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Exercise guide
Cable Pallof Press
An anti-rotation core exercise in which a cable pulls you sideways while you press a handle straight out from your chest and refuse to let your torso turn.
What this exercise works
- Muscles
- obliques · transverse abdominis · anterior deltoid · erector spinae · gluteus medius · rectus abdominis
- Goals
- core · strength
- Equipment
- Cable machine
- Category
- Strength
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Demonstration
Step 1
Step 2
How to perform the movement
- Set a cable at chest height and take the handle in both hands, standing side-on to the machine.
- Step away until there is real tension on the cable, with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees softly bent.
- Bring the handle to the centre of your chest and brace your trunk and glutes.
- Press the handle straight out in front of you until your arms are extended, resisting the pull that wants to rotate you toward the machine.
- Hold the extended position for a moment, then bring the handle back to your chest under control.
- Complete the desired reps, then turn around and repeat facing the other way.
Technique cues and common mistakes
- Nothing should rotate. If your shoulders turn toward the cable as you press, reduce the weight — the point is the rotation that does not happen.
- Keep your arms level with your chest and your shoulders down; letting the handle drift up turns it into a front raise.
Make the movement easier or harder
- The further you step from the machine, the longer the lever and the harder it gets, so you can change difficulty without touching the weight stack.