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Exercise library · Glutes

Cable pull through

Hip hinge for the glutes on a cable.

How to do it

1 of 3

Rope between your legs

  1. Starting position

    Face away from a low cable with the rope between your legs, feet hip-width apart and one rope end in each hand.

  2. The movement

    Push your hips back with slightly bent knees, then drive your hips forward until you stand tall.

Most common mistake

Don't turn it into a squat, keep your knees slightly bent and let your hips do most of the moving.

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Muscle group
Glutes
Equipment
Cable
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The cable pull through is a hip hinge, the same movement pattern as the deadlift and the kettlebell swing. Your glutes and hamstrings do most of the work as you drive your hips forward. Your back muscles keep your spine straight, and your arms, grip and trunk hold the rope. Because the cable pulls backwards rather than straight down, the resistance is still there when you stand tall, which is where your glutes work hardest. That makes it good both for feeling your glutes and for learning the hinge before heavier lifts.

Common mistakes

  • Your arms pull the rope. Bending your elbows and lifting with your arms takes work away from your hips. Let your arms hang straight between your legs, like hooks.
  • Your back rounds at the bottom. Reaching further than your hips allow bends your lower back. Go back only as far as you can keep your back straight, and turn there.
  • You lean back at the top. The cable pulls you backwards, and it is easy to arch your back to resist it. Finish with your hips directly under your shoulders, glutes squeezed and ribs down.

Variations and alternatives

  • The Romanian deadlift is the same hinge with a barbell, with more weight and more work for your hamstrings.
  • The kettlebell swing makes the movement explosive and suits you once the hinge feels natural.
  • The barbell hip thrust loads your glutes heavily lying down, with less for your back to resist.

Sets and reps

What often caps the weight is the cable pulling you off balance, not your muscles giving out. Moderate weight and more reps therefore suit it: three sets of 10 to 15 is a good starting point, with a one-second pause as you stand tall. To learn the movement, or as a warm-up before deadlifts, use a lighter weight and a calm tempo. The guide to sets and reps has more on choosing a set-up.

Add reps and time at the top first, and only then weight. Small steps from session to session are progressive overload. If your lower back hurts, rather than just feeling tired, stop the exercise and have a doctor or physiotherapist examine it.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

  • Smith hip hingeSmith machine

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