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 路 10 reps 路 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 路 10 reps 路 40s rest 路 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 路 12 reps 路 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 路 12 reps 路 35s rest 路 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 路 12 reps 路 35s rest 路 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.