Cable Chest Press

How to do the Cable Chest Press

1. Adjust the weight to an appropriate amount and be seated, grasping the handles. Your upper arms should be about 45 degrees to the body, with your head and chest up. The elbows should be bent to about 90 degrees. This will be your starting position.
2. Begin by extending through the elbow, pressing the handles together straight in front of you. Keep your shoulder blades retracted as you execute the movement.
3. After pausing at full extension, return to th starting position, keeping tension on the cables.
4. You can also execute this movement with your back off the pad, at an incline or decline, or alternate hands.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Secondary	shoulders, triceps
Equipment	cable machine
Difficulty	beginner
Type	compound

No cable machine? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clock Push-Up Bodyweight Decline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Medium Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Wide Bodyweight

Harder than the Cable Chest Press

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell Flat Bench Cable Flyes intermediate · Cable Machine Incline Cable Flye intermediate · Cable Machine

Superset the Cable Chest Press with

Opposing lats work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown lats Kneeling High Pulley Row lats Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row lats One Arm Lat Pulldown lats

Common questions

What muscles does the Cable Chest Press work?

The Cable Chest Press primarily works the chest, with the shoulders and triceps as secondary movers. Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, and Barbell Guillotine Bench Press train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Cable Chest Press?

A Cable Machine. Without a cable machine, Clock Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, and Incline Push-Up train the same muscle, and 17 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Cable Chest Press suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Cable Chest Press is rated beginner. Plyo Kettlebell Pushups, Flat Bench Cable Flyes, and Incline Cable Flye are the progressions from here.

Where should the Cable Chest Press go in a workout?

Early — the Cable Chest Press is compound, working 3 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown and Kneeling High Pulley Row later.

Similar exercises

Alternating Floor Press Kettlebell Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell