Cable Leg Workouts For Bigger, Stronger Legs

Why we love it: Leg day isn’t complete without squats! The goblet squat is usually done with a dumbbell or kettlebell, but the cable version is just as effective in building muscle in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. They’re also a lot safer to do on the cables.

How to do it: 

1. Set the pulley to the bottom position, and attach a rope or a v-bar attachment.
2. Facing the cable machine, take hold of the attachment using a neutral or underhand grip. Place it in front of your chest.
3. Take a couple of steps back to create tension. Adjust your feet so that they’re slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and brace your core. 
4. Squat down until your quads are at least parallel to the ground. Pause.
5. Drive through your heels to return to the standing position.
6. Continue for the desired number of repetitions.

RELATED: Kettlebell Squats

Why we love it: Kate Meier, CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, says, “Cable pull-throughs are an effective exercise to work the hamstrings and glutes at the back of the legs.” Regularly doing them can improve your barbell lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and even hip thrusters.

RELATED: Hip Thrust Workout

How to do it: 

1. Attach a rope handle to a pulley, then position it at the bottom. Select the desired weight.
2. Grab the rope between your legs while you’re standing facing away from the cables. Take a step or two forward. 
3. Tense your core and keep your head neutral. Begin the movement by bending at the hips, letting the rope move closer to the cable machine. You’ll feel a stretch in the hamstrings here.
4. Hold when you can’t lower further, then push through the glutes to return to the starting position.
5. Keep pulling through for reps.

Why we love it: You’re working one side at a time (or unilateral exercises), so glute kickbacks help fix muscular imbalances on either side of the body. They isolate the glutes, and strengthening them may lead to increased spinal stability and less pain⁵ in the lower back.

How to do it: 

1. With the pulley in its lowest position, add an ankle strap attachment. Loop it around your left ankle, then stand up tall.
2. Hold the cable machine with both hands to keep you stable, and adjust your feet so they’re shoulder-width apart.
3. Lift your left leg backward and toward the ceiling. Your right foot should be firmly planted on the ground, with a slight bend in your right knee.
4. Hold at the top, then lower your left leg to the ground.
5. Kick back for reps, then switch over to the right leg.

Why we love it: “If you’re new to lifting or have past injuries, getting the right form on the barbell deadlift can be difficult to master,” explains Kate. “This is where the cable deadlift comes in, and you still activate all of the muscles on the backside of your body.”

How to do it: 

1. Adjust the cable pulley to the lowest setting, then attach a long, straight-bar attachment. 
2. Take hold of the bar with an overhand grip. You’ll want to face the cable machine, and both your hands and feet should be hip-width apart. 
3. Hinge at your hips to begin the deadlift, keeping your back straight throughout. The bar attachment will move toward the pivot point of the cables.
4. When you can’t go any further, hold, then push through your feet to return to the upright position. Squeeze your glutes here.
5. Continue for the desired number of reps.

Why we love it: Working smaller muscle groups in the lower body, such as the adductors, can help to prevent groin injuries⁶. You use your inner thighs during squats and deadlifts (and during most lower-body workouts). Doing this exercise may also help improve your flexibility.

How to do it: 

1. Loop an ankle cuff around your left ankle, and fix the pulley to the bottom.
2. Stand up tall and grab the cable machine with your right hand, facing away from it.
3. Lift your left leg out to the side. Then, adduct it by moving your left foot toward your right foot (just in front of it). Slowly reverse the motion. 
4. Repeat for reps, then switch over to the opposite side. 

Why we love it: The abductors are the opposite of the adductors, and make up your outer thigh. The cable hip abduction is a popular cable machine exercise, and strengthening the abductors is a rehabilitative treatment for subjects with knee osteoarthritis⁷.

How to do it: 

1. Attach an ankle strap to your left ankle while the cable pulley is at the bottom.
2. Take hold of the machine with your right hand, and face away from it. 
3. Position your left foot in front of your right foot. Perform the abduction motion by moving your left foot out to the side. Pause for a second, then bring it back to the starting position.
4. When you’ve finished your reps, switch over to the right ankle and repeat.

Why we love it: ”It’s a great cable machine leg exercise because it isolates your hamstrings,“ says Kate. For those who have desk jobs, tight or weak hamstrings can be a real pain point. This exercise can strengthen that particular muscle group and help with flexibility, too. 

How to do it: 

1. Select your desired weight, then fasten an ankle strap around your left ankle. You’ll want the pulley to be at the lowest position.
2. Face the weight stack, and grab the machine with both hands for stability.
3. Move your feet so they’re close together. While shifting some of your weight onto your right leg, curl your left foot toward your butt until it’s at a 90-degree angle.
4. Slowly lower your left foot to the floor.
5. Curl for repetitions, then switch over to the right side.

Why we love it: Although we’re calling out the front lunge here, you can also do lateral or reverse lunges on the cables, making this an extremely versatile exercise. The lunges exercise is a popular bodybuilding movement, and doing them on the cables may help reduce the risk of injury.

How to do it: 

1. With the pulley at the bottom, add a rope attachment to it.
2. Face standing away from the machine, and take hold of the rope. You’ll want your feet shoulder-width apart, and the rope positioned on either side of your shoulders.
3. Brace your core and keep your head neutral, then lunge forward with your left foot. Lower your right knee towards the floor.
4. Hold, then drive through your left heel to return to the upright position. 
5. Repeat, but this time, lunge forward with your right foot first.
6. Lunge for reps, alternating sides each time.

Why we love it: Activation of the calf muscles is just as important as hitting the other lower body muscles, and there’s no better way to do this than with cable standing calf raises. Try single-leg cable calf raises if you find the below version too easy!

How to do it: 

1. Find a piece of equipment to lift you off the ground and place it in front of the cable machine. A stepper, box, or weight plate works well here.
2. Fix a straight bar to a low cable pulley, and pick your desired weight.
3. Grab the bar and step on the equipment to elevate yourself, with only your toes touching it.
4. Drop your heels as close to the ground as possible, then push up with your toes to work the calves. Hold, before returning your heels back down.
5. Continue for the desired number of repetitions.

RELATED: Calf Exercises

Beginner

• Cable Goblet Squat: 4 sets of 8 reps
• Cable Standing Leg Curl: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps

Intermediate

• Cable Goblet Squat: 4 sets of 8 reps
• Cable Pull-Through: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Hip Adduction: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Hip Abduction: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps

Advanced 

• Cable Goblet Squat: 4 sets of 8 reps
• Cable Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Cable Front Lunge: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Cable Kickback: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Hip Adduction: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Hip Abduction: 2 sets of 10 reps
• Cable Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets of 12 reps