20 Best Cable Chest Exercises For Ripped Pecs

It's chest day at the gym and all the machines and bench press racks are taken. What do you do?

Here's a list of the 20 best cable chest exercises guaranteed to give you a chest pump:

• Cable Bench Press
  • Seated Cable Bench Press
  • Cable Standing Press
  • Cable Bench Fly
  • Cable Standing Fly
  • Single Arm Cable Fly
  • Cable Press on Exercise Ball

• Cable Incline Press
  • Cable Standing Incline Press
  • Cable Incline Fly
  • Single Arm Incline Cable Press
  • Single Arm Incline Cable Fly

• Cable Decline Press
  • Cable Standing Decline Press
  • Cable Decline Fly
  • Cable Standing Decline Fly (Cable Iron Cross)
  • Single Arm Decline Cable Press

• Cable Narrow Press (Coffin Press)
  • Cable Standing Narrow Press

• Cable Crossover

That’s a lot of cable machine chest exercises to consider, but you don’t need a degree in kinesiology to know how to use these in your next chest workout.

I will cover everything you need to know to get an awesome cable chest workout, including:

• Basic Anatomy of the Chest
• Why You Should Do Cable Chest Exercises
• Breakdown Of The Exercises Listed
• Whether Cables Are Good For Chest Development
• How to Progress Chest Cable Exercises
• Sample Chest Workout Routine
• FAQ’s

Anatomy of the Chest

A basic understanding of your muscular anatomy can amplify your training experience. Let’s go through some of the key players involved with your chest workout with cables.

The Muscles

• Pectoralis Major: Primary presser for chest exercises. It originates on the sternum, the proximal portion of the clavicle, and the floating ribs and inserts onto the humerus near the shoulder.

In layman's: If you put your hand on your chest, as you would during a pledge, the heel of your hand, along the sternum, is where your pec major starts, and your fingers will point to the approximate location where it inserts onto your humerus.

• Pectoralis minor, triceps brachii, anterior deltoid, and serratus anterior: Secondary pressing muscles for chest exercises. These chest muscles under your pectoralis major, back of the arm muscles, front shoulder muscles, and muscles along your ribs all play a role in stabilizing the shoulder and pressing the weights away from the body.

• Abs, Obliques, and Upper Back muscles: Stabilizing and supporting muscles. While these muscles in your stomach and core may not directly affect your pressing power, they are critical in your midline stability (core strength), allowing for safer, stronger, more powerful presses.  

Why You Should Do Cable Chest Exercises

Cable chest exercises have several benefits.

Variety

One main reason is variety. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones respond favorably to variations in our exercise selection. Unlike free weights, cables provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion, even at the top of the exercise (or peak contraction).

Ease of Use

Ease of use is a great reason to incorporate cable pulls for chest gains. When working with cables, you only need to move a pin on a weight stack to change up the stimulus. So if you and your training partner have different strength levels, cable machines make it quick and easy to swap out weights.

Safety

Having fixed weights also makes chest cable pull exercises a safe training option for all abilities. This is not to say you can completely disregard form and technique, you still need to do your due diligence regarding midline and shoulder stability. Barring any egregious technique errors or using a weight that’s too heavy, chest pulley exercises are a good, safe option.

20 Best Chest Exercises With Cables

You won’t need to use all these cable chest exercises, but you can pick your favorites to add to try in your routine.

1. Cable Bench Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. Good for beginners to advanced trainees. Helps develop shoulder stability without having to worry too much about midline stability.

Equipment Needed:

Cable Towers, Bench, D-Handles

How To Do It:

• Lower the cable handles as low as possible. Set the bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle, bring them to your sternum, and lay flat on the bench.

• Keep your feet on the ground, butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Start with the handles on the outside of your chest, and press the handles up in a smooth, controlled motion.

• Return handles to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

Focus on your breath. Big inhale before, hold during, exhale when returning. This provides more stability for the shoulder and better pressing power.

2. Seated Cable Bench Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. Similar to the cable bench press. Good for beginners who may have trouble getting into a starting position for the cable bench press. Also good for pregnant women and those who suffer from vertigo

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, adjustable bench, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at chest height when seated on the bench

• Set bench between the cables

• Set weight

• Have a training partner help you bring the rings to you while you are seated on the bench, or Grab each handle, bring them to your sternum, then sit on the bench.

• Keep your feet, butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles on the outside of your chest, press the handles up in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pecs at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return the handles to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

If the cables are running along the outside of your forearm while you’re pressing, you’re in the correct pressing position.

3. Cable Standing Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. Engages midline muscles while pressing. Good for intermediate to advanced lifters.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at chest height when standing

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum

• Place one foot behind you to stabilize while pressing. Lean slightly forward, making sure to brace your midline while pressing.

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles on the outside of your chest, press the handles forward in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pecs at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return the handles to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

At the end of each set, control the cables back to the tower. Many new lifters let the weight fling them back and pay with minor to major shoulder injuries.

Check out this article for more great standing chest exercises.

4. Cable Bench Fly

Primarily works the pecs and shoulders. The goal is to keep your elbows in a fixed position to reduce the use of your triceps and get a concentrated dose of chest and shoulder stimulation. Good for Beginner to Advanced trainees. Beginners need to start at a lightweight they can manage.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, Bench, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys as low as they can go. Put a bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum, and have your training partner help if necessary

• Lay flat on the bench with feet on the floor and butt, back, and head staying in contact with the bench the whole repetition

• Keep palms facing each other the entire rep (as if you were clapping)

• Extend your arms off to the side with a fixed elbow position. A slight bend in the elbow is good

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hands together above your chest (again, as if you are clapping your hands)

• Return handles to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

When performing this exercise, ensure your hands align with your chest, not your shoulders. This takes unnecessary stress and strain away from the shoulder.

5. Cable Standing Fly

Primarily works the pecs and shoulders. Very much like the cable bench fly but with the added benefit of midline stability because there is no bench to support your trunk. Good for intermediate to advanced trainees with good shoulder control and midline stability.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at chest height

• Set weight

• Grab each handle

• Place one foot behind you to stabilize while pressing. Lean slightly forward, making sure to brace your midline while pressing

• Keep palms facing toward each other the entire rep (like if you were clapping)

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hands together in front of your chest (again, as if you are clapping your hands). Maintain a fixed elbow position the entire rep, a slight bend is good.

• Bring the handles back to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

Keep both feet facing forward while doing any standing cable exercise. This keeps your hips square and leads to better midline stability and, therefore, better pressing power.

6. Single Arm Cable Fly

Primarily works the pecs, shoulders, and midline. This is the same motion as the cable bench fly, but unilaterally or only one side at a time. Due to the technical difficulty of this exercise, it is better suited for intermediate to advanced lifters.

Equipment Needed:

Cable tower, D-ring

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulley as low as possible.

• Set weight

• Carefully grab one handle and bring it to your sternum

• Keep feet inline and midline tight

• Keep palm facing up forward for the entire rep

• Extend your arm off to the side with a fixed elbow position. A slight bend in the elbow is good

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hand in front of your chest

• Return the handle to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

• Repeat steps 3-8 for the other side

Pro Tip:

Less is more. There is a learning curve to unilateral exercises and if you don’t know how to stabilize while performing these you can get pulled off the bench. Fail videos are only funny when you’re not in them.

7. Cable Press on Exercise Ball

Primarily works the pecs, shoulders, and midline. Very much like the cable press on a bench but with the added instability of the exercise ball. Great for developing shoulder strength. Generally, you don’t need as much weight with less stability, but you recruit a host of stabilizing muscles that will give you a great bang for your buck. Good for Intermediate to Advanced lifters.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, Exercise ball, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys as low as they can go. Put the exercise ball between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum, and have your training partner help if necessary

• Lay flat on the exercise ball with feet on the floor and back firmly against the ball the entire repetition

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles on the outside of your chest, press the handles up in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pecs at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return the handles to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

Don’t forget to squeeze your glutes during this exercise. It’s easy to forget about them since you’re laying on the ball, but they provide massive amounts of stability during our presses, especially ones where your stability is being tested.

8. Cable Incline Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. Used to engage the muscles along the top of your pec major more intently. The cable incline press is also great for developing anterior deltoid development. Good for beginner to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, Incline or adjustable bench, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at stomach height when seated on the bench. Set a bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle, bring them to your sternum, then sit on the bench.

• Keep your feet, butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles on the outside of your chest, press the handles up in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pecs at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return the handles to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

9. Cable Standing Incline Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, shoulders, and midline. A great alternative to the seated incline press. Good for intermediate to advanced lifters.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at stomach height when standing

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum

• Place one foot behind you to stabilize while pressing. Lean slightly forward, making sure to brace your midline while pressing.

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles slightly below the shoulders and inline with your chest, press the handles forward and up in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pecs at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return handles to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

It’s very easy for your lower back to sway while performing this exercise. Be mindful of how tight your abs are, the angle of this press can very easily cause low back pain if you’re not paying heed to your form and body posture.

10. Cable Incline Fly

Primarily works the pecs and shoulders. These can be aggressive for the shoulders, even while lying on a bench. Focus on a smooth, controlled, full range of motion with a lightweight. Good for intermediate to advanced lifters.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, Incline or adjustable bench, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys as low as they can go. Put the bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum

• Lay flat on the bench with your feet on the floor and butt, back, and head firmly against the bench the entire repetition

• Keep palms facing each other the entire rep (as if you were clapping)

• Extend your arms off to the side with a fixed elbow position. A slight bend in the elbow is good.

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hands together above your chest (again, as if you are clapping your hands)

• Return handles to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

11. Single Arm Incline Cable Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, shoulders, and midline. A great way to work the upper body and the midline. Good if the gym is busy and you only have access to one cable tower. Good for beginner to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable tower, Incline or adjustable bench, D-ring

How To Do It:

• Lower the cable handle as low as possible, and set it next to the tower.

• Set weight

• Carefully grab the handle, bring it to your sternum, then lay on the bench.

• Keep your feet on the ground, butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handle on the outside of your chest, press the handle up in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pec at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return the handle to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

12. Single Arm Incline Cable Fly

Primarily works the pecs, shoulders, and midline. Same motion as the incline cable fly, but only one side at a time. Best for intermediate to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable tower, Bench, D-ring

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulley as low as possible. Put your bench next to the tower.

• Set weight

• Carefully grab one handle and bring it to your sternum

• Lay flat on the bench with feet, butt, back, and head staying in contact with the bench the whole repetition

• Keep palm facing up and towards the ceiling the entire rep

• Extend your arm off to the side with a fixed elbow position, a slight bend in the elbow is good

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hand above your chest

• Return handle to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

13. Cable Decline Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. It increases stress on the muscle fibers of the lower portion of the pec major. Good for beginners to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable Towers, Decline Bench, D-Handles

How To Do It:

• Lower the cable handles as low as possible. Set the bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle, bring them to your sternum, then lay on the bench.

• Keep your feet locked in and your butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles on the outside of your chest, press the handles towards the ceiling in a smooth, controlled motion. Be sure to contract your pecs at the top of the press for maximum benefit.

• Return the handles to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

Your hands should stay above the bottom of your chest through the entire press. Think about pressing in a straight line from the bottom of your chest to the ceiling.

14. Cable Standing Decline Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. Similar to a dip motion. Great for those times when you don’t have access to a decline bench. Good for intermediate to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at or above chest height when standing

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum

• Place one foot behind you to stabilize while pressing. Lean slightly forward, making sure to brace your midline while pressing.

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles on the outside of your chest, press the handles down towards the floor in a smooth, controlled motion.

• Return the handles to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

15. Cable Decline Fly

Primarily works the pecs and shoulders. A good way to put more tension on the lower portion of your pec major and decrease strain on the triceps. Good for beginner to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, Bench, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys as low as they can go. Put the bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum

• Lay on the bench with feet locked in and butt, back, and head staying in contact with the bench the whole repetition

• Keep palms facing up towards the ceiling the entire rep

• Extend your arms off to the side with a fixed elbow position, a slight bend in the elbow is good

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hands together above the bottom of your chest

• Return handles to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

16. Cable Standing Decline Fly (Cable Iron Cross)

Primarily works the pecs, shoulders, and midline. When done well, this exercise isolates the lower portion of your pec major, taxes your anterior deltoids, and gives your midline a nice challenge. Good for intermediate to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys above chest height

• Set weight

• Grab each handle

• Keeping your feet together, lean slightly forward making sure to brace your midline during the exercise

• Keep palms facing towards the floor the entire rep

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hands down in front of your hips. Maintain a fixed elbow position the entire rep, a slight bend is good.

• Bring the handles back to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

17. Single Arm Decline Cable Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, shoulders, and midline. Like the decline cable press, but one side at a time. Good for beginner to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable tower, Decline Bench, D-ring

How To Do It:

• Lower the cable handle as low as possible, set the bench next to the tower.

• Set weight

• Carefully grab the handle, bring it to your sternum, then lay on the bench.

• Keep your feet locked in and butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handle on the outside of your chest, press the handle towards the ceiling in a smooth, controlled motion.

• Return handle to the starting position next to your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

18. Cable Narrow Press (Coffin Press)

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. It focuses on stressing the pec major fibers closest to the sternum. Good for beginners to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable Towers, Bench, D-Handles

How To Do It:

• Lower the cable handles as low as possible. Set the bench between the towers.

• Set weight

• Grab each handle, bring them to your sternum, then lay flat on the bench.

• Keep your feet on the ground, butt, upper back, and head on the bench throughout the press

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Press up in a smooth, controlled motion starting with the handles touching each other.

• Return the handles to the starting position in front of your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

Pro Tip:

Everybody’s body is a little different. If performing this exercise with a neutral grip hurts your wrist, try rotating your hands to a 45-90 degree angle.

19. Cable Standing Narrow Press

Primarily works the pecs, triceps, and shoulders. A great way to blast the inner pec major area if you don’t have access to a flat bench. Good for intermediate to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys at chest height when standing

• Set weight

• Grab each handle and bring them to your sternum

• Place one foot behind you to stabilize while pressing. Lean slightly forward, making sure to brace your midline while pressing.

• Maintain a neutral or 45-degree angle grip relative to your torso the entire rep

• Starting with the handles touching each other or palms completely parallel, press the handles forward in a smooth, controlled motion.

• Return the handles to the starting position in front of your chest in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 till all reps are completed.

20. Cable Crossover

Primarily works the pecs and shoulders. Very much like the cable standing fly, but with a larger range of motion. Good for intermediate to advanced trainees.

Equipment Needed:

Cable towers, D-rings

How To Do It:

• Position the cable pulleys above shoulder height when standing

• Set weight

• Grab each handle

• Place one foot behind you to stabilize while pressing. Lean slightly forward making sure to brace your midline while pressing

• Keep palms facing towards the floor the entire rep

• In a smooth, controlled motion, bring your hands forward until the mid-forearms are crossing each other. Maintain a fixed elbow position the entire rep, a slight bend is good.

• Bring the handles back to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 till all reps are completed.

Need a cable crossover alternative? We’ve got you covered.

Are Cable Chest Exercises Good For Chest Development?

Cable chest exercises are absolutely good for developing your chest. Especially when used with tried and true exercises like the bench press.

While cables may not be the best option for absolute strength gains, a good cable chest workout will certainly help develop a strong chest.

How Can You Progress Cable Chest Exercises?

When progressing with any exercise, cables, or free weights, it’s important to master the basics first. In other words, focusing on quality rather than quantity is more important. Learn to move through an entire range of motion with consistent control first. Once you can control a full range of motion with light weights, you can start changing variables like weight, stability, and unilateral options.

Sample progression:

Cable Bench Press → Cable Bench Fly → Standing Cable Press → Standing Cable Fly

Sample Cable Chest Workout Routine

*RPE= Rate of perceived exertion on a scale from 1 to 10. 10 is a maximal effort, 1 is little to no effort.

Try coupling any of these samples with cable back exercises for a full upper-body cable workout. You may also wonder if you can do these sample workouts back to back. Check out this article on whether you can train your chest 2 days in a row.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Build The Chest With Just Cables?

Variety is the spice of life, but if all you have access to is cable machines, you can definitely develop a great-looking chest. A cable workout routine will lend itself to a more hypertrophic experience. So if you’re looking to make those pecs pop, cable machines are great.

Are Cable Chest Exercises Effective?

Cable chest exercises are very effective in developing shoulder stability and working through a full range of motion. Cables can reach positions that bulky dumbbells and fixed barbells cannot. They get all the nooks and crannies of your pecs to create stronger muscles through and through.

Final Thoughts

Cable machine chest exercises provide great variety, ease of use, and safe training options for all. Whether you’re learning to stabilize your shoulder or want to develop a better-looking chest for the poolside, cable chest exercises are a great option.

Next time you’re at a crowded gym and your plan is thwarted because all the dumbbells and bench press racks are taken up, don’t overlook the cable machines. They provide a great, full range of motion and midline stabilization experience.

About The Author

Trevor Bridges has a BS in Health and Exercise Science and has been training folks how to move pain-free and get stronger for over a decade. He is currently experimenting with different training programs that will make him most like Captain America. When he is not running his gym or creating content, you can usually find him playing with his dogs and praying for shorter summers and longer winters.