How to do a Cable Chest Press
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Cable Chest Press
Freemotion Machine (all forms)
Crossover Cable
Instructions for Proper Form
Cable Chest Press is a compound chest exercise that also targets the shoulders and triceps. The use of cables allows for more consistent tension throughout the movement, while also giving you control over the angle that the resistance is coming from. By having cables wider than your shoulders there is also more tension at the end of your range of motion when compared to similar movements.
- Place the pulleys to just above shoulder height.
- Sit with your back pressed against the back rest of the seat while holding the pair of dual pulley handles at chest height, shoulder-width apart, and palms facing down.
- Brace your core to keep your spine in a stationary neutral position.
- Exhale to extend your arms forward keeping both handles in front of your shoulders with your elbows just below your shoulders.
- Once you’ve reached full arm extension, flex your elbows to bring the handles back to the starting position.
Common Form Mistakes
Always Sitting
Performing this exercise while seated adds stability to the movement. You don’t need to focus on keeping your balance, or stabilizing your body. This allows you to focus more on exertion, which is great, but make sure you’re including some standing variations as well. This will help highlight and address some instability you may have with this movement.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Cable Chest Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps35lbs1 Rep Max45lbs
- intermediate8reps40lbs50lbs
- advanced8reps50lbs65lbs
Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight
Alternative Exercises to Cable Chest Press
1. Machine Bench Press
93.5 mSCORESWAPPED 2,683 TIMESMachine Bench Press is a compound exercise the primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which can be a great way to learn the movement, or to focus your effort on exertion rather than stability.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Bench Press Machine
2. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 2,222 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
3. Hammerstrength Chest Press
94.3 mSCORESWAPPED 2,145 TIMESHammerstrength Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Bench Press. Similar to Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a Hammerstrength machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion. This can help you either learn the movement, or focus your efforts on exertion rather than stability.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)
4. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 2,014 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
5. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 1,072 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
6. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 730 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
7. Hammerstrength Incline Chest Press
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 675 TIMESHammerstrength Incline Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound movement primarily targets your chest, shoulders and triceps. The incline allows you to further emphasize your upper chest and shoulders. The use of a Hammerstrength Machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which adds stability, and allows you to focus more on exertion.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)
8. Low Cable Chest Fly
86.8 mSCORESWAPPED 659 TIMESLow Cable Chest Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the chest. By using a low pulley setup, you emphasize the lower part of the chest more than other Fly variations. The cables provide consistent tension throughout the movement, and allow for greater control over the angle of resistance, enhancing muscle activation.
- Intermediate
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
9. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 622 TIMESBench Press is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common upper body exercises. It’s a fantastic compound exercise that can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking upper body strength in general.
10. Hammerstrength Decline Chest Press
86.5 mSCORESWAPPED 593 TIMESHammerstrength Decline Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Decline Bench Press. This compound movement primarily targets your chest, focusing more on the lower pecs. The use of a Hammerstrength Machine restricts your range of motion and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus more on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement. This is a great exercise for getting consistent tension and improving muscle activation.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)