7 Best Back Cable Workouts to Get Absolutely Jacked

Are you thinking of hitting the gym? If so, then never skip back exercises. Global Statistics show that 15-19% of people suffer from chronic or prolonged upper back pain. However, you can prevent back pain through several good cable workouts, establishing the foundation for a solid upper and lower back.

Why cable exercises specifically? It's an excellent place for you to start because it does not load your spine, unlike free-weight workouts. We compiled some of the best back cable workouts for a strong back, which is especially helpful in decreasing the risk of back pain and increasing longevity.

7 Best Back Cable Workouts

Cable workouts are the best place for you to start developing a solid core. Latissimus Dorsi, or Lats for short, and the Trapezius muscles, known as traps, are the primary focus of back cable workouts.

1. The Lat Pulldown



Considered to be one of the best exercises to build an incredible upper back, the Lat Pulldown is deemed to be a staple in upper back exercises. It is considered a great back exercise for beginners because it has minimal risk of injury.

 Additionally, pulldowns engage nearly all of your upper body muscles. The primary focus is the Lats. However, your traps, shoulder joints, and forearm muscles are also involved, making it a great workout to develop some explosive upper back strength!

An example of this is deadlifting. If you have improper form when deadlifting, you can risk permanent lower back pain and joint problems. In this case, Lat pulldowns are considered to be beginner-friendly. This is because they do not require you to keep up a complex form.

Speaking of form, it is relatively simple to perform Lat pulldowns, and this is how:

- Adjust the pad so that you can lock your thighs under the place so that when you sit down, your knees create a 90-degree angle.


- Grip the bar with your palms facing downwards, grabbing the bar at a slightly wide grip, and lean back slightly at the hips, making sure to maintain balanced shoulder width.


- Pull your shoulder blades down, draw the bar back to your collarbone, and engage your lateral muscles and upper body.


- Keep putting pressure on your Lats, raising the bar back up at the starting position slowly so as not to pull a muscle.

2. The Straight-Arm Pulldown



Just like Rome was not built in a day, you cannot expect a perfect posture and form after one workout. This is why exercises focusing on form stability extensively help move on to free-weight practices and deadlifting.

The straight-arm pulldown is an excellent exercise for improving your deadlift stability. This workout differs from your standard lat pulldown because it provides you with a more excellent range of motion.

Unlike with the lat pulldown exercise, you are putting more tension on your lats while doing the straight-arm pulldown exercise. The more excellent range means that your lat muscles are under intense stress longer and fully contract during each rep.

Another benefit of this exercise is that it improves bad posture optimally. In addition to strengthening your lats, this workout engages muscles that are otherwise not engaged much in other activities. This would naturally strengthen your back, straightening you out.

This is how you should perform the straight-arm pulldown:

- Attaching a straight bar to the upper pulley of the cable machine, grip the bar at equal shoulder width.


- Make sure to step back until your arms are fully outstretched. In addition to that, maintain proper feet hip-width and do not put pressure on your knees.


- Engaging your lateral muscles, pull the bar down to your hips while ensuring that your elbows are locked in place, controlling the bar until it's back at the starting position.

3. Seated Cable Row



The Seated Cable Row is another cable workout considered to be super beginner-friendly. The main focus for this exercise is the middle back, strengthening your traps and rhomboids.

In addition to your lats, traps, and rhomboids, the seated cable row also engages your abs and legs. This makes it a great exercise to prepare you for other workouts like deadlifting or squats.

This workout aims to strengthen your Latissimus Dorsi muscles, which increases shoulder stability. Due to this reason, the seated cable row is handy for athletes who play sports like basketball and baseball, which involve repetitive shoulder motion.

How should you go about performing the seated cable row? This is how:

- Set yourself up in a comfortable position on the cable row machine, keeping a check on your knees. Make sure they are not too bent, and adjust your work accordingly.


- When gripping the handlebar, position your elbows so that they are closer to your torso.


- Make sure that when you are sitting, your posture is straight, and you are leaning back a little at your hips.


- After that, draw your shoulder blades and pull the handle towards your chest.


- Hold that position for a moment when the handle is at your chest, and then slowly straighten your arms back at the starting position, putting pressure on your back.


- When straightening your arms, maintain a straight posture and not get pulled too forward by the weight.

4. Cable Upright Row



This exercise is especially effective on a cable machine rather than using free weights. This is because you are less prone to shoulder injuries because of the angle of resistance provided by the cable machine.

You are performing a pulling motion while performing the cable upright row. This means that your pulling muscles are engaged during this workout, strengthening a large section of your upper body. In addition to building up your traps, this exercise contributes to muscle growth in your biceps and shoulders.

Like other back exercises, the cable upright row strengthens your upper back. This means it contributes to improving your posture as well as straightening your back.

When performing this workout, make sure not to pull the bar too high. This will cause unnecessarily increased stress on your shoulders and can make you more prone to injuries. The key to preventing this is controlling the movement and ensuring that the bar doesn't exceed your shoulder height.

Proper form on how to perform the cable upright row:

- Grab the straight bar using a wide overhand grip, ensuring it is attached to the lower pulley.


- Pull your shoulders back, stand upright, and close to the pulley machine.


- Pull the bar up to the front of your body till it reaches your chest.


- Hold that position for a moment, then control your movement, slowly returning the bar to its starting position.

5. Cable Shrugs



As we mentioned earlier, only a few exercises focus on traps, making it tricky to build up. Any activity focusing on pitfalls is an excellent addition to your cable workout regimen.

One such exercise is the cable shrug. A notable benefit of this workout is that it primarily engages the upper traps, which are often neglected.

The cable machine is a great place to start when doing cable shrugs, as they help you adjust the angle and proper muscle contraction.

Doing this exercise on the cable machine provides an added benefit; it gives constant muscle tension while performing this exercise, resulting in faster gains.

How should I go about performing cable shrugs?

- After making sure that the bar is attached to the lower pulley, grab the attachment with a slightly wide overhand grip, where your palms are facing downwards.


- Stand upright close to the pulley, and after ensuring that your hands are in front of your thighs and elbows are straight, extend your arms and adjust your starting position.


- As the name suggests, this exercise involves shrugging your shoulders. So, make sure your elbows remain locked, and shrug your shoulders up and down, controlling them so that you have a slow motion with each rep.

 As this exercise does not require much motion, make sure to use heavier weights than you are typically used to for an optimal result.

6. Cable Pull-Through



One of the more unique exercises to strengthen your lower back is the cable pull-through. The main focus of this workout is to improve your lower back muscles, preventing chronic lower back injuries.

Rather than the upper body, the main focus of this workout is the lower body, which includes your glutes, the hamstring, and your lower back.

A benefit of performing the cable pull-through is that it reinforces your hip muscles, specifically the hip hinge. The hip hinge muscles are also engaged when performing deadlifts and squats, so completing the cable pull-through would also prepare you for performing these exercises.

Additionally, this workout offers functionality as well as aesthetics. The cable pull-through is an excellent exercise if you want to work on your posterior chain, which is the lower part of your body. This makes it a good workout for deadlifts and people exercising for aesthetic purposes.

This is the best way to perform this workout while being the least prone to injuries and strain:

- Attaching the rope handle on the pulley machine, face the opposite way.


- Maintaining a straight posture, straighten your back and adjust your hips and legs until they are extended in a manner that they are shoulder-width apart.


- Positioning the handle in between your legs, pull the rope handle between your legs until you reach an upright position.


- While returning the handle to the starting position, maintain control and go about it in a gradual motion.

7. Cable Deadlift



Due to the risk of injuries you may be prone to when deadlifting using a barbell, cable deadlifts are a great way to get started. This workout requires the extensive engagement of your lower body, mainly your hamstring and gluteus muscles. These muscles significantly contribute to mobility, making you much more flexible.

Focusing only on specific muscle groups can often cause muscle imbalance, but cable deadlifts are a great way to combat leg muscle imbalance. This workout requires you to depend more on the cable machine, which will eventually fix your leg muscle imbalance!

The cable deadlift focuses on your lower back, which means that this exercise contributes to increasing your longevity and preventing chronic back pains. What this workout does is that it engages the body delicately.

How should you perform this exercise?

- After attaching the rope handle to the pulley machine, stand upright facing the engine.


- Move back some distance from the machine, and curve your lower back, but push out your chest.


- Slightly bend your knees and lower body at the hip section, and extend your arms forward until they are fully extended.


- Focusing pressure on your hamstring, gradually moves the rope bar upwards to the lower part of your torso, pushing your hips with the motion, primarily engaging your glutes.


- Hold this position for a moment before returning the bar to its original work, maintaining a slow motion.

Wrap-up

These were just some of the cable back exercises we think are the best for everyone, especially #3. As a gym enthusiast, I only made sure to add the best. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments and share this with all your other gym friends.

FAQ

How do you train your back with cables?



How do you hit lats on a cable?

Standing in the middle of the machine, hinge your hips forwards with a slight bend in the knees. Grab hold of the cable handles with palms facing each other. Engage lats and pull handles out to the sides with elbows slightly bent. Slowly lower the handle back.

What is the most effective back exercise?

The pull-up is the king of all back exercises.

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