Best Cable Chest Exercises for Defined Pecs

Want to get a juicy chest that looks bigger than your girlfriend? Well, I don’t think that’s possible but we can always try. A big rounded chest is the epitome of an ideal physique, it’s the first body part people tend to criticize when looking at physiques. Hence, it’s considered the most important for many.

But you’ve tried countless workout plans, exercises and techniques but none of them have gotten you the progress that you desired. It’s time to elevate your chest workout game with cables! These are versatile and effective for developing robust and well-defined pectoral muscles. In this article, we’ll explore a targeted cable chest exercises routine designed for maximal pectoral activation, peak muscle growth and enhanced chest strength. This routine is viable regardless of your fitness level and this workout routine will take your chest to the next level.

Chest Anatomy

The chest consists of two primary muscles, the pectoralis minor and pectoralis major. The pectoralis minor carries out several functions such as abduction (bringing your arms out towards the side), protraction (bringing your shoulders forward) and internal rotation (bringing your arm inwards towards your midline when bent at 90 degrees). The pectoralis major carries out adduction (bringing the arms back towards the body after abduction) and internal rotation (the arm is brought back to the midline of the body when the arm is bent at 90 degrees).

The pectoralis muscles are used in daily life for many activities involving the arms, hence targeting them during your workout routine will help with activities outside the gym.

Why Cable Chest Exercises Machine?

Cable machines are perfect for targeting the chest as they allow for constant tensioning of the muscles throughout the entire movement. The chest fibres are working throughout the movement allowing for greater muscle activation and mind-muscle connection. Stimulating optimal muscle growth and strength.

Cables are incredibly versatile, they are adjustable to various angles to target specific portions of the chest muscles. It also allows for a greater range of motion, as they are flexible and easy to move around.

Although these cable exercises will primarily focus on the chest, they indirectly target major muscle groups such as the triceps, shoulders and core when performing standing variations of the exercises. With all this in mind, this cable chest workout routine will explode your chest gains.

Cable Chest Press

We start off with the foundational exercise for the chest on cables with a cable chest press. This is a rudimentary exercise that helps target the entire chest, with emphasis on pectoral muscle engagement.

Setup: Ensure that the cables are set up at approximately shoulder height

How to Perform Cable Chest Press

Stand in the middle of the two cables, holding a handle with each hand horizontally
Take a few steps forward with the handles in each hand, making sure to firmly plant one foot in front and the other foot behind to stabilise
Retract your shoulders ensuring you form a 90-degree angle with your elbows
Tightly brace your core, with your head facing up
Push the cables forward towards your midline with emphasis on a controlled contraction and squeeze at the end
Slowly return to your original position at a 90-degree elbow angle and repeat

Variations

Standing High to Low Cable Press -> This exercise helps target the lower portions of the pectoralis muscles
Standing Mid Cable Press -> This targets both upper and lower portions of the chest
Standing Low to High Cable Press -> This variation is great for targeting the upper chest
Lying Cable Press -> This targets the middle portions of the chest

Extra Tips

Control -> The cable chest press is not like the bench press as doing the heaviest weight is not the primary aim. Rather it’s to put on weight which you control throughout the repetitions. Ensure that you fully extend your arms on the pushing movement with a tight squeeze at the top. Then slowly control the weight back to the starting position to stretch the pectoralis muscles.
Rep Ranges -> How many reps and sets should I do? This is one of the most common questions asked about cable flys. There isn’t a perfect number, however, a rough guide can be used to achieve your specific goals.

Strength: 6 – 8 repetitions for 3 sets

Hypertrophy: 8 – 15 repetitions for 3 sets

Example for Hypertrophy:

Set 1: 15 Reps

Set 2: 14 Reps

Set 3: 11 Reps

Load -> When performing cable fly exercises, you should be choosing a weight suitable for you. This weight should bring you close to if not towards failure when performing in the strength or hypertrophy training rep ranges.

Example for Strength:

Set 1: 15 kg for 8 receptions (Failure)

Set 2: 15 kg for 7 Reptions (Failure)

Set 3: 15 kg for 7 Repetitions (Failure)

Rest Time -> Cables flys are easier to recover from as compared to compound lifts. Therefore the rest time in between sets can be approximately 60 seconds long to allow for adequate recovery to be able to perform fully on your next set. If you’re not resting enough it will stunt your progress as your body won’t have sufficient energy to use.

Cable Flys

Cable flys are another excellent and very similar movement pattern to the cable chest press. These are exceptional for defining the chest muscles and achieving the chiselled chest physique.

Setup: Set the cables slightly below your shoulder level

How to Perform Chest Flys

Standing in the middle of the cable flys, ensure that you grip the cables in a vertical position
Take a few steps forward and slightly bend your elbows, whilst keeping your arms back as much as possible to feel a stretch
Ensure your elbow is in a locked position and your shoulders are pushed back
Brace your core and bring your arms towards the middle as if you’re trying to clap your hands, feeling a tight squeeze at the end
Slowly return the cables back to the starting position and repeat

Variations

Cable Fly High to Low – this targets the lower chest portions
Cable Fly Low to High – this targets the upper chest portions
Cable incline Bench Fly – this requires less stabilisation as the bench is supporting and can allow for a greater contraction which helps target the middle and upper portions of the pectoral muscles
Cable Bench Fly – this is similar to the incline bench in terms of stabilisation, but this targets the middle fibres of the chest

Extra Tips

Cable Fly Angle: The angle and position of the cable flys are vital in targeting the specific portions of the chest and getting maximal contractions. When performing an incline bench cable fly, the cables are placed in line with the fibres of the upper chest. This puts a bias on the specific pectoral fibres, which will create a better contraction, mind-muscle connection and overall hypertrophy.

Chest Workout Routine with Cable Emphasis for Hypertrophy

Incline Dumbbell Press -> 12 x 3
Standing High to Low Cable Chest Press -> 15 x 3 (Failure)
Incline bench cable flyes -> 15 x 3 (Failure)
Flat bench cable flyes -> 12 x 3
Seated Pec Fly -> 20 x 3 (Failure)

You can adjust the order and the reps of this workout routine to your desired needs. But first, try this workout routine, see what works well and what doesn’t and change from there. This is a good starter and intermediate routine to build stronger and robust chest muscles.

Chest Routine with Cable Emphasis for Strength

Flat bench Press -> 5 x 6
Incline Bench Press -> 3 x 8
Low to High Cable Press -> 3 x 10
Seated Pec Flys -> 3 x 8

This workout routine focuses on strength, which means lower repetitions but generally higher weights and intensities when performing these exercises. You can change the variations to ones that suit you best and work from there.

Conclusions

A well-structured and specific cable chest workout routine can be the game changer for a strong and well-defined chest. By incorporating these cable fly variations into your workout and undertaking the nuances, you’ll be able to unlock the potential for significant pectoral growth and development. Remember that consistency and progression are key, so challenge yourself with appropriate weights and focus on the mind-muscle connection.