Cable Pull Through
A cable-loaded hip hinge that pulls resistance forward from between the legs, driving the glutes with little spinal load.
How to do it
- Attach a rope to the lowest setting on a cable stack and face away from the machine.
- Straddle the cable, reach between your legs and take one rope end in each hand.
- Walk forward until the cable is taut, then set your feet about shoulder width apart.
- Push your hips back and hinge forward with a flat back until the rope passes behind your legs.
- Drive the hips forward and squeeze the glutes to stand tall, keeping the arms straight.
- Control the return as the cable pulls you back into the hinge, then repeat.
Key technique cue
Step away from the stack, send the hips back, not down; pull with the hips, not the arms.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Bending the knees into a squat, which shifts the work from the glutes to the quadriceps.
- ✕ Standing too close to the stack, which leaves no tension at the stretched position.
- ✕ Pulling the rope with the arms, which turns a hip hinge into a row.
- ✕ Arching the lower back at lockout instead of finishing with the glutes.
Benefits
- ✓ Loads the glutes and hamstrings without placing compressive load on the spine.
- ✓ Teaches the hip hinge pattern that deadlifts and kettlebell swings depend on.
- ✓ Keeps tension constant through the range, which suits higher rep volume work.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Cable Pull Through
- Band Pull-Through
About the exercise
The cable pull through is a hip hinge where the resistance comes from behind rather than from a bar on the back. A rope on the lowest pulley is held between the legs, and the lifter hinges until the torso is close to parallel before driving the hips forward to stand. Because the load line runs horizontally, the spine carries very little compressive force while the glutes and hamstrings still work through a full range. That combination makes it a common teaching tool for the hinge pattern and a high-volume glute exercise when heavier hinging is fatiguing.
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