Cable Pull-Through
Facing away from a low pulley with a rope between your legs, you hinge your hips back and then drive them forward to stand tall, training glutes and hamstrings.
- Primary muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings
- Secondary
- Lower back
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
The cable pull-through teaches the hip hinge with a load that pulls you backward instead of down, which makes it easy to feel your hips doing the work. It's a good choice for beginners learning to hinge and for anyone who wants extra glute work without another heavy deadlift. Unlike a band, the cable keeps the resistance steady through the whole range, and the weight stack lets you add load in small steps.
How to do it
Attach a rope to a low pulley, face away from it and grab the rope between your legs.
Step forward until the weight lifts, feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
Push your hips back and let the rope pull your hands back between your legs, keeping your back flat.
Drive your hips forward to stand tall and squeeze your glutes. Your arms only hold the rope; the hips do all the work.
Common mistakes
Weight touching down between reps
If the plates land at the bottom, you lose tension every rep. Step forward far enough that the weight stays lifted through the whole set.
Rounding your back to reach further
Letting the rope pull your hands far back rounds your spine. Go only as far as your hips allow with a flat back, usually when you feel your hamstrings stretch.
Getting pulled off balance
If the cable drags you backward, your stance is too narrow or the weight too heavy. Set your feet shoulder-width, brace before each rep and lower the load if you still tip.
Leaning back to finish
Throwing your shoulders back at the top arches your lower back. Finish by squeezing your glutes and standing tall, not by leaning.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
