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Do you cable crossover?
One of my favorite machines in the gym is the cable crossover.
It’s probably the most versatile piece of equipment in the gym and not many people realize everything that it’s really capable of.
Sure, it’s where all of us do our triceps extensions, but did you know you can also get an amazing lower body workout on it, too?
Today I’m sharing my favorite lower body exercises done on the cables at the gym.
Try them out the next time you’re there and work your muscles in ways you never thought possible!
The best cable exercises for your legs and lower body include
- Squat and Row
- Hip Abduction
- Hip Adduction
- Unilateral Squat and Row
- Hip Flexion
- Hip Extension
Keep reading below to see what each of these look like!
The Workout
Warmup
5-10 minutes on an elliptical, treadmill, bike, or row machine
Start down in a squat position, holding the cable handles (or rope), with your arms outstretched.
As you rise up from the squat pull the handles (or rope) into your abdomen.
Slowly return to starting position.
10 reps
Hip Abduction
Lower the cable to the lowest position and put on an ankle cuff.
Stand perpendicular to the machine and lift your leg out to the side (away from the machine).
Try to keep your toe pointed forward (it will want to rotate out) and pull from your glutes.
10 reps
Hip Adduction
Everything in the same position as Hip Abduction exercise above, just turn around 180 degrees.
Take a big step away from the cable as the starting position for this one is with your legs spread wide.
Use your inner thigh muscles to pull your leg toward your midline and in front of your stance leg.
10 reps
Unilateral Squat and Row
One of my favorites for the glutes. Cable is still in the low position.
Stand on your right leg.
Slightly bend your knee and reach forward to grab the cable with your left hand.
Using your right hip muscles pull yourself into a full upright position while rowing the cable with your left hand.
Again, the focus here is smashing your glutes through the stand phase of the exercise.
Slowly return to starting position.
10 reps
Hip Flexion
Get the ankle cuff back out.
Stand facing away from the machine with the cuff tethered around your right leg.
Contract your quads (front of your thigh) on your right leg to keep your leg straight while raising your straight leg in front of you.
Slowly return to starting position.
10 reps
Hip Extension
Just to tap out the glutes.
Same position as hip flexion only turn 180 degrees so your facing the cable machine.
\With the resistance around your right foot, slightly bend your right knee.
Stand on your left leg and kick back behind you.
You should simultaneously extend at your hip and straighten your knee. Slowly return to starting position.
10 reps
Well done!! Now you just have to get through the whole thing
2 more times!!! 3 sets of 10 total!!
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Looking for more great leg days? Here are a few of my favorites:
Make it happen,
Jared
By Jared Beckstrand
Just wondering how much weight you recommend to lift for the above cable workout?
Hi Tracy!
The short answer is 3 sets of 10-12 to exhaustion (by rep #30-40 you should be REALLY struggling, but able to complete it). For the longer answer, I wrote a whole article about how much weight you should use when lifting… check it out: https://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/05/how-much-weight-i-should-lift-the-answer-to-the-question-that-everyone-has-wondered.html
Thanks Tracy!!