a lunch break, or after work when they’d rather be chilling at home.
Pros can train when they want for as long as they want. Needless to say, this is a huge advantage. That’s why average folk should avoid following programs designed for pros; they were not the intended audience.
Because time is at such a premium, the average exerciser needs to learn how to train smarter and not longer. We must find ways to get more done in less time, maximizing our training results.
One way to do this is with supersets, and using a cable machine can also help.
So, for all of the people who have to balance their workouts with their careers, here is a cable superset workout designed to get you great results in less time.
Cables and Supersets – A Match Made in Heaven
Your muscles have a hard time differentiating between different types of training equipment. In truth, they don’t really know or care if you’re doing barbell or cable curls for your biceps. So long as you work hard and often enough, they’ll respond by getting stronger and bigger.
That said, using cables does have a few advantages over other types of training:
Quick exercise setup and weight adjustments
It’ll take you no more than a few seconds to attach the appropriate handle to a cable machine and slam in the selector pin to adjust the weight. Less time setting up means shorter workouts or that you can cram more exercises and sets into your training session.
Either way, cable machines make for a very time-efficient workout.
More constant muscle tension
Cable machines tend to keep your muscles under more constant tension compared to the same exercise done with freeweights. This makes each and every rep you perform more effective, so you won’t need to do as many sets per muscle group.
For example, compare cable crossovers with dumbbell flys. With dumbbell flys, the tension on your muscles peaks when your arms are far apart but almost vanishes when your arms come together. In contrast, cable crossovers keep your pecs under tension for the entire range of motion.
Perfect for drop sets
When time is of the essence, you may want to use intensity-boosting training systems so you can fatigue your muscles faster. One way to do this is with drop sets.
To do a drop set, rep out to failure, reduce (or drop) the weight by 10-20%, and then rep out again. The selectorized weight stack on most cable machines means you can reduce the weight in seconds, making your workout even more time-efficient.
This simple system lets you train well beyond your usual failure point. A couple of drop sets will soon fatigue your muscles, so you don’t have to do a long, time-consuming workout.
A safer, more joint-friendly workout
Training to failure with cables is a safe proposition. There are no bars to get pinned under, and dropping a weight will cause nothing more serious than a loud crash. The same cannot be said of most barbell and dumbbell exercises.
In addition, most cable exercises are easier on your joints than the same exercise performed with freeweights. There is less end-to-end joint compression, leading to less wear and tear. In addition, cable exercises can easily be modified to work around any aches, pains, or limitations you might have.
Finally, you can train to failure without a spotter, so you won’t have to wait for someone to help you when you just want to get on and train.
Perfect for supersets
Supersets and cable machines go together like peanut butter and jelly – they complement one another perfectly. Transitioning from one exercise to the next takes no more than a couple of seconds, and you can train your entire body on a single or double cable machine.
And speaking of supersets, their benefits include…
Less time spent resting
Most strength training workouts involve rest than actual training time. Lifters typically rest 60-90 seconds between every set they perform. Supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back, eliminating half of your rests. With less resting, you’ll be in and out of the gym in half the time.
A structurally balanced workout
Using supersets makes it much easier to train opposing muscle groups equally. For example, by pairing biceps curls with triceps pushdowns, you ensure that both main upper arm muscles get the same volume of training.
Balancing your pushes and pulls will help develop an aesthetically and structurally balanced physique.
Cable Superset Workout – Program Overview
Short on time? Got access to a cable machine? Like supersets? Then this is the workout for you!
This program involves three workouts per week, performed on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This provides a good balance between training and recovery and works well for most average trainees.
All exercises are to be performed as paired supersets. For example, do exercise 1a and immediately follow it with exercise 1b. Rest for the designated time and then repeat the pairing. Do the specified number of sets and then move on to the next pairing (2a and 2b). Simple, but effective!
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
By working in the horizontal plane, this workout hits your chest and upper back, specifically your mid-traps and rhomboids, with a bit of lats thrown in for good measure. We close things out with some direct upper arms training because everyone wants a ticket to the gun show!
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable supine chest press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable seated row
2a
Cable crossover
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable reverse fly
3a
Cable incline fly
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable face pull
4a
Cable biceps curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable triceps pushdown
Workout 2 – Legs and core
Friends don’t let friends skip leg day! Your legs make up at least 40% of your total muscle mass, and it would be a crime against bodybuilding not to give you a cable superset leg workout to try.
This workout focuses on your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but there are some direct abs exercises at the end for you to enjoy.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable goblet squat
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable Romanian deadlift
2a
Cable standing leg extension
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable standing leg curl
3a
Cable hip abduction
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable hip adduction
4a
Cable woodchop
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable stability ball crunch
Workout 3 – Vertical Push/Pull & Arms
The workout emphasizes your shoulders and lats to build upper body width and hone your V-taper. And because no upper body workout is complete without some arm training, you’ll also work your biceps and triceps again.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable shoulder press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable single-arm pulldown
2a
Cable lateral raise
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable straight arm pulldown
3a
Cable upright row
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable Y pulldown
4a
Cable preacher curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable skull crusher
Cable Superset Workout – Exercise Descriptions
Get the most from your cable workouts by performing each exercise with perfect form. Proper exercise technique keeps the tension on your workout muscles and away from your joints. In contrast, the wrong technique makes your workout less effective and more likely to cause injury.
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
1a. Cable supine chest press
This unique exercise looks like a bench press but feels more like a chest fly. The result is a challenging movement that will really pump up your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, triceps, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
[*]Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and pull the handles into your armpits. Turn your wrists so your palms face down your body.
[*]Press your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
[*]Return your hands to your shoulders and repeat.
Tips:
Cable seated rows are an excellent exercise for building a thicker, broader back. Unlike freeweight bent-over rows, this horizontal rowing movement is very lower back-friendly.
Target Muscles:
Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a neutral grip handle to a low pulley machine.
[*]Sit with your legs outstretched and knees slightly bent. Grab the handle and sit up tall. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
[*]Bend your arms and pull the handle into your abdomen. Keep your upper arms close to your sides.
[*]Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Cable crossovers isolate your chest and hit all three heads of the pectoralis major. This exercise is great for creating shape and separation in your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Attach D-shaped handles to the high pulleys on a cable crossover machine.
[*]Holding a handle in each hand, adopt a staggered stance and stand with your arms stretched out to the side.
[*]Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, sweep your arms forward and down so your hands meet in front of your hips.
[*]Raise your arms, get a mild stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
This exercise works the muscles on the rear of your shoulders that oppose your chest. The trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids are critical for better posture and holding you upright against the pull of gravity.
Target Muscles:
[*]Using a high cable machine, cross your hands and grip the balls/carabiners at the ends of the cables.
[*]Move back 1-2 steps so your arms are extended in front of you, hands at about head height.
[*]Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, open your arms and pull the cables down and back to about hip height.
[*]Raise your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Cable incline flys are so much more effective than the dumbbell variation that, once you try them, you’ll never go back to using freeweights to isolate your pecs. This exercise is VERY effective!
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Raise the backrest to around 30 degrees. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
[*]Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and extend your arms out so they’re roughly parallel to the floor.
[*]Keeping your arms slightly bent but rigid, squeeze your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
[*]Lower your arms to get a stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
Face pulls target your upper back, i.e., the mid-traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. They’re an excellent exercise for improving your posture and will add some thickness to your upper back muscles. Face pulls are also good for your shoulder health and could prevent future shoulder joint pain.
Target Muscles:
Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a rope handle to a head-high cable machine.
[*]Take one end of the handle in each hand and, with straight arms, step back into a staggered stance.
[*]Bend your elbows and pull the handles into either side of your head. Keep your elbows up to fully engage your upper back.
[*]Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
The cable biceps curl is a proven arm builder that keeps your arm flexors under near-constant tension to deliver a skin-splitting pump. Paired with triceps pushdowns, this final superset will leave you looking and feeling swole AF!
Target Muscles:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a low cable machine. Hold the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip, upper arms by your sides.
[*]Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
[*]Bend your elbows and curl the handle up to your shoulders.
[*]Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Cable pushdowns are one of the most popular triceps exercises. They’re simple, effective, and ideal for beginners and more experienced lifters. Supersetting them with cable biceps curls provides a great way to pump up your arms without having to switch machines.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a high cable pulley. Grip the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
[*]Pull your upper arms into your sides, brace your core, and set your shoulders down and back.
[*]Extend your arms and press the bar down to your thighs. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
[*]Bend your arms as far as possible without letting your upper arms move away from your sides.
[*]Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
1a. Cable goblet squat
Muscles worked:
Most people are more than familiar with kettlebell and dumbbell goblet squats. After all, they’re an excellent lower body exercise. However, the cable variation is just as effective and could be a better option for some people as it’s even more lower back-friendly than the original version.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a low pulley. Hold it in front of your chest, just below your chin. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
[*]Take a small step back and stand with your feet about shoulder-distance apart, toes turned slightly outward.
[*]Bend your legs and descend until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back.
[*]Stand upright and repeat.
Tips:
Romanian deadlifts are one of the best posterior chain exercises around. Not only are they a great muscle developer, but they’re also an effective move for mobilizing and stretching your hips and hamstrings. Cable Romanian deadlifts are easier on your lower back than the barbell or dumbbell variations.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.
Steps:
[*]Attach a bar or rope handle to a low pulley. Hold the handle and stand up, taking 1-2 steps back to tension the cable.
[*]Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and set your shoulders.
[*]Bend over from your hips and reach forward with your arms. Do not round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.
[*]Drive your hips forward and stand back up.
[*]Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
While regular leg extensions are an effective quadriceps exercise, one of the four quad muscles doesn’t get such a great workout – the rectus femoris. That’s because this muscle crosses your hips and knees, and sitting with your hip flexed puts the rectus femoris into a relaxed position, so it cannot contract very well. This standing variation fixes that problem.
Muscles worked:
Quadriceps, hip flexors, core.
[*]Wearing an ankle strap, stand with your back to the weight stack. Take 1-2 steps forward. Bend your knee and move your hip backward.
[*]Drive your knee forward and extend your leg.
[*]Return to the starting position and repeat.
[*]Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
The hamstrings are a biaxial muscle, meaning they cross two joints – your hips and knees. As such, they are responsible for two movements; knee flexion and hip extension. Cable standing leg curls are one of the few exercises to address both of these functions simultaneously.
Muscles Worked:
Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
Steps:
[*]Wearing an ankle cuff, attach it to a low pulley machine and stand facing the weight stack. Shift your weight onto the other leg and brace your core. Use your arms for balance.
[*]Extend your leg to the rear and bend your knee, curling your foot up toward your butt.
[*]Lower your foot and repeat.
Tips:
Cable hip abductions work the muscles on the outside of your hips. Strengthening these muscles will improve lateral hip stability and help you sculpt a better-looking butt.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae.
Steps:
[*]Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cable running in front of your feet. Brace your core and hold on to the machine for balance.
[*]Raise your leg out to the side as high as possible without twisting your hips.
[*]Lower your leg and repeat.
[*]Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
The adductor muscles are located on the inside of your thighs and hips. Like the abductors, these muscles help stabilize your hips. Stronger hip adductors will lower your risk of groin strain during activities that involve running, sprinting, lunging, and kicking.
Muscles Worked:
Adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus.
Steps:
[*]Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cuff on your innermost leg.
[*]Cross your leg in front of the other without twisting your hips.
[*]Lower your leg and repeat.
[*]Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
The cable woodchop is so called because it looks and feels a little like you are swinging an axe and cutting down a tress. This core rotation exercise will develop your obliques and strengthen your abs.
Muscles Worked:
Obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae.
Steps:
[*]Attach a D-shaped handle to a high cable pulley. Hold the handle in both hands and then stand sideways onto the weight stack. Extend your arms and brace your core.
[*]Rotate your upper body through 180 degrees, drawing a diagonal line with your hands.
[*]Return to the starting position and repeat.
[*]Turn around and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Tips:
Bodyweight crunches are a great exercise, but once you’ve been training for a while, they often become too easy. Doing crunches on a stability ball with a cable makes them much more challenging and effective. High-rep crunches? Just say no!
Muscles Worked:
Rectus abdominis.
Steps:
[*]Attach a rope handle to a low pulley machine. Place your stability ball on the floor next to your cable machine.
[*]Sit on the ball and hold the handle over your shoulders so the cable is behind you.
[*]Walk your feet forward and lean back so the ball sits in the natural curve of your lower back.
[*]Contract your abs, flex your spine, and curl your shoulders toward your hips.
[*]Lie back down, get a mild stretch on your abs, and repeat.
Tips:
1a. Cable shoulder press
Cable shoulder presses look like any other overhead pressing exercise but feel very different. The angle of the load changes how your deltoids are recruited, hitting your shoulders in an entirely new way. This is a unique exercise, and you’re going to love it!
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids, triceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a low pulley machine.
[*]Pick up the handle and hold it in front of your shoulders so your elbows are below your wrists. Set your shoulders and brace your core. Take 1-2 small steps backward.
[*]Press the handle upward and slightly back until your arms are extended.
[*]Return to the starting position and repeat.
Tips:
Lat pulldowns are a popular lat-building exercise. However, training both sides of your back at the same time could lead to muscle imbalances. This unilateral version hits one side of your back at a time and will also enhance your mind-muscle connection.
Muscles Worked:
Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius.
Steps:
[*]Attach a D-shaped handle to a high pulley.
[*]Hold the handle with one hand and sit or knee beneath it with your arm extended above you.
[*]Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the handle down to the front of your shoulder.
[*]Extend your arm and repeat.
[*]Do the same number of repetitions with the opposite arm.
Tips:
Lateral raises target the medial head of your deltoids, which is the part of your shoulders that give them their width. Doing this exercise with give you bigger, broader, more rounded shoulders.
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Attach a D-shaped handle to a low cable machine. Stand sideways onto the weight stack and hold the handle in your outside hand so the cable runs in front of your body.
[*]Keeping your arm slightly bent but rigid, raise it up and out until it’s roughly parallel to the floor.
[*]Lower the handle to the front of your hips and repeat.
Tips:
2b. Cable straight arm pulldown
When it comes to training the lats, most people tend to focus on pulldowns and rows. While these are effective exercises, the lats can also be worked with straight arm extensions. This move hits your upper lats, and you should really feel it in your armpits. It also works the long head of your triceps.
Muscles worked:
Latissimus dorsi, triceps, posterior deltoid.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a high cable machine.
[*]Hold the handle with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your abs and set your shoulders
[*]With your arms slightly bent but rigid, push the bar down to your thighs.
[*]Raise your arms, get a stretch in your lats, and repeat.
Tips:
The average pro doesn’t have to balance their workouts with holding down a full-time job and all the demands that come with conventional employment. They don’t have to try and squeeze in a workout before going to the office, during a lunch break, or after work when they’d rather be chilling at home.
Pros can train when they want for as long as they want. Needless to say, this is a huge advantage. That’s why average folk should avoid following programs designed for pros; they were not the intended audience.
Because time is at such a premium, the average exerciser needs to learn how to train smarter and not longer. We must find ways to get more done in less time, maximizing our training results.
One way to do this is with supersets, and using a cable machine can also help.
So, for all of the people who have to balance their workouts with their careers, here is a cable superset workout designed to get you great results in less time.
Cables and Supersets – A Match Made in Heaven
Your muscles have a hard time differentiating between different types of training equipment. In truth, they don’t really know or care if you’re doing barbell or cable curls for your biceps. So long as you work hard and often enough, they’ll respond by getting stronger and bigger.
That said, using cables does have a few advantages over other types of training:
Quick exercise setup and weight adjustments
It’ll take you no more than a few seconds to attach the appropriate handle to a cable machine and slam in the selector pin to adjust the weight. Less time setting up means shorter workouts or that you can cram more exercises and sets into your training session.
Either way, cable machines make for a very time-efficient workout.
More constant muscle tension
Cable machines tend to keep your muscles under more constant tension compared to the same exercise done with freeweights. This makes each and every rep you perform more effective, so you won’t need to do as many sets per muscle group.
For example, compare cable crossovers with dumbbell flys. With dumbbell flys, the tension on your muscles peaks when your arms are far apart but almost vanishes when your arms come together. In contrast, cable crossovers keep your pecs under tension for the entire range of motion.
Perfect for drop sets
When time is of the essence, you may want to use intensity-boosting training systems so you can fatigue your muscles faster. One way to do this is with drop sets.
To do a drop set, rep out to failure, reduce (or drop) the weight by 10-20%, and then rep out again. The selectorized weight stack on most cable machines means you can reduce the weight in seconds, making your workout even more time-efficient.
This simple system lets you train well beyond your usual failure point. A couple of drop sets will soon fatigue your muscles, so you don’t have to do a long, time-consuming workout.
A safer, more joint-friendly workout
Training to failure with cables is a safe proposition. There are no bars to get pinned under, and dropping a weight will cause nothing more serious than a loud crash. The same cannot be said of most barbell and dumbbell exercises.
In addition, most cable exercises are easier on your joints than the same exercise performed with freeweights. There is less end-to-end joint compression, leading to less wear and tear. In addition, cable exercises can easily be modified to work around any aches, pains, or limitations you might have.
Finally, you can train to failure without a spotter, so you won’t have to wait for someone to help you when you just want to get on and train.
Perfect for supersets
Supersets and cable machines go together like peanut butter and jelly – they complement one another perfectly. Transitioning from one exercise to the next takes no more than a couple of seconds, and you can train your entire body on a single or double cable machine.
And speaking of supersets, their benefits include…
Less time spent resting
Most strength training workouts involve rest than actual training time. Lifters typically rest 60-90 seconds between every set they perform. Supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back, eliminating half of your rests. With less resting, you’ll be in and out of the gym in half the time.
A structurally balanced workout
Using supersets makes it much easier to train opposing muscle groups equally. For example, by pairing biceps curls with triceps pushdowns, you ensure that both main upper arm muscles get the same volume of training.
Balancing your pushes and pulls will help develop an aesthetically and structurally balanced physique.
Cable Superset Workout – Program Overview
Short on time? Got access to a cable machine? Like supersets? Then this is the workout for you!
This program involves three workouts per week, performed on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This provides a good balance between training and recovery and works well for most average trainees.
All exercises are to be performed as paired supersets. For example, do exercise 1a and immediately follow it with exercise 1b. Rest for the designated time and then repeat the pairing. Do the specified number of sets and then move on to the next pairing (2a and 2b). Simple, but effective!
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
By working in the horizontal plane, this workout hits your chest and upper back, specifically your mid-traps and rhomboids, with a bit of lats thrown in for good measure. We close things out with some direct upper arms training because everyone wants a ticket to the gun show!
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable supine chest press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable seated row
2a
Cable crossover
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable reverse fly
3a
Cable incline fly
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable face pull
4a
Cable biceps curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable triceps pushdown
Workout 2 – Legs and core
Friends don’t let friends skip leg day! Your legs make up at least 40% of your total muscle mass, and it would be a crime against bodybuilding not to give you a cable superset leg workout to try.
This workout focuses on your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but there are some direct abs exercises at the end for you to enjoy.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable goblet squat
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable Romanian deadlift
2a
Cable standing leg extension
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable standing leg curl
3a
Cable hip abduction
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable hip adduction
4a
Cable woodchop
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable stability ball crunch
Workout 3 – Vertical Push/Pull & Arms
The workout emphasizes your shoulders and lats to build upper body width and hone your V-taper. And because no upper body workout is complete without some arm training, you’ll also work your biceps and triceps again.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable shoulder press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable single-arm pulldown
2a
Cable lateral raise
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable straight arm pulldown
3a
Cable upright row
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable Y pulldown
4a
Cable preacher curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable skull crusher
Cable Superset Workout – Exercise Descriptions
Get the most from your cable workouts by performing each exercise with perfect form. Proper exercise technique keeps the tension on your workout muscles and away from your joints. In contrast, the wrong technique makes your workout less effective and more likely to cause injury.
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
1a. Cable supine chest press
This unique exercise looks like a bench press but feels more like a chest fly. The result is a challenging movement that will really pump up your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, triceps, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and pull the handles into your armpits. Turn your wrists so your palms face down your body.
Press your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
Return your hands to your shoulders and repeat.
Tips:
Drive your feet into the floor for increased stability.
Keep your wrists straight.
Focus on pushing your hands inward as much as pushing them up to maximally engage your chest.
1b. Cable seated row
Cable seated rows are an excellent exercise for building a thicker, broader back. Unlike freeweight bent-over rows, this horizontal rowing movement is very lower back-friendly.
Target Muscles:
Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
Attach a neutral grip handle to a low pulley machine.
Sit with your legs outstretched and knees slightly bent. Grab the handle and sit up tall. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Bend your arms and pull the handle into your abdomen. Keep your upper arms close to your sides.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Drive your elbows back to maximize lat engagement.
Hinge forward slightly from your hips to stretch your lats but take care not to round your lower back.
Wear wrist straps or use gym chalk to enhance your grip if required.
2a. Cable crossover
Cable crossovers isolate your chest and hit all three heads of the pectoralis major. This exercise is great for creating shape and separation in your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
Attach D-shaped handles to the high pulleys on a cable crossover machine.
Holding a handle in each hand, adopt a staggered stance and stand with your arms stretched out to the side.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, sweep your arms forward and down so your hands meet in front of your hips.
Raise your arms, get a mild stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
Keep your torso upright to emphasize your chest and prevent turning this into a pressing exercise.
Keep your core braced throughout.
You can also do this exercise with your arms horizonal or moving from low to high.
2b. Cable reverse fly
This exercise works the muscles on the rear of your shoulders that oppose your chest. The trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids are critical for better posture and holding you upright against the pull of gravity.
Target Muscles:
Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
Steps:
Using a high cable machine, cross your hands and grip the balls/carabiners at the ends of the cables.
Move back 1-2 steps so your arms are extended in front of you, hands at about head height.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, open your arms and pull the cables down and back to about hip height.
Raise your arms and repeat.
Tips:
You can also do this exercise with D-shaped handles if you don’t want to hold onto the cables directly.
Lead with your elbows and pull your shoulders back and down to make this exercise as effective as possible.
You can also do this exercise with your arms horizontal.
3a. Cable incline fly
Cable incline flys are so much more effective than the dumbbell variation that, once you try them, you’ll never go back to using freeweights to isolate your pecs. This exercise is VERY effective!
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Raise the backrest to around 30 degrees. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and extend your arms out so they’re roughly parallel to the floor.
Keeping your arms slightly bent but rigid, squeeze your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
Lower your arms to get a stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
Experiment with different bench angles to see what feels most effective and comfortable.
The steeper the angle, the more you’ll hit your upper chest.
Imagine you are hugging a tree to perform this movement correctly.
3b. Cable face pull
Face pulls target your upper back, i.e., the mid-traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. They’re an excellent exercise for improving your posture and will add some thickness to your upper back muscles. Face pulls are also good for your shoulder health and could prevent future shoulder joint pain.
Target Muscles:
Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a head-high cable machine.
Take one end of the handle in each hand and, with straight arms, step back into a staggered stance.
Bend your elbows and pull the handles into either side of your head. Keep your elbows up to fully engage your upper back.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Lead with your elbows and drive them back to emphasize your upper back muscles.
Don’t go too heavy, as doing so will make you lower your elbows and use your lats more than your upper back.
Raise your hands by externally rotating your shoulders to also work your rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis).
4a. Cable biceps curl
The cable biceps curl is a proven arm builder that keeps your arm flexors under near-constant tension to deliver a skin-splitting pump. Paired with triceps pushdowns, this final superset will leave you looking and feeling swole AF!
Target Muscles:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a low cable machine. Hold the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip, upper arms by your sides.
Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Bend your elbows and curl the handle up to your shoulders.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Use a rope handle and do cable hammer curls to target your brachioradialis and brachialis muscles more.
Use an EZ bar to take pressure off your wrists and elbows.
Try a palms-down grip to challenge your forearms and improve your grip.
4b. Cable triceps pushdown
Cable pushdowns are one of the most popular triceps exercises. They’re simple, effective, and ideal for beginners and more experienced lifters. Supersetting them with cable biceps curls provides a great way to pump up your arms without having to switch machines.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a high cable pulley. Grip the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
Pull your upper arms into your sides, brace your core, and set your shoulders down and back.
Extend your arms and press the bar down to your thighs. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
Bend your arms as far as possible without letting your upper arms move away from your sides.
Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
You can also perform this exercise with a V-bar or a rope handle.
For variation, try using an underhand grip.
Keep your torso uptight so you don’t turn this into a pressing exercise.
Workout 2 – Legs and Core
1a. Cable goblet squat
Muscles worked:
Most people are more than familiar with kettlebell and dumbbell goblet squats. After all, they’re an excellent lower body exercise. However, the cable variation is just as effective and could be a better option for some people as it’s even more lower back-friendly than the original version.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a low pulley. Hold it in front of your chest, just below your chin. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
Take a small step back and stand with your feet about shoulder-distance apart, toes turned slightly outward.
Bend your legs and descend until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back.
Stand upright and repeat.
Tips:
Work your glutes harder by wearing a booty band around your knees.
Increase quads engagement by resting your heels on weight plates.
Experiment with your stance (wider, closer) to see which feels the most comfortable.
1b. Cable Romanian deadlift
Romanian deadlifts are one of the best posterior chain exercises around. Not only are they a great muscle developer, but they’re also an effective move for mobilizing and stretching your hips and hamstrings. Cable Romanian deadlifts are easier on your lower back than the barbell or dumbbell variations.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.
Steps:
Attach a bar or rope handle to a low pulley. Hold the handle and stand up, taking 1-2 steps back to tension the cable.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and set your shoulders.
Bend over from your hips and reach forward with your arms. Do not round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.
Drive your hips forward and stand back up.
Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
Move further back from the weight stack to make this exercise more hip-centric.
Vary your stance width to see what works best and feels more comfortable.
Make this exercise harder by standing on one leg – single-leg cable stiff-legged deadlifts.
2a. Cable standing leg extension
While regular leg extensions are an effective quadriceps exercise, one of the four quad muscles doesn’t get such a great workout – the rectus femoris. That’s because this muscle crosses your hips and knees, and sitting with your hip flexed puts the rectus femoris into a relaxed position, so it cannot contract very well. This standing variation fixes that problem.
Muscles worked:
Quadriceps, hip flexors, core.
Wearing an ankle strap, stand with your back to the weight stack. Take 1-2 steps forward. Bend your knee and move your hip backward.
Drive your knee forward and extend your leg.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
Keep your supporting knee slightly bent for balance.
Brace your core to prevent unwanted hip and lumbar spine movement.
You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
2b. Cable standing leg curl
The hamstrings are a biaxial muscle, meaning they cross two joints – your hips and knees. As such, they are responsible for two movements; knee flexion and hip extension. Cable standing leg curls are one of the few exercises to address both of these functions simultaneously.
Muscles Worked:
Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
Steps:
Wearing an ankle cuff, attach it to a low pulley machine and stand facing the weight stack. Shift your weight onto the other leg and brace your core. Use your arms for balance.
Extend your leg to the rear and bend your knee, curling your foot up toward your butt.
Lower your foot and repeat.
Tips:
Extend your hip more or less to change the feel of this exercise.
Keep your calf relaxed so your hamstrings do most of the work during this exercise.
Home exercisers can do this move with a resistance band.
3a. Cable hip abduction
Cable hip abductions work the muscles on the outside of your hips. Strengthening these muscles will improve lateral hip stability and help you sculpt a better-looking butt.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae.
Steps:
Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cable running in front of your feet. Brace your core and hold on to the machine for balance.
Raise your leg out to the side as high as possible without twisting your hips.
Lower your leg and repeat.
Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
Rotate your hip inward slightly to emphasize the hip abductor muscles.
Keep your supporting leg slightly bent for better stability and balance.
You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
3b. Cable hip adduction
The adductor muscles are located on the inside of your thighs and hips. Like the abductors, these muscles help stabilize your hips. Stronger hip adductors will lower your risk of groin strain during activities that involve running, sprinting, lunging, and kicking.
Muscles Worked:
Adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus.
Steps:
Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cuff on your innermost leg.
Cross your leg in front of the other without twisting your hips.
Lower your leg and repeat.
Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
Brace your core to stabilize your lumbar spine and prevent unwanted movement.
Bend your supporting knee slightly for better balance.
Home exercisers can replicate this move with a resistance band.
4a. Cable woodchop
The cable woodchop is so called because it looks and feels a little like you are swinging an axe and cutting down a tress. This core rotation exercise will develop your obliques and strengthen your abs.
Muscles Worked:
Obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a high cable pulley. Hold the handle in both hands and then stand sideways onto the weight stack. Extend your arms and brace your core.
Rotate your upper body through 180 degrees, drawing a diagonal line with your hands.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Turn around and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Tips:
Keep your arms slightly bent but rigid throughout.
You can also do this exercise in a half-kneeling position to stop you from using your legs.
For variety, use a low cable and raise your arms upward.
4b. Cable stability ball crunch
Bodyweight crunches are a great exercise, but once you’ve been training for a while, they often become too easy. Doing crunches on a stability ball with a cable makes them much more challenging and effective. High-rep crunches? Just say no!
Muscles Worked:
Rectus abdominis.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a low pulley machine. Place your stability ball on the floor next to your cable machine.
Sit on the ball and hold the handle over your shoulders so the cable is behind you.
Walk your feet forward and lean back so the ball sits in the natural curve of your lower back.
Contract your abs, flex your spine, and curl your shoulders toward your hips.
Lie back down, get a mild stretch on your abs, and repeat.
Tips:
Anchor your feet to prevent being pulled backward over the ball.
Exhale as you lift your shoulders to increase abs engagement.
Move your feet further apart to increase stability and make this exercise easier. Bring your feet closer together to decrease stability and make it more challenging.
Workout 3 – Vertical Push/Pull & Arms
1a. Cable shoulder press
Cable shoulder presses look like any other overhead pressing exercise but feel very different. The angle of the load changes how your deltoids are recruited, hitting your shoulders in an entirely new way. This is a unique exercise, and you’re going to love it!
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids, triceps.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a low pulley machine.
Pick up the handle and hold it in front of your shoulders so your elbows are below your wrists. Set your shoulders and brace your core. Take 1-2 small steps backward.
Press the handle upward and slightly back until your arms are extended.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Tips:
Step back just enough that the cable doesn’t touch your face when your arms are overhead.
You can also do this exercise with a neutral grip.
Experiment with the width of your grip to see what feels most comfortable.
1b. Cable single-arm pulldown
Lat pulldowns are a popular lat-building exercise. However, training both sides of your back at the same time could lead to muscle imbalances. This unilateral version hits one side of your back at a time and will also enhance your mind-muscle connection.
Muscles Worked:
Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a high pulley.
Hold the handle with one hand and sit or knee beneath it with your arm extended above you.
Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the handle down to the front of your shoulder.
Extend your arm and repeat.
Do the same number of repetitions with the opposite arm.
Tips:
Use an overhand, underhand, or neutral grip as preferred.
Brace your core to keep your torso upright and balanced throughout.
Drive your elbow down and back to maximize lat engagement.
2a. Cable lateral raise
Lateral raises target the medial head of your deltoids, which is the part of your shoulders that give them their width. Doing this exercise with give you bigger, broader, more rounded shoulders.
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a low cable machine. Stand sideways onto the weight stack and hold the handle in your outside hand so the cable runs in front of your body.
Keeping your arm slightly bent but rigid, raise it up and out until it’s roughly parallel to the floor.
Lower the handle to the front of your hips and repeat.
Tips:
Hold onto the cable machine with your non-working arm for balance if required.
Lead with your elbows (and not your hands) to get more from this exercise.
You can also do this exercise with both arms at the same time if you wish:
2b. Cable straight arm pulldown
When it comes to training the lats, most people tend to focus on pulldowns and rows. While these are effective exercises, the lats can also be worked with straight arm extensions. This move hits your upper lats, and you should really feel it in your armpits. It also works the long head of your triceps.
Muscles worked:
Latissimus dorsi, triceps, posterior deltoid.
Steps:
Attach a straight bar to a high cable machine.
Hold the handle with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your abs and set your shoulders
With your arms slightly bent but rigid, push the bar down to your thighs.
Raise your arms, get a stretch in your lats, and repeat.
Tips:
You can do this exercise on a cable crossover or a lat pulldown machine.
Pause at the bottom of each rep to maximize muscle engagement.
Lead with your elbows, and avoid pressing the bar down with your triceps.
3a. Cable upright row
Upright rows are a slightly controversial exercise, and some coaches believe they’re bad for your shoulders. While that may be true for the straight barbell version, cable upright rows are more shoulder-friendly and usually better tolerated. Using a rope handle also allows for more comfortable movement.
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids, trapezius, biceps.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a low cable machine. Hold one end in each hand and stand up straight. Take a small step back, brace your abs, and set your shoulders.
Bend your arms and pull your elbows up until they’re above your hands.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Keep your knees slightly bent for better balance and stability.
Squeeze your shoulders back to maximize mid-trap engagement.
Only pull your arms up as high as your shoulders comfortably allow.
3b. Cable Y pulldown
This unique exercise hits your lats from a very unusual angle. You should feel it in the middle of your back as well as the sides. Avoid going too heavy with this exercise. Instead, focus on contracting your lats as hard as possible.
Muscles Worked:
Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius.
Steps:
Attach D-shaped handles to the high pulleys of a cable crossover machine. Hold a handle in each hand and kneel between the pulleys, arms raised to form a Y-shape.
Bend your arms and pull your elbows down and into your sides. Squeeze your shoulders down and back.
Extend your arms up and out and repeat.
Tips:
Try using an underhand, overhand, or neutral grip to see which you prefer.
Kneel on a folded exercise mat or foam pad for comfort.
Think about leading with your elbows rather than pulling with your hands to maximize lat engagement.
4a. Cable preacher curl
Preacher curls are usually done using a barbell or dumbbells. However, that means there is very little tension on your muscles at the top of each rep. Using a cable ensures there is tension on your biceps throughout the movement.
Muscles Worked:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Steps:
Move a preacher curl bench over to a low cable machine. Attach a straight bar to the low pulley.
Hold the bar with an underhand grip and rest your upper arms against the bench.
Bend your arms and curl the handle up until your forearms are roughly vertical.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
Use an EZ bar to make this exercise more comfortable.
You can also do this exercise using one arm at a time with a single D-shaped handle.
No preacher curl bench? No problem! Just use the inclined backrest of an adjustable exercise bench:
4b. Cable skull crusher
Cable skull crushers might sound like an MMA knockout move, but they’re actually a very effective triceps exercise. Utilizing a large range of motion, they take your triceps into a deep stretch, ensuring your arms get a great workout and an intense pump.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps.
Steps:
Place a flat bench next to your cable machine and attach a straight bar to the lowest pulley.
Lie on the bench with your head nearest the weight stack and hold the handle above your chest.
Keeping your upper arms stationary, bend your elbows and lower the bar to your forehead.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
You can also do this exercise while lying on the floor instead of a bench.
Use a rope handle to hit your triceps from a different angle.
Extend your shoulders backward to get an even deeper stretch in your triceps.
Cable Superset Workout – FAQs
Do you have a question about this workout, training with cables, or superset in general? No worries because we’ve got the answers!
1. Is this a cutting or a bulking program?
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not your workout that determines if you are cutting or bulking, but your diet. Bulking invariably involves consuming a surplus of calories, leading to rapid weight and muscle gain.
In contrast, cutting involves eating fewer calories, and this deficit leads to fat burning and weight loss.
Consequently, you can use this workout plan for bulking or cutting; you just need to adjust your diet according to your goals.
Read more about cutting vs. bulking here.
2. Can I change some of the exercises?
You are very welcome to make changes to any of these programs. However, make sure that whatever new exercises you choose are similar and work the same muscles. For example, while cable reverse lunges are an acceptable replacement for cable goblet squats, cable biceps curls are not.
Stick to the spirit of the program, and you’ll be fine. However, avoid making changes just for the sake of it or swapping out an exercise just because it’s hard. When it comes to building muscle, harder exercises are usually the most effective.
3. How should I warm up before these workouts?
Warming up prepares your muscles, joints, and mind for the workout you are about to do. It helps lower your risk of injury and also gets your muscles firing properly so you can work harder.
Warming up is usually a three-stage process:
Pulse raiser – 5-10 minutes of light cardio.
Dynamic flexibility and mobility – loosen up those muscles and joints.
Practice sets – a couple of light sets of your first 1-2 movements to prepare your body for the exercises you’re about to do.
It’s beyond the scope of this short Q&A to tell you how to warm up, but this in-depth guide should provide you with all the answers you seek.
4. What weights should I use for these workouts?
Because we don’t know how strong or experienced you are, we cannot tell you how much weight you should lift. Instead, you need to self-select your weights based on your performance.
If you can do more than 20 reps or any exercise, the load is too light. In contrast, if you are unable to do 12 reps, it’s too heavy. Pick weights that keep you in the sweet spot of 12-20 reps for all the exercises.
Remember, though, that you also need to make the workouts progressively more challenging by either increasing the weights or doing more reps whenever you feel you are able. It’s this progressive overload that keeps you moving forward.
5. Are there any supplements I can take that will enhance my progress?
While you don’t have to take supplements to get good results from your workouts, there are a few products that may help. However, even the most exotic or expensive substance won’t do anything for you if you aren’t training hard, eating right, and getting enough sleep.
Supplements that may be helpful include:
Closing Thoughts
While there is no need to use just cables or supersets in your workouts, doing so could be just the change you need to reignite your gains and bust out of your current training rut. Cable exercises are very joint-friendly and stress your muscles in a unique way. Supersets make great use of your training time and will save you from having to do two-hour workouts.
Cable machines and supersets? We think they’re a match made in heaven!
Building muscle, getting stronger, losing body fat, improving your fitness – while these are all excellent training goals, they can also be time-consuming. That’s why most pros invariably achieve better results than amateurs; they get paid to train, so time is no object.
The average pro doesn’t have to balance their workouts with holding down a full-time job and all the demands that come with conventional employment. They don’t have to try and squeeze in a workout before going to the office, during a lunch break, or after work when they’d rather be chilling at home.
Pros can train when they want for as long as they want. Needless to say, this is a huge advantage. That’s why average folk should avoid following programs designed for pros; they were not the intended audience.
Because time is at such a premium, the average exerciser needs to learn how to train smarter and not longer. We must find ways to get more done in less time, maximizing our training results.
One way to do this is with supersets, and using a cable machine can also help.
So, for all of the people who have to balance their workouts with their careers, here is a cable superset workout designed to get you great results in less time.
Cables and Supersets – A Match Made in Heaven
Your muscles have a hard time differentiating between different types of training equipment. In truth, they don’t really know or care if you’re doing barbell or cable curls for your biceps. So long as you work hard and often enough, they’ll respond by getting stronger and bigger.
That said, using cables does have a few advantages over other types of training:
Quick exercise setup and weight adjustments
It’ll take you no more than a few seconds to attach the appropriate handle to a cable machine and slam in the selector pin to adjust the weight. Less time setting up means shorter workouts or that you can cram more exercises and sets into your training session.
Either way, cable machines make for a very time-efficient workout.
More constant muscle tension
Cable machines tend to keep your muscles under more constant tension compared to the same exercise done with freeweights. This makes each and every rep you perform more effective, so you won’t need to do as many sets per muscle group.
For example, compare cable crossovers with dumbbell flys. With dumbbell flys, the tension on your muscles peaks when your arms are far apart but almost vanishes when your arms come together. In contrast, cable crossovers keep your pecs under tension for the entire range of motion.
Perfect for drop sets
When time is of the essence, you may want to use intensity-boosting training systems so you can fatigue your muscles faster. One way to do this is with drop sets.
To do a drop set, rep out to failure, reduce (or drop) the weight by 10-20%, and then rep out again. The selectorized weight stack on most cable machines means you can reduce the weight in seconds, making your workout even more time-efficient.
This simple system lets you train well beyond your usual failure point. A couple of drop sets will soon fatigue your muscles, so you don’t have to do a long, time-consuming workout.
A safer, more joint-friendly workout
Training to failure with cables is a safe proposition. There are no bars to get pinned under, and dropping a weight will cause nothing more serious than a loud crash. The same cannot be said of most barbell and dumbbell exercises.
In addition, most cable exercises are easier on your joints than the same exercise performed with freeweights. There is less end-to-end joint compression, leading to less wear and tear. In addition, cable exercises can easily be modified to work around any aches, pains, or limitations you might have.
Finally, you can train to failure without a spotter, so you won’t have to wait for someone to help you when you just want to get on and train.
Perfect for supersets
Supersets and cable machines go together like peanut butter and jelly – they complement one another perfectly. Transitioning from one exercise to the next takes no more than a couple of seconds, and you can train your entire body on a single or double cable machine.
And speaking of supersets, their benefits include…
Less time spent resting
Most strength training workouts involve rest than actual training time. Lifters typically rest 60-90 seconds between every set they perform. Supersets involve doing two exercises back-to-back, eliminating half of your rests. With less resting, you’ll be in and out of the gym in half the time.
A structurally balanced workout
Using supersets makes it much easier to train opposing muscle groups equally. For example, by pairing biceps curls with triceps pushdowns, you ensure that both main upper arm muscles get the same volume of training.
Balancing your pushes and pulls will help develop an aesthetically and structurally balanced physique.
Cable Superset Workout – Program Overview
Short on time? Got access to a cable machine? Like supersets? Then this is the workout for you!
This program involves three workouts per week, performed on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This provides a good balance between training and recovery and works well for most average trainees.
All exercises are to be performed as paired supersets. For example, do exercise 1a and immediately follow it with exercise 1b. Rest for the designated time and then repeat the pairing. Do the specified number of sets and then move on to the next pairing (2a and 2b). Simple, but effective!
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
By working in the horizontal plane, this workout hits your chest and upper back, specifically your mid-traps and rhomboids, with a bit of lats thrown in for good measure. We close things out with some direct upper arms training because everyone wants a ticket to the gun show!
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable supine chest press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable seated row
2a
Cable crossover
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable reverse fly
3a
Cable incline fly
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable face pull
4a
Cable biceps curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable triceps pushdown
Workout 2 – Legs and core
Friends don’t let friends skip leg day! Your legs make up at least 40% of your total muscle mass, and it would be a crime against bodybuilding not to give you a cable superset leg workout to try.
This workout focuses on your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but there are some direct abs exercises at the end for you to enjoy.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable goblet squat
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable Romanian deadlift
2a
Cable standing leg extension
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable standing leg curl
3a
Cable hip abduction
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable hip adduction
4a
Cable woodchop
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable stability ball crunch
Workout 3 – Vertical Push/Pull & Arms
The workout emphasizes your shoulders and lats to build upper body width and hone your V-taper. And because no upper body workout is complete without some arm training, you’ll also work your biceps and triceps again.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Recovery
1a
Cable shoulder press
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
1b
Cable single-arm pulldown
2a
Cable lateral raise
4
12-20
60-90 seconds
2b
Cable straight arm pulldown
3a
Cable upright row
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
3b
Cable Y pulldown
4a
Cable preacher curl
3
12-20
60-90 seconds
4b
Cable skull crusher
Cable Superset Workout – Exercise Descriptions
Get the most from your cable workouts by performing each exercise with perfect form. Proper exercise technique keeps the tension on your workout muscles and away from your joints. In contrast, the wrong technique makes your workout less effective and more likely to cause injury.
Workout 1 – Horizontal Push/Pull & Arms
1a. Cable supine chest press
This unique exercise looks like a bench press but feels more like a chest fly. The result is a challenging movement that will really pump up your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, triceps, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
[*]Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and pull the handles into your armpits. Turn your wrists so your palms face down your body.
[*]Press your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
[*]Return your hands to your shoulders and repeat.
Tips:
- Drive your feet into the floor for increased stability.
- Keep your wrists straight.
- Focus on pushing your hands inward as much as pushing them up to maximally engage your chest.
Cable seated rows are an excellent exercise for building a thicker, broader back. Unlike freeweight bent-over rows, this horizontal rowing movement is very lower back-friendly.
Target Muscles:
Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a neutral grip handle to a low pulley machine.
[*]Sit with your legs outstretched and knees slightly bent. Grab the handle and sit up tall. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
[*]Bend your arms and pull the handle into your abdomen. Keep your upper arms close to your sides.
[*]Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
- Drive your elbows back to maximize lat engagement.
- Hinge forward slightly from your hips to stretch your lats but take care not to round your lower back.
- Wear wrist straps or use gym chalk to enhance your grip if required.
Cable crossovers isolate your chest and hit all three heads of the pectoralis major. This exercise is great for creating shape and separation in your pecs.
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Attach D-shaped handles to the high pulleys on a cable crossover machine.
[*]Holding a handle in each hand, adopt a staggered stance and stand with your arms stretched out to the side.
[*]Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, sweep your arms forward and down so your hands meet in front of your hips.
[*]Raise your arms, get a mild stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
- Keep your torso upright to emphasize your chest and prevent turning this into a pressing exercise.
- Keep your core braced throughout.
- You can also do this exercise with your arms horizonal or moving from low to high.
This exercise works the muscles on the rear of your shoulders that oppose your chest. The trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids are critical for better posture and holding you upright against the pull of gravity.
Target Muscles:
- Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
[*]Using a high cable machine, cross your hands and grip the balls/carabiners at the ends of the cables.
[*]Move back 1-2 steps so your arms are extended in front of you, hands at about head height.
[*]Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, open your arms and pull the cables down and back to about hip height.
[*]Raise your arms and repeat.
Tips:
- You can also do this exercise with D-shaped handles if you don’t want to hold onto the cables directly.
- Lead with your elbows and pull your shoulders back and down to make this exercise as effective as possible.
- You can also do this exercise with your arms horizontal.
Cable incline flys are so much more effective than the dumbbell variation that, once you try them, you’ll never go back to using freeweights to isolate your pecs. This exercise is VERY effective!
Target Muscles:
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Raise the backrest to around 30 degrees. Attach D-shaped handles to the low pulleys.
[*]Sit on the bench and take a handle in each hand. Lie on your back and extend your arms out so they’re roughly parallel to the floor.
[*]Keeping your arms slightly bent but rigid, squeeze your hands up and together so they meet above your chest.
[*]Lower your arms to get a stretch in your chest, and repeat.
Tips:
- Experiment with different bench angles to see what feels most effective and comfortable.
- The steeper the angle, the more you’ll hit your upper chest.
- Imagine you are hugging a tree to perform this movement correctly.
Face pulls target your upper back, i.e., the mid-traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. They’re an excellent exercise for improving your posture and will add some thickness to your upper back muscles. Face pulls are also good for your shoulder health and could prevent future shoulder joint pain.
Target Muscles:
Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a rope handle to a head-high cable machine.
[*]Take one end of the handle in each hand and, with straight arms, step back into a staggered stance.
[*]Bend your elbows and pull the handles into either side of your head. Keep your elbows up to fully engage your upper back.
[*]Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
- Lead with your elbows and drive them back to emphasize your upper back muscles.
- Don’t go too heavy, as doing so will make you lower your elbows and use your lats more than your upper back.
- Raise your hands by externally rotating your shoulders to also work your rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis).
The cable biceps curl is a proven arm builder that keeps your arm flexors under near-constant tension to deliver a skin-splitting pump. Paired with triceps pushdowns, this final superset will leave you looking and feeling swole AF!
Target Muscles:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a low cable machine. Hold the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip, upper arms by your sides.
[*]Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
[*]Bend your elbows and curl the handle up to your shoulders.
[*]Extend your arms and repeat.
Tips:
- Use a rope handle and do cable hammer curls to target your brachioradialis and brachialis muscles more.
- Use an EZ bar to take pressure off your wrists and elbows.
- Try a palms-down grip to challenge your forearms and improve your grip.
Cable pushdowns are one of the most popular triceps exercises. They’re simple, effective, and ideal for beginners and more experienced lifters. Supersetting them with cable biceps curls provides a great way to pump up your arms without having to switch machines.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a high cable pulley. Grip the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
[*]Pull your upper arms into your sides, brace your core, and set your shoulders down and back.
[*]Extend your arms and press the bar down to your thighs. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
[*]Bend your arms as far as possible without letting your upper arms move away from your sides.
[*]Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
- You can also perform this exercise with a V-bar or a rope handle.
- For variation, try using an underhand grip.
- Keep your torso uptight so you don’t turn this into a pressing exercise.
1a. Cable goblet squat
Muscles worked:
Most people are more than familiar with kettlebell and dumbbell goblet squats. After all, they’re an excellent lower body exercise. However, the cable variation is just as effective and could be a better option for some people as it’s even more lower back-friendly than the original version.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a low pulley. Hold it in front of your chest, just below your chin. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
[*]Take a small step back and stand with your feet about shoulder-distance apart, toes turned slightly outward.
[*]Bend your legs and descend until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back.
[*]Stand upright and repeat.
Tips:
- Work your glutes harder by wearing a booty band around your knees.
- Increase quads engagement by resting your heels on weight plates.
- Experiment with your stance (wider, closer) to see which feels the most comfortable.
Romanian deadlifts are one of the best posterior chain exercises around. Not only are they a great muscle developer, but they’re also an effective move for mobilizing and stretching your hips and hamstrings. Cable Romanian deadlifts are easier on your lower back than the barbell or dumbbell variations.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.
Steps:
[*]Attach a bar or rope handle to a low pulley. Hold the handle and stand up, taking 1-2 steps back to tension the cable.
[*]Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and set your shoulders.
[*]Bend over from your hips and reach forward with your arms. Do not round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.
[*]Drive your hips forward and stand back up.
[*]Continue for the specified number of reps.
Tips:
- Move further back from the weight stack to make this exercise more hip-centric.
- Vary your stance width to see what works best and feels more comfortable.
- Make this exercise harder by standing on one leg – single-leg cable stiff-legged deadlifts.
While regular leg extensions are an effective quadriceps exercise, one of the four quad muscles doesn’t get such a great workout – the rectus femoris. That’s because this muscle crosses your hips and knees, and sitting with your hip flexed puts the rectus femoris into a relaxed position, so it cannot contract very well. This standing variation fixes that problem.
Muscles worked:
Quadriceps, hip flexors, core.
[*]Wearing an ankle strap, stand with your back to the weight stack. Take 1-2 steps forward. Bend your knee and move your hip backward.
[*]Drive your knee forward and extend your leg.
[*]Return to the starting position and repeat.
[*]Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
- Keep your supporting knee slightly bent for balance.
- Brace your core to prevent unwanted hip and lumbar spine movement.
- You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
The hamstrings are a biaxial muscle, meaning they cross two joints – your hips and knees. As such, they are responsible for two movements; knee flexion and hip extension. Cable standing leg curls are one of the few exercises to address both of these functions simultaneously.
Muscles Worked:
Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core.
Steps:
[*]Wearing an ankle cuff, attach it to a low pulley machine and stand facing the weight stack. Shift your weight onto the other leg and brace your core. Use your arms for balance.
[*]Extend your leg to the rear and bend your knee, curling your foot up toward your butt.
[*]Lower your foot and repeat.
Tips:
- Extend your hip more or less to change the feel of this exercise.
- Keep your calf relaxed so your hamstrings do most of the work during this exercise.
- Home exercisers can do this move with a resistance band.
Cable hip abductions work the muscles on the outside of your hips. Strengthening these muscles will improve lateral hip stability and help you sculpt a better-looking butt.
Muscles Worked:
Gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae.
Steps:
[*]Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cable running in front of your feet. Brace your core and hold on to the machine for balance.
[*]Raise your leg out to the side as high as possible without twisting your hips.
[*]Lower your leg and repeat.
[*]Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
- Rotate your hip inward slightly to emphasize the hip abductor muscles.
- Keep your supporting leg slightly bent for better stability and balance.
- You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
The adductor muscles are located on the inside of your thighs and hips. Like the abductors, these muscles help stabilize your hips. Stronger hip adductors will lower your risk of groin strain during activities that involve running, sprinting, lunging, and kicking.
Muscles Worked:
Adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus.
Steps:
[*]Put on an ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways-on to the weight stack with the cuff on your innermost leg.
[*]Cross your leg in front of the other without twisting your hips.
[*]Lower your leg and repeat.
[*]Switch legs and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Tips:
- Brace your core to stabilize your lumbar spine and prevent unwanted movement.
- Bend your supporting knee slightly for better balance.
- Home exercisers can replicate this move with a resistance band.
The cable woodchop is so called because it looks and feels a little like you are swinging an axe and cutting down a tress. This core rotation exercise will develop your obliques and strengthen your abs.
Muscles Worked:
Obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae.
Steps:
[*]Attach a D-shaped handle to a high cable pulley. Hold the handle in both hands and then stand sideways onto the weight stack. Extend your arms and brace your core.
[*]Rotate your upper body through 180 degrees, drawing a diagonal line with your hands.
[*]Return to the starting position and repeat.
[*]Turn around and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Tips:
- Keep your arms slightly bent but rigid throughout.
- You can also do this exercise in a half-kneeling position to stop you from using your legs.
- For variety, use a low cable and raise your arms upward.
Bodyweight crunches are a great exercise, but once you’ve been training for a while, they often become too easy. Doing crunches on a stability ball with a cable makes them much more challenging and effective. High-rep crunches? Just say no!
Muscles Worked:
Rectus abdominis.
Steps:
[*]Attach a rope handle to a low pulley machine. Place your stability ball on the floor next to your cable machine.
[*]Sit on the ball and hold the handle over your shoulders so the cable is behind you.
[*]Walk your feet forward and lean back so the ball sits in the natural curve of your lower back.
[*]Contract your abs, flex your spine, and curl your shoulders toward your hips.
[*]Lie back down, get a mild stretch on your abs, and repeat.
Tips:
- Anchor your feet to prevent being pulled backward over the ball.
- Exhale as you lift your shoulders to increase abs engagement.
- Move your feet further apart to increase stability and make this exercise easier. Bring your feet closer together to decrease stability and make it more challenging.
1a. Cable shoulder press
Cable shoulder presses look like any other overhead pressing exercise but feel very different. The angle of the load changes how your deltoids are recruited, hitting your shoulders in an entirely new way. This is a unique exercise, and you’re going to love it!
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids, triceps.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a low pulley machine.
[*]Pick up the handle and hold it in front of your shoulders so your elbows are below your wrists. Set your shoulders and brace your core. Take 1-2 small steps backward.
[*]Press the handle upward and slightly back until your arms are extended.
[*]Return to the starting position and repeat.
Tips:
- Step back just enough that the cable doesn’t touch your face when your arms are overhead.
- You can also do this exercise with a neutral grip.
- Experiment with the width of your grip to see what feels most comfortable.
Lat pulldowns are a popular lat-building exercise. However, training both sides of your back at the same time could lead to muscle imbalances. This unilateral version hits one side of your back at a time and will also enhance your mind-muscle connection.
Muscles Worked:
Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius.
Steps:
[*]Attach a D-shaped handle to a high pulley.
[*]Hold the handle with one hand and sit or knee beneath it with your arm extended above you.
[*]Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the handle down to the front of your shoulder.
[*]Extend your arm and repeat.
[*]Do the same number of repetitions with the opposite arm.
Tips:
- Use an overhand, underhand, or neutral grip as preferred.
- Brace your core to keep your torso upright and balanced throughout.
- Drive your elbow down and back to maximize lat engagement.
Lateral raises target the medial head of your deltoids, which is the part of your shoulders that give them their width. Doing this exercise with give you bigger, broader, more rounded shoulders.
Muscles Worked:
Deltoids.
Steps:
[*]Attach a D-shaped handle to a low cable machine. Stand sideways onto the weight stack and hold the handle in your outside hand so the cable runs in front of your body.
[*]Keeping your arm slightly bent but rigid, raise it up and out until it’s roughly parallel to the floor.
[*]Lower the handle to the front of your hips and repeat.
Tips:
- Hold onto the cable machine with your non-working arm for balance if required.
- Lead with your elbows (and not your hands) to get more from this exercise.
- You can also do this exercise with both arms at the same time if you wish:
2b. Cable straight arm pulldown
When it comes to training the lats, most people tend to focus on pulldowns and rows. While these are effective exercises, the lats can also be worked with straight arm extensions. This move hits your upper lats, and you should really feel it in your armpits. It also works the long head of your triceps.
Muscles worked:
Latissimus dorsi, triceps, posterior deltoid.
Steps:
[*]Attach a straight bar to a high cable machine.
[*]Hold the handle with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your abs and set your shoulders
[*]With your arms slightly bent but rigid, push the bar down to your thighs.
[*]Raise your arms, get a stretch in your lats, and repeat.
Tips:
- You can do this exercise on...
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