Cable Pull Through
Muscles Worked: Cable Pull Through
The cable pull through mainly trains your glutes and hamstrings. Your glutes drive the rep by pushing your hips forward from the stretched bottom position, while your hamstrings help control the backward hip hinge and assist as you stand tall. Your core and upper back also work to keep your torso steady and stop the cable from pulling you out of position. If you do it right, you should feel the work in your butt and the back of your legs, not your lower back; some people also use a glute-focused warm-up to help cue those muscles before explosive lower-body work (Parr et al., 2017).
Technique and form
How to perform the Cable Pull Through
- Position the cable machine with the rope attachment at the lowest setting and stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step forward to create tension in the cable, hinge at your hips and reach between your legs to grasp the rope attachment with both hands.
- Maintain a neutral spine with a slight bend in your knees, engage your core, and ensure your weight is centered in the middle of your feet.
- Inhale and begin the movement by pushing your hips backward while keeping your chest up and shoulders pulled back.
- As you hinge forward, allow the weight to pull the rope between your legs, stopping when your torso is nearly parallel to the floor while maintaining the natural curve in your lower back.
- Exhale as you reverse the movement by driving your hips forward powerfully, squeezing your glutes at the top position.
- Keep your arms straight throughout the entire movement, allowing them to simply guide the rope rather than pulling with your upper body.
- Return to the upright position with hips fully extended and glutes engaged before beginning the next repetition.
Important information
- Never round your lower back during the movement; maintain a neutral spine position throughout the exercise to protect your lower back.
- Focus on initiating the movement with your hips, not your knees or back, to properly target the glutes and hamstrings.
- Keep your core braced throughout the exercise to maintain stability and protect your spine.
- If you feel the exercise in your lower back instead of your glutes and hamstrings, reduce the weight and focus on proper hip hinge technique.
Is the Cable Pull Through good for muscle growth?
Yes. The cable pull through can be very good for building your glutes and hamstrings because it loads the hip hinge without putting a bar on your back, and glute-focused warm-ups may help some lifters better feel their glutes before explosive lower-body training (Parr et al., 2017). It works especially well as a lower-fatigue glute builder after heavier leg work.
- Big tension where glutes grow well — The cable keeps pulling backward through the whole rep, so your glutes have to keep working hard as you drive your hips forward. That makes it useful for getting strong contractions at the top without needing very heavy weight.
- Easier on the lower back than many hinges — Because the load sits behind you instead of on your shoulders or in your hands, many lifters can train the hip hinge pattern with less spinal loading than heavier deadlift variations. That makes it a smart add-on next to dumbbell-deadlift work.
- Great for learning glute-driven hip extension — A lot of beginners turn hinges into a low-back exercise. The pull through teaches you to move from the hips and finish by squeezing your glutes, which can carry over to lifts like the dumbbell-glute-bridge.
- High reps work well here — Since this exercise has a low fatigue cost compared with big barbell lifts, it responds well to moderate and higher rep sets. That gives you more quality glute and hamstring volume without beating you up, and pairing it with a short glute activation warm-up may help some people feel the target muscles sooner before lower-body work (Parr et al., 2017).
Programming for muscle growth
Do 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps with 60-90 seconds rest, 1-3 times per week. Use it after squats, deadlifts, or lunges when you want extra glute and hamstring volume without a huge recovery hit. Pick a load that lets you feel a deep stretch on the way back and a hard glute squeeze at the top on every rep.
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FAQ - Cable Pull Through
The Cable Pull Through primarily targets your posterior chain, with emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings. It also engages your erector spinae (lower back muscles) as stabilizers while providing some activation to your core muscles throughout the movement.
Yes, when performed correctly, it's generally safe for most people with mild back concerns since it minimizes spinal loading compared to deadlifts. The hip-hinge pattern distributes tension primarily to the glutes and hamstrings rather than the spine, but always consult with a healthcare provider if you have specific back conditions.
Stand facing the cable machine with the ankle attachment secured, maintain a slight bend in your supporting leg, and keep your core engaged throughout the movement. Focus on driving the movement from your glutes rather than your lower back, and avoid arching or rounding your spine.
Incorporate Cable Pull Throughs 1-3 times weekly with at least 24-48 hours between sessions to allow for muscle recovery. They work well as part of a posterior chain development day or paired with quad-dominant exercises for balanced lower body training.
You can progress by increasing weight, adding pause reps at the contracted position, or performing single-leg variations for greater stability challenge. For modifications, beginners can use lighter weight while focusing on form, or substitute with resistance bands if a cable machine isn't available.
Scientific References
Effect of a gluteal activation warm-up on explosive exercise performance.
Parr M, Price PD, Cleather DJ · BMJ open sport & exercise medicine (2017)
Sources are peer-reviewed academic publications from PubMed.
Cable Pull Through
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