Shoulder Exercise with Cable

What is a Cable exercise for the Shoulder joint?

The cable machine is a highly versatile piece device. There are lots of ways that you can utilize cables to strengthen the muscles of your upper body, especially your shoulders. Cable machines are perfect for shoulder exercises because just like the shoulder joint it has an amazing range of motion. If you want to strengthen and sculpt your shoulders then you need to start performing some cable exercises.

Cable exercises for shoulders are a great way to boost strong powerful shoulders. Utilizing the cable machine, you’ll be able to hit all three deltoids from different angles and through a range of movements. You can also switch body positioning, weight load, and attachments used, which can change your grip thus targeting your muscles differently. The cable machine will give smooth constant tension to your muscles which leads to more time under tension and in turn more capacity for muscle growth.

What are the Health Benefits of Cable Shoulder exercises?

The cable machine provides an effective way to train the shoulders, let’s have a look at some other advantages of shoulder exercises with a cable machine.

• Versatile: The cable machine provides almost unmatched versatility because you can change up the angle, load, grip positioning, and body positioning easily.
• Body positioning: Body positioning simply defines how you will position your body during the exercise. You can merge the cable machine with the following body positions:
• Supine on a bench
• Kneeling on one or both knees
• Sitting on a bench or stability ball
• Standing in a bilateral or staggered stance
• In essence, you will be able to target all aspects of the shoulder so that you don’t create any muscle imbalances.
• Loading Angle: The cable machine has pulleys that are affixed to vertical tracks so that you can easily raise or lower the beginning point. This capability results in you being able to target your muscles in a slightly different manner within the same motion.
• Grip: You can change your grip on the cable machine by using different attachments such as stirrup or ropes. You could switch from an overhand to underhand to neutral grip rather easily with the cable machine. By changing the grip you can make small alterations in how you’re targeting the muscles you’re working.
• Load & Tension: With a cable machine you can easily and quickly change the weight you’re working with by pulling the pin and then reinserting it into a different weight in the stack. This ease of changing the load comes into play if you’re performing any drop sets, pyramids, or super sets.
• Unilateral Movement: Doing shoulder exercises on a cable machine can highlight any weaknesses you may have on one side versus the other. Sort out any muscle imbalances with the cable machine before they become a bigger issue.
• Smooth Motion: The cable machine offers a smooth, controlled movement that can be manipulated by the variables above to deliver the exact resistance you’re looking for. This smooth movement is great to keep exercises on the correct path to maximise the time under tension.
• Safe & Efficient: Cable machines are safe and efficient equipment to incorporate into your normal workout program. The smooth flat resistance results in rare wear and tear on the joints, especially the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
• You can efficiently change the weight, angle, and attachment which makes it easy if you want to change up the exercise and other variables without having to move to another part of the gym to use another tool.
• Great For Isolation: We generally suggested free weights for the large compound lifts to get the biggest bang for your buck but when it comes to isolation exercises the cable machine can be a good choice.
• Beginner Friendly: There’s often a learning curve to utilizing barbells and dumbbells safely and effectively. Therefore, beginners can get the list of motions on a cable machine without the fear of hurting themselves while still getting a good workout in.

Which are the Cable exercises for the Shoulder joint?

There are some cable exercises you should know about for your shoulder joint:

• Anterior Raises
• Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes
• Leaning Single-Arm Lateral Raises
• Cable Shoulder Press
• Cable Alternating Press
• Kneeling Shoulder Press
• Cable Bent Over Single Arm Lateral Raise
• Cable Cross Over Reverse Fly
• Lying Reverse Fly
• Single Arm Front Raise
• Cable Standing Front Raise Variation
• Single Arm Lateral Raise
• Side-Lying Lateral Raise
• Cable Upright Row
• Cable Y Raise
• Cable Twisting Overhead Press
• Cable Face Pulls
• Cable High Row
• Cable Shrug
• Underhand Cable Front Raises
• Single Arm Rear Delt Flyes
• Half Kneeling Single Arm Cable Shoulder Press
• Lying Cuffed Lateral Raises
• Cable External Rotation
• Cable Internal Rotation
• Cable Cuban Press

Anterior Raises

One of the best ways to do this exercise is with a straight bar attachment. Attach it to your cable machine, adjust the cable so it’s at the lowest point on the machine, then follow these steps:

Stand with one foot on any side of the cable.
Bend down and grab the bar in both hands, then walk forward a couple of steps to set tension on the cable — the bar should be close to your hips when beginning.
On an exhale, lift your arms straight up until the bar is parallel with the ground.
Inhale and lower the bar back down to the beginning position.
Keep the arm locked with a slight flex in the elbow.
As with the lateral raises, do your best to prevent bouncing or swinging the weight up.

Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes

To perform bent-over rear delt flyes, you’ll need to stand in the center of the cable machine and grab a cable in each hand. Before you start, adjust the cables so they’re at the lowest point on the machine. From here, follow these cues:

Grab a cable in each hand, crossing them so they form an “X”.
Hinge at your hips as though you were about to perform a bent-over row.
On an exhale, lift your arms straight up to the sides until they’re parallel to the ground.
Inhale and lower the arms back down.
Keep the elbows locked and flexed slightly.

Leaning Single-Arm Lateral Raises

This variation of the single-arm lateral raise permits you to better target the delt and prevents you from using momentum to swing up the weight. Here are some tips to aid you to ensure you’re doing it correctly:

Begin by standing next to the cable machine, grabbing the cable as you would for a regular single-arm lateral raise.
Grab the side of the machine with your opposite hand and alter your feet so they’re closer to the machine.
Lean out to one side, holding onto the machine to prevent tipping over.
On an exhale, lift your arm until it’s parallel to the floor.
Keep your elbow locked with a slight flex.

Cable Shoulder Press

Put up stirrup at the lowest point
Stand facing away from the cable machine, and grasp stirrups with an overhand grip.
Begin with your hands at ear level with your elbows flexed at 90 degrees.
Press straight up until the arms are fully extended.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.
Make sure to stand tall throughout the motion and refrain from using your leg power to aid press the weight up.

Cable Alternating Press

The alternating overhead press can be done several ways, you could do it one arm at a time if you only have one cable tower available. Some cable machines will have a distance that is too far away from each other to do this exercise properly, in that case just do it with one arm at a time.

Put up stirrups at the lowest point.
Stand facing away from the cable machine, grasp stirrups with a neutral grip
Begin with your hands at shoulder height with your elbows flexed at 90 degrees tucked in front of you.
Press straight up one arm at a time until your arm is completely extended.
Slowly return to the beginning position then press up with the other arm.
Repeat for some reps.

Kneeling Shoulder Press

Put up stirrup at a low point.
Kneel facing towards cable machine, grasp stirrups with an overhand grip.
Begin with your hands in front of you at your upper chest with your elbows flexed at 90 degrees tucked in front of you.
Press straight up until your arms are fully extended.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.
Don’t lean back too far, try to maintain your chest up and back straight throughout the motion.

Cable Bent Over Single Arm Lateral Raise

Put up the stirrup at a low point then stand to the side of it.
Grasp the stirrup using a neutral grip with the hand farther away from the cable then pivot forward at the hips until your torso is almost parallel with the ground.
Use your non-working hand for stability by putting it on your knee or hip.
Lift the cable out to the side keeping a slight flex in the elbow until your upper arm is almost parallel with the ground.
Hold briefly then slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat some reps then switch sides.

Cable Cross Over Reverse Fly

Put up stirrups at the low point of both towers of the cable machine.
Reach down to grasp each stirrup with the opposite hands using a neutral grip.
Hinge forward so that your upper body is almost parallel with the floor with knees slightly flexed and your arms hanging down.
Pull the cables out to your side with your arms slightly flexed at the elbows until your upper arms are shoulder level.
Slowly lower to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.

Lying Reverse Fly

Put up a bench in the middle of the cable machine then set the cables are a high point.
Grasp the cables using a neutral grip with each hand by reaching up and across the body.
Take a supine position on the bench.
Beginning with your arms slightly flexed and up toward the roof and the cables crossed, pull down on the cables to your sides through the elbows until your arms are parallel with the ground.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.
Make sure your shoulders are lined up with the cables before starting the motion and perform with slow focused motion.

Single Arm Front Raise

Put up the stirrup at the lowest point.
Stand in front of the cable machine facing away while the working arm lines up with the cable machine then grasp the handle with an overhand grip.
Beginning with your hand at your hip and with tension in the cable, exhale and raise straight up and away until your arm is level with your shoulder.
Slowly lower to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps then switches sides.

Cable Standing Front Raise Variation

Place the cable at the lowest point with a curl bar attached.
Stand facing opposite to cable machine, feet shoulder-width apart. Reach down and pull the cable through your legs to grasp the bar with both hands utilizing an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
Lift up and away from the body keeping your arms extended until you reach shoulder level. Lift on one side of the bar and slightly rotate the shoulder out and up.
Briefly hold then slowly lower to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps alternating each side for the top lifting movements.
Pause at the top of the motion to get peak trap contraction. Move-in a slow controlled manner during the exercise.

Single Arm Lateral Raise

Connect the stirrup or D handle at the lowest point then stand to the side of the cable machine.
You can stand so that the cable runs behind the body (targeting the rear and side delts more), grasping the stirrup with an overhand grip.
With a slight flex at the elbow lift your arm up and away from the side while exhaling until your arm is level with your shoulder.
Slowly lower to the beginning position while inhaling.
Repeat for some reps then switches sides.

Side-Lying Lateral Raise

Place the stirrup at the lowest point
Lie down on the side with your feet towards the cable machine then grasp the stirrup with an overhand grip using your upper arm.
Brace your torso with your elbow on the ground directly under your shoulder.
Beginning with your hand at your hip lift up until your arm is parallel with the shoulder.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps then switches sides.

Cable Upright Row

Place the cable at the lowest point then attach a bar.
Grasp the bar with both hands using an overhand grip shoulder-width apart.
Exhale while pulling up through the elbows so that the cable is close to the body until your elbows are shoulder level.
Inhale while slowly returning to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.

Cable Y Raise

Place the cable at the lowest point with the stirrup attachments.
Stand in the center of the cable towers.
Reach down to grasp each stirrup with the opposite hand using an overhand grip.
Begin with your arms down and hands crossed in front of your body.
Pull the cables up and back with your arms slightly flexed at the elbows until they reach up to your sides forming a Y shape.
Slowly lower to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.

Cable Twisting Overhead Press

Place the cable at upper belly height with the stirrup attachment then get into a pose slightly in front and to the side of the cable.
Grasp the stirrup with an overhand grip and stand in a wide stance in a quarter squat with the non-working hand on your hip.
Beginning with your hand at upper chest height, press up and across the body until your arm is completely extended while rotating the torso and pushing through your legs.
Slowly reverse the movement to starting position.
Repeat for some reps then switches sides.

Cable Face Pulls

Put up cable at a high point with the rope attachment.
Grasp the rope with both hands with the thumbs pointing backward.
Keeping the elbows below your shoulders pull back and turn slightly to work the rotator cuff. Squeeze your scapulae at the end of the movement when your hands are next to your ears.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.

Cable High Row

Place the cable up at a high point with the rope attachments.
Grasp the rope with both hands using an overhand grip then take a step backward and get onto knees facing the cable machine.
Beginning with your arms stretched out and away, pull back through the elbows until your hands are just in front of your shoulders.
Slowly return to the beginning position.
Repeat for some reps.

Cable Shrug

Place the cable at the lowest level then attach the bar.
Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart then stand back until the traps are stretched a bit.
Stand upright while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
Shrug your shoulders up and back as high as possible, shortly hold and contract traps at the top.
Slowly lower your arms back to the initial position.
Repeat for some reps.

Underhand Cable Front Raises

Place the cable handle to stem from the bottom of the machine.
Stand with the feet about hip widths apart and you can face towards or away from the cable.
Stand away from the barbell enough that there is continuous tension from the bottom position of the exercise.
Keeping the body steady and core tight, lift the handle up to shoulder level then return it down to the bottom position.
Some people find it somewhat uncomfortable with a fully straight bar so you can use a handle that is shaped more like a W.

Single Arm Rear Delt Flyes

Doing it one arm at a time is better than doing two arms simultaneously because the arms will not have to cross over and under and move asymmetrically. Also, by performing it one arm at a time, you will not have one arm block the range of motion of the other arm so you can stretch the arm further across to the other side.

Place the cable handle to stem from the bottom of the machine.
Stand in a bent-over pose with your back parallel to the ground.
Hold onto the side of the machine with the arm closest to the machine and keep it straight.
Grasp onto the cable without a handle attached and use an overhand grip.
Allow the arm to stretch towards where the cable stems from, and pull out and away.

Half Kneeling Single Arm Cable Shoulder Press

The half-kneeling single-arm cable shoulder press exercise is the best shoulder pressing variation that maximises the range of motion on your front deltoids.

Place the cable handle to stem from the bottom of the machine.
Position yourself in a half-kneeling or split stane pose. If you are training your left shoulder first, your right leg goes forward and your left knee is on the ground.
Ensure that your back is straight and core muscles engaged to stabilize the posture during the exercise.
Keep the hand of the passive arm by your hip.
Position the body so you face away from where the cable stems from.
Use a single-hand cable handle and hold it left in front of your shoulder with the cable leading from the outside of the arm.
Use a neutral grip so that the thumb points back towards you, then press upwards and away.

Lying Cuffed Lateral Raises

Place an adjustable bench to a 30-degree angle and set it in the middle of a cable pulley machine. The bench should be placed where the seat is in line with the cable stack and the bench is to the left or right of the cable stack.
Connect one cuff to each side of the cable pulley. Place the left cuff on the right forearm and place the right cuff on the left forearm. The cables should be crossing.
Sit down on the bench and lean back until the back and head are supported by the bench.
Extend your arms until there’s a slight flex in your elbows.
Take a deep breath then lift your arms laterally keeping your elbow higher than your wrist.
Once your arms reach shoulder height, hold for 1-2 seconds, and exhale as you slowly lower the arms back to the starting position.
Repeat for some number of repetitions.

Cable External Rotation

Position the cable pulley to elbow height and join a D-handle to the machine.
Stand perpendicular to the pulley and grasp the handle with the arm that’s furthest away using a neutral grip.
Flex your elbow to 90 degrees and lock it in on the side of your torso. Keep the elbow in this position throughout the entire motion.
Inhale as you pull the handle away from the body by externally rotating your shoulder.
The amount you can externally rotate the shoulder will vary for everyone, so go as far as your body allows.
At the top of the rep, pause for 1-2 seconds, then exhale as you return to the beginning position by internally rotating your shoulder.
Repeat for some number of repetitions.

Cable Internal Rotation

Place a cable pulley to elbow height and attach a D-handle to it.
Stand perpendicular to the cable stack and grasp the handle using a neutral grip with the hand that’s closest to the machine.
Flex your arm to 90 degrees and take a few steps away so that the shoulder is externally rotated and the weight stack is slightly elevated. Keep a shoulder weight stance and keep your elbow locked in at the side of your upper body. This is the beginning position.
Take a deep breath and bring the handle across the body by internally rotating your shoulder.
Once your hand touches your upper body, hold for 1-2 seconds, and exhale while slowly returning to the beginning position by externally rotating your shoulder.

Cable Cuban Press

The Cuban press is a unique shoulder exercise in that it engages all three deltoid muscle heads simultaneously. If you are short of time but still want a thorough shoulder workout, this could be the perfect solution. While the Cuban press is typically performed using a barbell or dumbbells, it can also be performed using a low cable machine and a revolving bar.

Connect a straight, revolving bar to a low pulley. Alternatively, if using a dual low-cable machine, you can utilize two D-shaped handles.
Hold the bar/handles in front of the thighs with an overhand, a bit wider than shoulder-width grip. Brace your core.
Flex your arms and upright row the bar up to your sternum.
Next, rotate the arms out and away, lifting the bar to your forehead.
Finally, press the handle upwards and overhead to arms’ length.
Return to the beginning position by reversing this motion.
Repeat for some number of repetitions.