Standing Cable Lift
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Standing Cable Lift
- Connect a standard handle on a tower, and move the cable to the lowest pulley position.
- With your side to the cable, grab the handle with one hand and step away from the tower. You should be approximately arm's length away from the pulley, with the tension of the weight on the cable. Your outstretched arm should be aligned with the cable.
- With your feet positioned shoulder width apart, squat down and grab the handle with both hands. Your arms should still be fully extended.
- In one motion, pull the handle up and across your body until your arms are in a fully-extended position above your head.
- Keep your back straight and your arms close to your body as you pivot your back foot and straighten your legs to get a full range of motion.
- Retract your arms and then your body. Return to the neutral position in a slow and controlled manner.
- Repeat to failure.
- Then, reposition and repeat the same series of movements on the opposite side.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Standing Cable Lift
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Standing Cable Wood Chop
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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2
Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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3
Cable Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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4
Cable Judo Flip
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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5
Cable Reverse Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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6
Cable Russian Twists
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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7
Cable Seated Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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8
Kneeling Cable Crunch With Alternating Oblique Twists
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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9
One-Arm High-Pulley Cable Side Bends
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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10
Standing Rope Crunch
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do standing cable lift work?
Standing Cable Lift primarily works the abs. The shoulders assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for standing cable lift?
Standing Cable Lift uses cable machine.
Standing Cable Lift: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Standing Cable Lift is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of standing cable lift?
Standing Cable Wood Chop, Bosu Ball Cable Crunch With Side Bends, Cable Crunch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my standing cable lift reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; standing cable lift can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Standing Cable Lift with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.