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What Are Cable Squats

Cable squats: muscles worked, how to do them, and why you would do them. Cable squats are a great accessory exercise for your lower body. They are different than barbell squats, and are a great way to get in some extra volume. 

Cable squats are a variation of the traditional squat exercise, but they use a cable machine for resistance instead of a barbell. Instead of holding weights on your shoulders, like in a barbell squat, you hold a cable attachment (such as a rope or handle) in front of you and squat while pulling moving the cable stack.

Cable squats can help target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, while also engaging your core to stabilize your body as you perform the movement. It’s a great option if you’re looking to add variety to your leg workouts or if you want to minimize stress on the spine compared to barbell squats. 

Let’s discuss what muscles are worked during the cable squats.

Cable Squats: Muscles Worked

Cable squats primarily work the following muscle groups:

1. Quadriceps (Front of the Thigh): The quads are heavily engaged during the squatting motion, as they extend the knees when you drive up from the squat position.
2. Glutes (Buttocks): The glutes are heavily involved in the hip extension that occurs when you return to the standing position from the squat.
3. Hamstrings (Back of the Thigh): The hamstrings assist in controlling the movement during the downward portion of the squat and help with the hip extension as you drive back up.
4. Core Muscles: Your abdominals and obliques are engaged to stabilize your torso and maintain proper posture throughout the movement, especially since the cable attachment adds an element of resistance pulling you forward. 
5. Adductors (Inner Thighs): The adductors, or inner thigh muscles, help stabilize your legs as you squat, particularly if you perform the movement with a wider stance.
6. Erector Spinae (Lower Back): While not the primary muscles, your lower back muscles work to help keep your spine in a neutral position, preventing you from rounding your back during the squat. The erector spinae muscles are particularly worked here, since the cable pulls you forward, unless gravity pulling you downward on traditional squats.

Overall, cable squats provide a full-body workout that primarily targets the lower body muscles, with an emphasis on the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, while also engaging your core for stability.

How Do You Do Cable Squats?

Here’s how you can perform cable squats for proper form:

1. Set up the machine: Attach a rope or handle to the low pulley on a cable machine. Set the weight to an appropriate level. If you don’t know where to start, start with a few plates in.
2. Position yourself: For your starting position, stand facing the machine, feet shoulder-width apart, with the cable attachment in both hands. Hold the rope or handle at chest height, keeping your arms extended in front of you.
3. Squat: Lower your hips and bend your knees, keeping your chest up and back straight, just like in a regular squat. The cable should remain taut as you squat down.
4. Stand up: Push through your heels to return to the standing position, resisting the pull of the cable as you go.

Common Mistakes on Cable Squats

Cable squats can be a killer move when done right, but there are definitely some common mistakes that can mess with your form or even lead to injury. Here are the most frequent ones:

1. Bending Your Elbows

• Why it’s bad: Bad may be overkill, but if you bend your elbows too much, you’ll probably lose your balance. 
• Fix: Keep your arms long with elbows straight. Think of your arms like a tether, so your lower body can do the work.

2. Letting the Knees Cave In (Knee Valgus)

• Why it’s bad: Can lead to knee pain or injury.
• Fix: Focus on keeping your knees as wide as your big toe or wider. This will help you use your glute muscles optimally and keep your knees tracking the way you want them to.

3. Rounding the Lower Back

• Why it’s bad: Again, bad is situational here. The goal is to work your legs and glutes, with your upper body and core as supporting staff. If your back is rounded, you’ll have a lot of energy leakage there and you’re not exactly working what you’re aiming for.
• Fix: Engage your core and keep a neutral spine. Stick your middle back engaged and maintain that posture throughout.

4. Not Going Low Enough (Shallow Squats)

• Why it’s bad: You’re not working the full range of motion, so you’re leaving gains on the table.
• Fix: Aim to get your thighs at least parallel to the floor, or lower if flexibility and control allow. 

5. Letting the Cable Control You

• Why it’s bad: You lose tension, control, and the benefits of the exercise.
• Fix: Actively control both the descent and the ascent. Don’t let the weight pull you. You can control this by using your core strength!

Cable Squat Variations

1. Cable Goblet Squats

• How: Hold the cable handle (or rope attachment) close to your chest like a goblet.
• Why: Encourages an upright torso, great for quad focus and core engagement.
• Tip: Works well with a rope attachment for better grip and wrist comfort.

2. Cable Front Squat

• How: Use dual cables, one in each hand, held at shoulder height like a barbell front squat.
• Why: More upper body involvement, good for balance and posture.
• Tip: Keep elbows up high to mimic barbell form.

3. Cable Zercher Squat

• How: Hold the cable in the crook of your elbows (like a Zercher squat with a barbell).
• Why: Torches your core, quads, and biceps all at once. Killer compound movement.
• Tip: Use a towel or pad if it’s uncomfortable on the arms.

4. Cable Squat to Row

• How: Squat down, then row the cable to your torso as you stand.
• Why: Adds upper body pulling, making it a full-body movement.
• Tip: Focus on rowing after completing the squat portion to avoid cheating the row.

5. Cable Split Squat / Bulgarian Split Squat

• How: Stand in a lunge or split stance with cable in one or both hands.
• Why: Emphasizes one leg at a time, great for fixing imbalances.
• Tip: Try using the cable for balance and constant tension rather than max resistance.

6. Cable Sissy Squat

• How: Lean back slightly as you squat down, letting knees travel forward.
• Why: Massive quad burner—like a sissy squat but the cable gives balance and resistance.
• Tip: Keep your hips forward and heels down for the full effect.

7. Cable Thruster

• How: Do a full squat, then push the cable handles overhead like a shoulder press.
• Why: Combo of legs + shoulders = spicy. Great for conditioning days.
• Tip: Use lighter weight to maintain speed and control.

You’ve got a ton of room to play with cable squats, whether you’re chasing glute gains, building quads, or adding a little spice to your leg days. Here’s a deeper dive into how you can use each variation depending on your goal—and some sneaky pro tips too.

Goal-Based Cable Squat Variations

Since we’re talking about cable squats muscles worked, let’s discuss how you can focus on different muscle groups by adjusting your setup and form.

For Glute & Hamstring Focus

You want moves that shift tension to the back side (posterior chain):

• Cable Pull-Through Squat (Hybrid)
  • Think: RDL meets squat. Set the cable low behind you, grab with both hands through your legs, and squat.
  • Glute Level: 10/10
  • Tip: Squeeze hard at the top. Slow tempo down = more gains.
• Cable Bulgarian Split Squat (Rear Foot Elevated)
  • Isolates the glutes and hams more, especially if you keep your chest slightly leaned forward.
  • Tip: Let the front leg do all the work—don’t push off the back foot. Almost becomes single cable squats.

For Quad Dominance

You’ll want upright torso, knees forward, and deep range:

• Cable Goblet Squat
  • Super quad-dominant when you go deep and keep tension at the bottom.
  • Tip: Add a pause at the bottom to crush your quads.
• Cable Sissy Squat
  • Looks crazy, feels even crazier—in a good way. Pure quad annihilation.
  • Tip: Hold onto the cable for balance, lean back, and go slowww.

For Full-Body / Athletic Conditioning

These variations are great for circuits, supersets, or metabolic work for the entire body:

• Cable Squat Row
  • Hits legs, core, and upper back. Keeps the heart rate up.
  • Tip: Think power on the row—shoulder blades together at the top.
• Cable Thruster
  • Total-body push movement—legs to shoulders in one smooth flow.
  • Tip: Exhale as you press; helps keep your core tight and protect your back.

For Core Stability & Balance

These challenge your stabilizers and help with athletic control:

• Cable Offset Squat
  • Hold the handle with one arm (off to the side), forcing your core to stabilize.
  • Tip: Keep hips square; don’t let the cable pull you off-center.
• Cable Zercher Squat
  • Front-loaded = core is lit up the entire time.
  • Tip: Brace abs like a plank—super useful if you’re building towards barbell squats.

BONUS: Try This Cable Squat Finisher

 “10-10-10” Cable Squat Burnout:

1. 10 slow tempo reps (4s down, 1s up)
2. 10 pulse reps at the bottom
3. 10 fast explosive reps

Your legs will be questioning everything.

Don’t have a cable for cable machine exercises? You can do many similar exercises with free weights or resistance bands. 

What Are The Best Leg Exercises

Historically, the best exercises for lower body strength are going to be traditional barbell squats, deadlifts, lunges, and some of their variations. If your goal is to gain muscle mass, especially mass in your legs, then include these on some or all of your leg days. But if you are looking for a change of pace and different exercises, add these cable machine squats to your fitness routine. 

How To Include Cable Squats In Your Fitness Routine

Keep the basics the basics. Traditional strength training with regular squats is a good idea. But, add in cable squats as one of your accessory exercises. In a nutshell, you’ll want to do your warm up, compound exercises and main lifts like back squats. Then add in cable squats to get more volume on your leg day before you wrap up. 

Are you looking for some upper body work? If so, try these great tricep pushdown alternatives and triceps exercises.

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

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Plank exercises for beginners: a simple way to get started on core strength and endurance. Learn how to work abs with planks.

Plank exercises are isometric core strength exercises that involve resisting gravity and rotation. There are many plank variations, and they all work the abdominal muscles, back, shoulders, arms, and even glutes, quads, and other leg muscles.

I said they are simple, but they aren’t always easy. They are one of the best exercises to master as a beginner, because they teach you how to build a strong and stable torso. If you have a good plank, your whole body stabilizes.

You can do them anywhere, with no equipment, since it’s is a bodyweight exercise. Full body stability is great for any fitness level, too.

Let’s discuss how to do planks, variations of planks, proper form, and common mistakes. 

One Situation Where I Don’t Recommend Planks

Quick note on the risks of planks. Planks aren’t terribly risky, but one contraindication is having high blood pressure. If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, isometrics aren’t recommended. An isometric exercise is one in which you are exerting muscular effort, but not moving. Think planks, static presses, etc. 

Other potential “risks” of planks include maybe some upper body discomfort like wrist or joint pain, but planks usually end pretty quickly. They’re usually pretty self limiting. If you have a medical condition or debilitating pain, please consult a doctor.

However – again, if you have high blood pressure, I’d rather you do other exercises that you move and breathe through, like pushups, crunches, lunges, etc. Message me or if you have specific questions!

Common Types of Plank Exercises

Planks are excellent for building stability, endurance, and overall strength. There are several variations of the plank, each working the body slightly differently. Here’s a quick rundown of the different variations of planks and what they work. 

1. Forearm Plank (Standard Plank Position):
   • How to do it:
     • Start by lying face down on the ground.
     • Place your forearms on the floor, with elbows directly under your shoulders.
     • Lift your body up into a straight line from head to heels, maintaining a neutral spine.
     • Engage your core, glutes, and thighs to prevent your hips from sagging. I mean it, squeeze your butt! Squeeze your legs!
     • Hold this position for a set time, usually between 20 seconds to a few minutes.
     • Breathe the entire time you are holding your plank.
2. High Plank (Push-up Position):
   • How to do it:
     • Start in a push-up position with your arms extended straight, hands placed under your shoulders.
     • Keep your body in a straight line from your head to heels. Don’t let your head sag, or shoulder blades squeeze together.                  
     • Engage your core, glutes, and quads.
     • Hold the position while keeping your body as still as possible.
     • This is also called a straight-arm plank. It is basically the top of push up position.
3. Side Plank:
   • How to do it:
     • Lie on your side, stacking your feet on top of each other.
     • Place your forearm on the ground, keeping your elbow directly below your shoulder.
     • Lift your hips off the floor so your body forms a straight line from head to feet.
     • Side planks work your arms individually so they can even be tougher.
4. Plank with Leg Lift:
   • How to do it:
     • Start in a forearm plank or high plank position.
     • While maintaining a stable body, lift one leg up off the ground a few inches, keeping it straight.
     • Hold briefly, then switch legs.
     • This variation challenges balance and increases intensity by incorporating more core and glute activation.
5. Plank to Push-Up:
   • How to do it:
     • Begin in a forearm plank position.
     • One arm at a time, push yourself up into a high plank (push-up position).
     • Lower yourself back down to the forearm plank one arm at a time.
     • Repeat the movement, alternating arms.
6. Plank Jacks:
   • How to do it:
     • Start in a high plank position.
     • Jump your feet outward and then back together, similar to a jumping jack, while keeping your core tight.
     • This adds a cardio element to the basic plank.
     • You can adjust plank jacks to be less dynamic but still challenging by doing one leg at a time.

What Body Parts do Planks Work?

Planks really pull in much of the body’s musculature. Since you are using your own body weight, and no equipment is stabilizing you, you’ll feel how much they are whole body work. 

They primarily work the abs, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, which are considered the deepest abs muscles. They work internal and external obliques as well. People like to call them a lower back exercise, and you’ll definitely feel them working your low back when you are fighting for those last few seconds! 

Secondarily, planks work shoulders, arms, glutes, legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves), and neck.

Essentially, planks engage the entire body to maintain stability and prevent sagging or shifting. Because of this, planks are highly efficient for developing strength and endurance across a broad range of muscle groups. They also improve overall body coordination and posture.

Plank Tips for Beginners

I want to further explain back positioning on the plank. You’ll hear people say to keep a flat back, or keep your back straight, but what this means is neutral position. Your spine has a natural curve; you can’t get away from that, and you wouldn’t want to.

Your goal is to think about tightening your core so that you don’t sag or pike. I tell my clients that you are not on either end of the twerking spectrum 😂 Google if you need more info. I will not be demonstrating that one.

How to Incorporate Planks Into Your Training

I like adding planks into the end of the session. I want you to be doing as many of the basic, compounds lifts as you can. By that I mean deadlifts, overhead presses, squats, bench presses and pull-ups. When you do these, I want your core to be strong and fresh. Finishing with a plank lets you add a little more work to your abs and core  before you’re done. 

I recommend adding one big plank into the end of your session 1-2 times a week, rather than doing a 30-day plank challenge or something like that. However, do what motivates you. For best results, aim to increase hold time over the weeks and months of practicing planks. A full minute is pretty solid, but you can even improve beyond that.

I love when people get their training partners or spouses involved, too. You can plank together. Get the kids in on it as well! Make it a friendly competition.

Plank Exercise Benefits

Planks are great for building core strength by engaging the abdominals, lower back, and obliques, which improves stability and posture by keeping the spine aligned. They also provide a full-body workout, activating the shoulders, arms, chest, and legs. Additionally, holding the plank position strengthens stabilizer muscles, enhancing overall balance and stability.

Some Quick FAQs About Plank Exercises: 

Do planks work the entire body? 

Mostly. The full plank position works much of your abs. Side plank exercises work external obliques a little more. And yes, proper plank form works low back, upper back, butt muscles, back muscles. It’s a full-body move.

Do planks give you abs?

They don’t hurt the goal of getting abs, but no. To see visible abs, you need to work your entire core, the whole rest of your body, and maintain a low enough body fat percentage. Don’t let this discourage you though, because planks will help with many other goals, like easy of every day activities and improved posture.

Here’s a simple core workout you can do at home that will help your ab goals.

Do planks build muscle?

Planks don’t NOT build muscle, but they aren’t as much of a muscle builder as they are an endurance and stability exercise. This is because you aren’t moving through a full range of motion. If your goal is to build muscle, you’ll want to do other ab exercises like crunches, bicycle crunches, and even full body work like carries.

Do planks help you lose belly fat?

Eh, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but not really. Planks are quick, and beneficial, but they don’t burn a ton of calories. You just don’t do planks long enough for them to burn so many calories that you see your abs. however, if you have a solid exercise program or fitness routine and are eating a healthy amount of protein and calories for you, you’ll see progress toward your fat loss goals.

Do planks help with lower back pain?

They can, and they can help prevent lower back pain as yo strengthen a weak core. However, if they do hurt, ease into them. If they hurt you after doing them, you might back off of them and strengthen your back at other exercises. 

Plank Exercises for Beginners: A Summary

Planks are great for many goals, and can be easily modified to suit different fitness levels. Starting with shorter holds and gradually increasing the duration or adding variations is a great way to progress.

Try adding them at the end of your training sessions, and see how they work for you! 

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.

Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪

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