Cable Deadlift
Skip the guesswork: Cable Deadlift leans on unbroken cable tension for control through the whole range.
How to do Cable Deadlift
- Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground.
- Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the cable handles, extending your hips and standing up straight.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handles back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Deadlift Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy.
Common Cable Deadlift Mistakes
Setting the pulley at the wrong height for the line of pull
Match pulley height so the cable lines up with the working muscle.
Letting a nearby joint take over as the set gets hard
Stop the set as soon as the working joint stops leading the movement.
Repeating the same load and rep scheme for months
Pick one variable, load, reps, or tempo, and push it every week.
Easier and Harder Than Cable Deadlift
Swap Cable Deadlift For
Cable Deadlift — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Cable Deadlift?
Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground. Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back. Use a cable machine and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Cable Deadlift work?
The Cable Deadlift primarily targets the glutes. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with a cable machine.
How many sets and reps of the Cable Deadlift should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Cable Deadlift good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic legs patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Cable Deadlift?
Try the Potty Squat With Support, Lever Reverse Hyperextension or the Barbell Jefferson Squat. Each trains the glutes with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
