# Cable Chest and Curls Cable pressing, a curl, and two accessories, all with constant tension. - URL: https://formaroutines.com/routines/cable-chest-and-curls/ - Duration: About 23 min - Admin slug: cable-chest-and-curls ## Before you start 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. Cable Bench Press 3 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest Lying down with cables keeps the chest loaded at the top, unlike a barbell. #### Steps - Place a flat bench between two cable stations and set both pulleys to the lowest position with single handles. - Lie back on the bench and press both handles up so your arms are extended directly over your chest. - Lower the handles to chest level with the elbows tracking at about 60 to 75 degrees from your torso. - Pause briefly at the bottom with a deep chest stretch and a tight upper back pressed into the bench. - Press both handles back up in a slight arc until they meet above your chest at full arm extension. - Squeeze the chest at the top and repeat for 8 to 12 controlled reps. #### Cues - Blades back. - Press and meet. - Slow return. #### Common mistakes - Letting the elbows flare wide to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest engagement. - Pressing the handles in different paths, causing one side to dominate and creating uneven loading. - Cutting the lockout short, missing the chest-squeeze position at the top of the press. - Lifting the head or hips off the bench for leverage, which destabilizes the press. ### 2. Cable Standing Single Arm Chest Press 3 sets · 10 reps · 40s rest · both sides Pressing one side while standing asks the core to stop the torso rotating. #### Steps - Set the cable pulley to chest height and grip the handle with one hand, palm facing down. - Step forward into a split stance with the working side back, then square your shoulders and hips to the front. - Brace your core hard so the cable can't pull your torso into rotation as you start the press. - Press the handle straight forward until your arm is fully extended, keeping your shoulder pulled back. - Pause for a beat at full extension, feeling the chest and triceps under tension before reversing. - Return the handle slowly to your chest under control, then repeat for reps before switching sides. #### Cues - Ribs stay down. - Press across the body. - Resist the twist. #### Common mistakes - Letting the torso rotate toward the cable, which dumps the load into the obliques and out of the chest. - Pressing across the body instead of straight forward, shortening the range and reducing chest work. - Standing too close to the stack so the cable goes slack at the start of the rep, killing tension. - Shrugging the shoulder up at full extension instead of keeping the shoulder blade pinned down. ### 3. Cable Bar Curl 3 sets · 12 reps · 40s 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. ### 4. Cable Side Bend 3 sets · 12 reps · 35s rest · both sides Side bends work the waist against resistance. Keep the movement purely sideways. #### Steps - Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach a single handle, then stand sideways to the cable stack. - Grip the handle with the hand closest to the stack and stand tall with feet hip-width apart. - Place your non-working hand on your hip and let the cable pull you slightly toward the stack at the start. - Bend sideways away from the stack by contracting the obliques on the far side of your body. - Pause at the end of the bend with a hard oblique squeeze, keeping the hips square and chest tall. - Return slowly to the start over 2 seconds, then repeat for 12 to 15 reps before switching sides. #### Cues - Ribs move to the hip. - No twisting. - Small range. #### Common mistakes - Bending forward or backward instead of straight to the side, taking the obliques out of the lift. - Using the arm to pull the cable up, which turns the lift into a one-arm shrug. - Letting the hips shift sideways, which steals load from the obliques. - Rushing the rep and bouncing at the bottom instead of controlling the return phase. ### 5. Cable Bench Straight Leg Kickback 3 sets · 12 reps · 35s rest · both sides Finishes with a direct glute movement that needs no balance from the standing leg. #### Steps - Attach a cable cuff to your ankle and set the pulley to the lowest position, then face the cable stack. - Stand a few feet back from the stack and rest your forearms on a flat bench in front of you. - Brace your core and start with the working leg lightly forward so the cable has tension at rest. - Drive the straight leg back and up by squeezing the glute, finishing in line with or slightly above your torso. - Pause at the top for a hard glute squeeze, keeping your hips level and your lower back neutral. - Lower the leg under control back to the start, then repeat for 12 to 15 reps before switching sides. #### Cues - Long leg. - Squeeze the glute. - Slow return. #### Common mistakes - Arching the lower back to throw the leg higher, which loads the spine instead of the glutes. - Letting the working hip rotate open, which lets the lower back take over the movement. - Bending the knee mid-rep, swapping glute work for hamstring engagement. - Rushing the return phase and letting the cable yank the leg forward instead of controlling the descent.