12 Best Cable Chest Workouts

Feb 18, 2024 | Blog, Fitness

12 Best Cable Chest Workouts

Feb 18, 2024 | Blog, Fitness


What’s up guys! Today it’s all about the best cable chest workouts.

Arm days are fun. But let me be honest with you. I like chest day just as much. Add cable machines to it, and the fun multiplies.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of using traditional barbells and dumbbells to target those pecs. But no one can deny the versatility of the chest workouts with cables.

Cable machines provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion. Hence the challenges it provides to the pectoral muscles are truly unique.

Cable machines can also target the chest from various angles. It ensures comprehensive development of both the pectoralis major and minor. No wonder that cable machines have become extremely popular among bodybuilders and strength trainers alike.

Whether you’re aiming to increase muscle size, enhance definition, or simply add variety to your chest day routine, incorporating cable chest exercises can lead to significant improvements in muscle activation, growth, and overall chest aesthetics.

The reasons for incorporating chest cable workouts are plenty –

  • Constant Tension on Muscles: Cable machines keep your chest muscles under constant tension throughout the entire range of motion. This means every lift and stretch works your pectoralis major and minor effectively, promoting muscle growth and strength.
  • Versatility in Workouts: With cable machines, you can perform a wide range of workouts by simply adjusting the pulleys.
  • Improved Muscle Activation: The ability to set the pulleys at various heights allows you to fine-tune muscle activation. Whether you’re aiming for the upper chest muscles or focusing on shoulder height movements, cable exercises for the chest ensure you hit the right spots for optimal growth.
  • Safe for Solo Workouts: Cable machines are great for those who prefer to work out alone. You can easily adjust the weight stack and grab the handles without needing a spotter, making it a safer option for pushing your limits.
  • Better Control and Stability: The controlled movement you get with cable chest workouts helps improve your form. It also reduces the risk of injury. It also allows for better engagement of your shoulder blades and core, enhancing stability during your workout routine.

However, before diving into those cable chest exercises, you should keep a few things in mind –

  • Cable machines are generally extremely busy. You might have to wait your turn to use them. This can disrupt your exercise flow and timing, especially on busy chest days.
  • Newcomers can find cable machines a bit complicated. Learning to set the pulleys correctly and choosing the right weight might require some guidance and practice.
  • It isn’t advisable at all to fully rely on cable machines for your chest growth. Including traditional free weights in your workout routine is important to ensure balanced muscle growth and functional fitness.

Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of cable chest workouts, Let’s dive into the list.

 

12 Best Cable Chest Workouts

 

Standing Cable Chest Press

We begin our list of best cable chest workouts with the fundamental chest press. The standing cable chest press is suitable for all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Stand in the center of a cable crossover station. Adjust the cables to align with your chest.
  • Grip: Hold a cable handle in each hand with an overhand grip.. Make sure your grip is firm.
  • Stance: Position your feet shoulder-width apart, with one foot slightly ahead of the other for balance.
  • Body Alignment: Keep your back straight, chest up, and shoulders pulled back.
  • Movement: Extend your arms fully by pushing the handles straight forward. Keep a slight bend in your elbows to avoid strain.
  • Core Engagement: Tighten your core throughout the exercise to stabilize your body.
  • Return Phase: Slowly bring the handles back towards your chest, controlling the movement.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on squeezing your chest muscles as you press forward.
  • Breathing: Exhale as you push the handles away from your body and inhale as you return to the starting position.

This is one of the best workouts for building strength.

 

Seated Cable Chest Press

Next of our best cable chest exercises is the seated variation of the cable chest press.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Sit on a bench with your back firmly against the support. Position yourself between the cable towers.
  • Grip: Grab the handles with an overhand grip. Your hands should be level with the middle of your chest.
  • Stance: Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, to provide stability.
  • Body Alignment: Ensure your back and shoulders remain in contact with the bench throughout the workout. Your back should be straight.
  • Movement: Push the handles directly forward, extending your arms fully. Focus on moving smoothly and steadily.
  • Core Engagement: Engage your core muscles to stabilize your upper body and support the movement.
  • Return Phase: Slowly bring the handles back towards your chest, controlling the motion to maximize tension.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on the contraction of your chest muscles throughout the press.
  • Breathing: Exhale as you press the handles forward and inhale as you return to the starting position.

This workout offers more stability than the standing variation.

 

Cable Flat Bench Press

A chest day without bench press is unheard of, right? A flat bench press is a classic. A cable bench press can be just as effective.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Position a flat bench in the center of the cable machine. Set the handles at the lowest point.
  • Grip: Hold the handles with palms facing up, aligning with your chest.
  • Stance: Lie down on the bench, feet flat on the ground, providing stability.
  • Body Alignment: Keep your back flat against the bench. Pull your shoulder blades together to engage the chest fully.
  • Movement: Press the handles straight up until your arms are fully extended above you. Ensure a smooth, controlled motion.
  • Core Engagement: Engage your core throughout the lift to stabilize your body and support the movement.
  • Return Phase: Slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position, maintaining control and tension in the chest muscles.
  • Muscle Focus: Focus on the contraction of your chest muscles throughout the exercise.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you lower the handles towards you, exhale as you press up.

A bench press is a fundamental upper body workout. Hence the cable flat bench press is one of the best cable chest workouts you can think of.

 

Cable Incline Bench Press

We focus on the upper chest now with the cable incline bench press. This workout focuses on the upper chest.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Set up an incline bench between the cable towers. Adjust the bench to about a 45-degree angle to target the upper chest.
  • Grip: Grab the cable handles with palms facing up. Your hands should be by your upper chest.
  • Stance: Sit on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the ground for stability.
  • Body Alignment: Lean back against the bench, keeping your back straight and shoulder blades retracted.
  • Movement: Press the handles upwards and slightly inwards, extending your arms fully. Focus on the upward movement to engage the upper chest.
  • Core Engagement: Tighten your core to stabilize your upper body throughout the workout and enhance the lift’s effectiveness.
  • Return Phase: Slowly lower the handles back to the starting position, maintaining control and tension in the chest muscles.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on the contraction of your upper chest muscles throughout the workout.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you lower the handles towards you, exhale as you press up.

Incline bench press is excellent for focusing on the upper part of the chest.

 

Cable Decline Bench Press

We continue with our list of the best cable chest exercises. Cable decline bench press primarily focuses on the lower chest.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Position a decline bench between the cable towers. Set the pulleys to the lowest level.
  • Grip: Hold a cable handle in each hand. Start with your arms extended and the handles at chest height.
  • Stance: Secure your legs under the bench’s leg support to stabilize your lower body.
  • Body Alignment: Lie back with your spine aligned and shoulder blades slightly retracted for a solid base.
  • Movement: Press the handles upwards, extending your arms fully but without locking your elbows at the top.
  • Core Engagement: Tighten your abdominal muscles to maintain a stable posture and support the movement.
  • Return Phase: Gradually lower the handles back to the starting position. Maintain a controlled motion to keep tension on the chest.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on engaging the lower chest muscles throughout the workout for targeted development.
  • Breathing: Exhale as you press the handles up and inhale as you return to the starting position.

This workout is designed to target and strengthen the lower part of the chest muscles.

 

Cable Pullovers

Next up in our list of best cable chest workouts is the cable pullover. You have probably done this workout with heavy dumbbells and/or EZ bars. I like the cable variation more as it provides tension on the muscles even at the top of the movement.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Begin by setting an incline bench lengthwise in front of a low pulley cable machine. Make sure there’s a small gap between the bench and the machine for movement.
  • Grip: Attach a straight bar to the low pulley. Lie on the bench with your head close to the cable machine and grab the bar with an overhand grip, palms facing you.
  • Stance: Your legs can be straight or knees slightly bent, with feet firmly on the ground for stability.
  • Body Alignment: Ensure your back is flat on the bench, positioning yourself so your arms can move freely in a full range of motion.
  • Movement: With arms straight, lift the bar off the stack and pull it over and past your head towards your feet, stopping when your arms reach a 45-degree angle.
  • Core Engagement: Keep your core muscles tight throughout the workout to support your movement and protect your spine.
  • Return Phase: Carefully return the bar to the starting position above your head. Maintain a slow and controlled movement to keep tension on the muscles.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you lower the bar back to the starting position and exhale as you pull the bar towards your feet.

Pullover is one of the best cable chest workouts to target the upper chest. In addition, this workout also targets the lats considerably with slight adjustments.

 

Cable Fly (Middle Chest)

You can’t have a list of best cable chest workouts without flys. We start with the basic cable fly.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Adjust the cable machine so the pulleys are at chest height. Attach handles to both sides.
  • Grip: Take hold of the handles, keeping your arms slightly wider.
  • Stance: Step forward slightly from the machine. You can choose to place your feet side by side or in a split stance for better balance.
  • Body Alignment: Keep your head neutral and your chest up. Ensure there’s a slight bend in your elbows to protect your joints.
  • Movement: Bring the handles together in front of your chest, focusing on moving your arms in a wide arc.
  • Core Engagement: Tighten your core throughout the workout to stabilize your upper body and enhance the movement’s effectiveness.
  • Return Phase: Slowly return the handles to the starting position. Maintain the arc movement to keep constant tension on your chest muscles.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on squeezing your middle chest muscles as you bring the handles together. The constant tension from the cables maximizes muscle growth.
  • Breathing: Exhale as you bring the handles together and inhale as you return to the starting position.

This workout is excellent for targeting the middle chest, providing constant tension on the pecs to maximize muscle growth.

It is also a safer alternative to dumbbell flies. Especially for those with shoulder issues or limited mobility, thanks to the controlled environment cables provide.

 

Low to High Cable Fly

This workout focuses on the upper part of your chest. A must have in your cable chest workouts list.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Set both cable machine pulleys to the lowest setting. Stand in the middle of the machine, facing away from it.
  • Grip: Grasp each handle with a slightly supinated (palms facing up) grip.
  • Stance: Step forward into a split stance for stability, with one foot slightly ahead of the other.
  • Body Alignment: Keep your spine neutral and chest up. Start with your arms extended to the sides at a low position, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows.
  • Movement: Keeping your elbows fixed, lift the handles up and in front of you in a sweeping arc until your hands meet at chest level.
  • Core Engagement: Engage your core throughout the workout to stabilize your body and support the movement.
  • Return Phase: Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Maintain control and tension in your chest muscles.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on the contraction of your upper chest muscles as you lift the handles. Visualize your chest muscles doing the work.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you start the movement, exhale as you bring the handles up and together.

Even on chest days where I use free weights, I perform at least 3 sets of low to high cable fly. This ranks very highly on my list of best cable chest workouts.

 

High to Low Cable Fly

The high to low flys uses a reverse movement to the low to high flys. In contrast to the previous workout, this primarily focuses on the lower chest.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Set the pulleys at the highest point. Stand in the center of the machine, facing away from it.
  • Grip: Grasp each handle firmly with your palms facing down.
  • Stance: Position your feet shoulder-width apart for a stable base. You can also adopt a staggered stance for additional stability.
  • Body Alignment: Keep your torso slightly forward with a neutral spine. Ensure your shoulders are down and back.
  • Movement: With a slight bend in your elbows, bring the handles down and across your body, aiming to meet in front of your waist.
  • Core Engagement: Activate your core muscles throughout the workout to maintain balance and enhance the movement’s effectiveness.
  • Return Phase: Carefully return the handles to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  • Muscle Focus: Focus on the contraction of your lower chest muscles as you bring the handles down. Visualize your chest muscles working hard during the movement.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you begin the movement and exhale as you bring the handles down and across your body.

This workout is excellent for targeting the lower part of the chest.

 

Seated Middle Cable Chest Fly

Let’s look at the seated variation of the standard cable fly. This workout targets the same muscles as the cable fly we discussed earlier. However, the seated position helps stabilize the body. It allows focused muscle engagement and reduced risk of injury.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Position an adjustable bench between two cable pulleys, set at chest height. Sit upright at 90 degrees.
  • Grip: Grab the handles with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
  • Stance: Sit with your back straight and feet planted firmly on the ground for stability.
  • Body Alignment: Sit up straight, maintaining an upright torso. Ensure your shoulders are down and back.
  • Movement: With a slight bend in your elbows, open your arms wide, then bring the handles together in front of your chest.
  • Core Engagement: Engage your core throughout the workout to stabilize your upper body and support the movement.
  • Return Phase: Slowly open your arms back to the starting position. Control the movement to maintain tension on the chest muscles.
  • Muscle Focus: Concentrate on squeezing your chest muscles as the handles come together. Aim to feel the contraction in the middle part of your chest.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you open your arms and exhale as you bring the handles together in front of your chest.

 

Lying Low Cable Chest Fly

We focus on another variation of a fly. This workout primarily targets the upper chest.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Lie on a flat bench positioned between two cable towers with the pulleys set to the lowest level.
  • Grip: Hold the cable handles with your palms facing up, ensuring a secure but comfortable grip.
  • Stance: Your stance is based on lying down; keep your feet flat on the floor or on the bench. Bend your knees, to stabilize your lower body.
  • Body Alignment: Maintain a neutral spine with a slight natural arch in your lower back. Your head, shoulders, and back should be comfortably resting on the bench.
  • Movement: With a slight bend in your elbows, open your arms out to the sides at a low position near the floor. Then, in a wide arc motion, bring the handles up and together above your chest.
  • Core Engagement: Activate your core muscles throughout the workout to stabilize your body and support the movement effectively.
  • Return Phase: Carefully lower the handles back to the starting position in a controlled arc.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you lower the weights, expanding your chest. Exhale as you bring the weights up, concentrating on the contraction of your chest muscles.

This workout variation is excellent for targeting the upper parts of the chest muscles. The lying position helps isolate the chest and minimize involvement from other muscle groups.

 

Decline Cable Fly

The last workout of our list involves targeting the lower chest with a fly movement and a decline bench.

Workout Execution:

  • Start Position: Set up a bench at a 15- to 30-degree decline angle in the center of a cable machine. Adjust both pulleys to the lowest position.
  • Grip: Attach handles to the pulleys. Lie on the bench and grasp each handle with an underhand grip, palms facing the ceiling.
  • Stance: Your stance is lying down on the decline bench, with your feet secured at the end of the bench.
  • Body Alignment: Ensure your back is flat on the bench with a slight arch in your lower back. Keep your arms extended wide at the start. It creates a stretch in your chest and deltoids.
  • Movement: Bring the handles upward and toward each other in a smooth arc, stopping when they meet above the center of your body.
  • Core Engagement: Keep your core muscles tight throughout the workout to stabilize your body and enhance the movement’s effectiveness.
  • Return Phase: Slowly lower the handles back to the starting position. Keep your arms wide and maintain tension in your chest muscles.
  • Muscle Focus: Focus on targeting the lower chest muscles throughout the workout. Ensure you’re feeling the stretch and contraction with each repetition.
  • Breathing: Inhale as you lower the handles back to the starting position and exhale as you bring them up and together.

This workout is excellent for isolating the lower chest muscles.

 

And there you have it folks! Our list of the best cable chest workouts is complete.

Wrapping up: Best Cable Chest Workouts

To wrap up, let’s dive into the exciting world of cable chest exercises! Imagine transforming your chest workouts into a powerhouse session where every move counts.

Chest cable exercises are your secret weapon for sculpting a chest that’s not just strong, but also impressively defined. Why? Because cables keep those muscles working non-stop, unlike traditional free weights. Both isolation and compound movements alike. Just make sure you don’t miss any of the workouts in our list of the best cable chest workouts and you should be good.

Think about the variety – from targeting the mighty upper pecs to honing in on the lower chest, there’s a workout for every corner of your chest. And the best part? It doesn’t matter if you’re a gym newbie or a seasoned lifter; these chest exercises with cables are perfect for everyone. They’re super safe and incredibly versatile, making your chest days both fun and effective.

So, get ready to mix things up and feel the burn in a whole new way. Cable chest workouts are not just a change of pace; they’re a game-changer for achieving that dream chest! 🌟💪

 


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