Quite often you see the cable machine crowded with bros and chicks mainly focusing on their upper body like shoulders, arms, back, and chest. However, it can also help you train well at a leg day workout.
Many of the individuals don’t know how effective a cable machine can actually be to train your lower body muscles. Though the free weights are effective, the cable machine involves resistance that allows you to take your exercise to the next level.
Alongside a pre-workout, you could make your gym sessions even harder.
So, here are 5 best cable machine exercises that you must do for a leg day workout.
5 Best Cable Machine Exercises EVER
1. Front Squats
This exercise will target the glutes and quads and we’ll use a long bar with low cable position to execute.
Front Squat How-To:
- Start by standing in between the two stacks and position the bar by stacking it on top of the shoulders.
- Keep your arms crossed at your chest’s height and your elbows in front.
- Maintain this upper body position and perform a squat as deep as you can. Your bodyweight should shift on the hips, back, and heels.
- Now, push through your heels to stand up back to your starting position by squeezing your glutes.
- You can hook in the weight as you desire but don’t keep it too heavy.
2. Standing Abduction
It’s time to target the glutes and outer thighs. Once again, we’ll position the cable low and the attachments will be handle bars. Of course, we’ll be using our feet to execute the exercise.
Abduction How-To:
- Once the handle is attached, stand on the right side of the cable stack with your left foot into the handle, just around your ankle.
- Now, bend both your knees and hold the machine using your right arm for support.
- Finally, lift your left leg as far as you can towards the left side. Work against the resistance of the cable and lower it gradually.
- Switch sides and repeat.
3. Glute Kickback
The glute kickback exercise, as the name resembles, targets your glutes. Once again, the cable position would be low and we’ll use the handles.
Kickback How-To:
- Stand facing towards the cable machine and step in your right foot into the handle.
- For support of your upper body, gently hold the machine.
- Now, bend your left knee slightly and lift the right foot off the floor.
- You have to push through the right heel and extend your right leg as much as you can behind you.
- Do not arch the back and gradually return to your starting position.
4. Deadlift
Whaaaat…??? Yup! You can perform the deadlifts for training your glutes and hams. Position the cable low and attach a pair of handles.
Deadlift How-To:
- Grab a low step or a box and position it in between the cable machines and slightly away from them.
- Stand on top of the box with your feet hip-width apart.
- Grab the handles in each hand by extending your arms at sides and keep the knees soft.
- Now, hinge forward from your hips and bring the torso parallel to the floor by bending the knees.
- Finally, pull through your glutes and return to standing position.
- You have to keep your arms extended throughout the exercise and squeeze the glutes at the top of the movements.
- Go for maximum reps.
5. Hip Bridge
The last exercise is the hip bridge and it targets the glutes and hamstrings. You’ll position the cable low and only use a resistance band for this exercise.
Hip Bridge How-To:
- Lie down on the floor between the dual stacks and have the resistance band tied around the base of each stack.
- Now, gradually slide your body under the band just below your hips.
- Finally, lift the hips off the floor to form a straight line from your knees towards your shoulders and push hard against the resistance.
- Slowly lower your body back to the floor.
- Go for the maximum amount of reps.
