Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.
Exercises
1. Machine Pulldown
3 sets 路 12 reps 路 60s rest
Pull the bar to the collarbone and let the shoulder blades travel down. Avoid leaning far back.
Steps
Sit on the machine and lock your thighs under the pad with feet flat on the floor.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with palms facing forward.
Lean your torso back about 10 to 15 degrees and pull your shoulder blades down to set the lats.
Pull the bar down to the upper chest by driving the elbows down and back, not by yanking with the arms.
Pause briefly at the bottom with the bar at your collarbones, squeezing the lats hard.
Let the bar travel slowly back up over 2 to 3 seconds until your arms are fully extended overhead.
Cues
Shoulders down.
Elbows to ribs.
Control the top.
Common mistakes
Pulling with the biceps and forearms instead of leading with the elbows and back.
Leaning too far back so the lift turns into a row instead of a vertical pull.
Cutting the top range short and never letting the arms fully extend, which removes the lat stretch.
Letting the stack snap back up at the top, killing the slow return where most muscle growth happens.
2. Cable Supinating Row
3 sets 路 12 reps 路 60s rest
Turning the palms up brings more biceps into the pull and changes where the back feels it.
Steps
Attach two single-handle attachments to a low cable pulley and grip them with palms facing each other.
Step back until the cables have full tension and stand tall with a slight knee bend and braced trunk.
Pull both handles toward your ribs while rotating your wrists so your palms finish facing up at the top.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the pull, feeling the lats and biceps light up.
Pause briefly with the elbows behind your torso, then begin reversing under control.
Rotate the palms back to neutral as your arms straighten, fighting the cable the whole way out.
Cues
Palms turn up.
Elbows brush the ribs.
Slow release.
Common mistakes
Skipping the wrist rotation and rowing with a fixed grip, which loses the extra biceps and lat finish.
Leaning back to use bodyweight instead of pulling cleanly with the back muscles.
Letting the elbows drift wide so the rear delts take over and the lats stop working.
Snapping back to the start position and skipping the slow return where most growth tension lives.
3. Cable Chest Press
3 sets 路 12 reps 路 60s rest
The main press of the session. Cables keep the chest loaded even at full extension.
Steps
Set both cable pulleys to chest height and grip a single handle in each hand with an overhand grip.
Step forward into a staggered stance with one foot ahead of the other and brace your core hard.
Start with the handles by your chest, elbows tucked at about 60 to 75 degrees from your torso.
Press both handles forward in a slight arc until your arms meet at full extension in front of your chest.
Squeeze the chest at the top, then return the handles slowly to the start over 2 to 3 seconds.
Repeat for 10 to 15 reps, keeping the torso upright and the staggered stance locked the whole set.
Cues
Blades back.
Press and meet.
Slow return.
Common mistakes
Leaning the torso forward to push the handles instead of pressing cleanly with the chest and arms.
Letting the elbows flare wide to shoulder height, which strains the front shoulders.
Allowing one arm to lead the press, creating uneven loading and shoulder asymmetry over time.
Cutting the range short on the way back, missing the chest stretch that drives growth.
4. Cable Pec Fly
3 sets 路 12 reps 路 60s rest
Move from the shoulders in a wide arc rather than pressing. Lighter than it looks.
Steps
Set both cable pulleys to chest height and grip a single handle in each hand with a slight elbow bend.
Step forward into a staggered stance and lean slightly forward at the hips with a tall chest.
Start with the arms stretched out wide in line with your chest, palms facing forward.
Bring both handles together in a wide arc by squeezing the chest, finishing with hands meeting in front of you.
Pause at the top with a hard chest squeeze, keeping the elbow bend locked the whole way.
Open the arms back out slowly over 2 to 3 seconds and repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
Cues
Slight elbow bend.
Hug, do not press.
Feel the stretch.
Common mistakes
Bending the elbows mid-rep, which turns the fly into a sloppy press and loses the chest focus.
Letting the hands drop too far behind the body, overstretching the front shoulders.
Rushing the opening phase, throwing away the slow return where most of the chest tension lives.
Using the torso to swing the handles together instead of squeezing with the chest.
5. Cable Overhead Press
3 sets 路 10 reps 路 60s rest
Press overhead without arching the lower back. Ribs stay down and the core stays braced.
Steps
Set both cable pulleys to the lowest position and grip a single handle in each hand with an overhand grip.
Step into the cables with a staggered stance, brace your core, and bring the handles to shoulder height.
Start with the elbows tucked roughly 30 degrees in front of the torso and forearms vertical.
Press both handles straight up overhead until the arms lock out with the handles meeting above your head.
Squeeze the shoulders at the top, then lower the handles slowly back to shoulder height over 2 seconds.
Repeat for 8 to 12 controlled reps without leaning back or pressing the hips forward.
Cues
Ribs stay down.
Press straight up.
Lock out gently.
Common mistakes
Leaning back hard to push the handles up, which turns the lift into a standing incline press and risks back strain.
Letting the elbows flare straight out to the sides, which strains the front shoulders.
Cutting the lockout short and missing the strongest contraction at the top.
Pressing too fast on the descent and losing tension before the next rep.
6. Cable Seated Rope Face Pull
3 sets 路 15 reps 路 45s rest
Seated face pulls hit the rear shoulders that shrugs alone will miss.
Steps
Set the pulley above head height and attach a rope, then sit on a bench facing the cable stack.
Grip the rope with palms facing each other and arms extended forward at eye level with cable tension.
Sit tall with feet planted, brace your core, and start with no slack in the cable.
Pull the rope toward your forehead with elbows flaring wide and high, leading with the upper arms.
Separate the rope ends and squeeze the rear delts and upper back hard at the end of the pull.
Slowly let the rope travel back to the start over 2 seconds and repeat for 12 to 20 reps.
Cues
Elbows high.
Rope to the face.
Open the chest.
Common mistakes
Pulling the rope toward the chin or chest, which turns the lift into a row.
Letting the elbows drop, swapping rear-delt work for biceps engagement.
Rounding the upper back as you pull, hiding the mid-back contraction.
Loading too heavy and shrugging the traps up, hiding the rear delts under upper-trap dominance.
7. Cable Rope Pushdown
3 sets 路 12 reps 路 45s rest
The rope lets the hands separate at the bottom for a stronger finish than the bar.
Steps
Set the pulley to the highest position and attach a rope, then grip both ends with palms facing each other.
Step close to the stack and tuck your elbows tight against your ribs with forearms parallel to the floor.
Press both ends of the rope straight down by extending your elbows until your arms are fully locked out.
Pull the rope ends apart at the bottom and rotate the palms down for an extra triceps squeeze.
Let the rope travel back up slowly over 2 seconds, stopping when forearms are parallel to the floor.
Repeat for 10 to 15 reps without leaning forward or letting the elbows drift away from the ribs.
Cues
Split the rope.
Turn palms down.
Squeeze at the bottom.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows flare forward, turning the lift into a chest-driven press.
Leaning the torso forward to push down with bodyweight, stealing load from the triceps.
Skipping the hand separation at the bottom, missing the deeper long-head contraction.
Bouncing the weight up at the top instead of controlling the return.
8. Cable Bar Curl
3 sets 路 12 reps 路 45s rest
The cable keeps tension at the bottom, where a free weight would go slack.
Steps
Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight bar, then grip it underhand at shoulder width.
Step back so the cable has tension at full arm extension and stand tall with your elbows tucked at your ribs.
Curl the bar up toward your shoulders by bending only at the elbows, keeping the upper arms locked in place.
Squeeze the biceps hard at the top with the bar a few inches from your collarbone.
Lower the bar slowly over 2 to 3 seconds, fighting the cable tension all the way back to full extension.
Reset your stance and repeat for 10 to 15 controlled reps without using your back or hips.
Cues
Elbows pinned.
Curl to the shoulders.
Control the way down.
Common mistakes
Swinging the torso back to fling the bar up, which steals load from the biceps and risks lower-back strain.
Letting the elbows drift forward at the top, turning the curl into a partial front raise.
Cutting the lockout short at the bottom, missing the long-head stretch where most growth lives.
Rushing the lowering phase, which throws away the highest-tension half of the rep where the biceps grow most.