Cable Pull-Through
The cable pull-through is a hip hinge exercise done facing away from a low pulley with a rope between the legs, used to learn and load hip extension with the glutes and hamstrings.
GLUTES · LOWER BODY
How it is executed
- Attach a rope handle to a low pulley and stand facing away from the machine.
- Straddle the cable and grab the rope between your legs.
- Step forward to create tension.
- Hinge at the hips, letting the rope pull your hands back between your thighs.
- Drive your hips forward by squeezing your glutes to return to a standing position.
- Keep your arms straight throughout and avoid pulling with your upper body.
Common mistakes
- Squatting instead of hinging. If the knees travel forward and the torso stays upright, the glutes lose the work and the cable pulls in the wrong direction. Push the hips back with the knees only slightly bent and the torso leaning forward.
- Pulling the rope with the arms or shoulders. The arms only hold on: if the elbows bend, the movement turns into a row between the legs. Keep the arms straight and relaxed and let the hips do the whole range.
- Rounding the lower back on the way back. The cable pulls on the hips and it is easy for the lumbar spine to give in to gain a few centimeters. Set a neutral spine with the chest open and stop the hinge where the back stops being straight.
- Finishing the rep leaning backward. Past vertical the glutes have already closed and the arch is done by the lower back. Squeeze the glutes as you reach the upright position and stop there.
Frequently asked questions
- Which muscles does the cable pull-through work?
- The gluteus maximus is the main muscle, because it extends the hips to bring you back upright. The hamstrings work with it through the hinge, and the spinal erectors keep the back neutral against the pull of the cable. The arms only hold the rope: if you feel it in your shoulders or lats, the movement is being done wrong.
- Is the pull-through a hinge or a squat?
- It is a hip hinge: the hips travel back and the torso leans forward with a straight back, while the knees bend only slightly. In a squat the hips drop between the heels and the knees bend a lot. If your knees travel forward and your torso stays upright during the pull-through, the glutes lose the work and the cable no longer pulls in the right direction.
- How does the pull-through differ from the Romanian deadlift and the hip thrust?
- All three extend the hips. The Romanian deadlift loads the hinge with a barbell or dumbbells from the floor, takes far more weight and asks more of the back. The hip thrust loads extension lying with the upper back on a bench and reaches peak glute contraction. The pull-through is the lightest and easiest to teach: the cable pulls backward and forces a correct hinge without loading the spine.
- How much weight for the pull-through, and what replaces it without a cable?
- It is a medium to high rep exercise: a common range is 12 to 20 with a load that lets you feel the glutes squeeze at the top without the cable dragging you backward. Many coaches use it as a warm-up or as the finisher of a leg day. Without a cable, anchor a resistance band to a low point behind you and pass it between your legs: the mechanics are the same.
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