Cable Arm Exercises

Triceps and biceps are small muscles with short ranges, which makes them a bad fit for heavy free weight and a perfect fit for a cable stack. The cable keeps tension through the whole rep, the weight steps are small enough that you can actually add load week to week, and the pulley height lets you train the long head of the triceps in the overhead position where it is fully stretched. Pushdowns, kickbacks, and overhead extensions from one station cover the whole muscle.

Why train arm with cable

Constant tension through a short range where free weights go slack
Small plate increments make weekly progression realistic on small muscles
Overhead pulley work trains the long head of the triceps at full stretch
Easier on the elbow joint than heavy barbell extension work

All 53 cable arm exercises

Every guide below includes an animated GIF demonstration, numbered form cues, the muscle it targets, and sets and reps for strength, hypertrophy, and endurance.

Cable Arm Training FAQ

What is the best cable attachment for triceps?

A rope lets the hands separate at lockout, which gives a stronger contraction and suits higher-rep work. A straight or V-bar keeps the wrists fixed and lets you handle more weight, which suits heavier sets. Most people benefit from using both: bar work for the heavy sets and rope work for the finisher.

Why train triceps overhead instead of just pushdowns?

The long head of the triceps crosses the shoulder joint, so it only reaches full stretch when your arm is overhead. Pushdowns train the lateral and medial heads well but leave the long head short. Adding one overhead extension per session is the single easiest way to make the back of the arm look fuller.

How many sets of cable arm work per week?

Ten to sixteen hard sets a week for triceps and a similar number for biceps is plenty for most people, and that includes the arm work you get indirectly from pressing and rowing. Arms recover quickly, so splitting that across two or three sessions usually beats one long arm day.

Other ways to train arm

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