Cable Kneeling Pull Through
Cable Kneeling Pull Through Exercise Description
The cable kneeling pull-through is a hip-hinge exercise that emphasizes glute-driven hip extension with the load pulling from behind. Working primarily the gluteus maximus with assistance from the hamstrings, it also requires the abdominals and spinal erectors to stabilize the trunk in a neutral spine. The kneeling position limits lower-leg motion, helping you focus on pure hip extension without using momentum. A rope attachment allows the cable to pass between the thighs, keeping tension through the full range. Use smooth, controlled reps, keeping the arms long and treating the rope as a guide rather than an active pull.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Stabilizing Muscles: Iliocostalis, Internal Obliques, Longissimus, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Cable
- Exercise Patterns: Hinge
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Cable Kneeling Pull Through Exercise
‘- Set a low pulley with a rope. Face away; kneel so the cable runs between your thighs.
– Knees hip-width on a pad. Hold rope ends with a neutral grip and wrists straight.
– Stack ribs over pelvis; draw shoulders down; brace the abdomen; keep a neutral spine and neck.
– Start by hinging at the hips, allowing the torso to incline forward from tall kneeling while the cable stays taut.
– Keep arms long; do not row. The motion comes from the hips.
– Drive the hips forward by squeezing the glutes until you reach tall kneeling (hips fully extended without leaning back).
– Finish with pelvis under the ribcage—avoid lumbar hyperextension or rib flare.
– Pause briefly while maintaining glute tension and neutral alignment.
– Control the return by pushing the hips back against the cable, maintaining a flat back.
– Keep knees under hips, shins grounded, and shoulders relaxed throughout.
– Breathe in as you hinge back; breathe out as you extend to tall.
Cable Kneeling Pull Through Tips
‘- Face away from the low pulley and kneel so the cable runs between your thighs.
– Set knees hip-width apart on a pad with shins grounded.
– Stack ribs over pelvis, draw shoulders down, brace the abdomen, and keep a neutral spine and neck before moving.
– Initiate the rep by hinging at the hips, allowing the torso to incline forward from tall kneeling while the cable stays taut.
– Keep arms long with wrists straight and treat the rope as a guide rather than rowing it.
– Drive the hips forward by squeezing the glutes until you reach tall kneeling without leaning back.
– Finish with the pelvis under the ribcage, avoiding lumbar hyperextension or rib flare.
– Pause briefly at the top while maintaining glute tension and neutral alignment.
– Control the return by pushing the hips back against the cable, keeping a flat back.
– Keep the knees under the hips and shoulders relaxed throughout, breathing in as you hinge back and out as you extend tall.
Cable Kneeling Pull Through Beginner Introduction
The cable kneeling pull-through is a cable-based hip-hinge movement done from the knees with the resistance coming from behind the body. Because the rope travels between the thighs, the hips move back and forward against steady tension from start to finish. The action centers on driving the hips into extension, placing the main workload on the glutes, with the hamstrings helping out. At the same time, the midsection and lower back work together to keep the torso steady and aligned while the body moves around the hips.
This exercise highlights deliberate, controlled motion rather than speed or swinging. The kneeling stance reduces contribution from the lower legs, so the movement pattern is almost entirely about bending and straightening at the hips. Long, relaxed arms simply connect the body to the weight stack while the cable path encourages a smooth arc. Breathing is coordinated with the hinge and return, and the finish position brings the hips underneath an upright ribcage, encouraging a natural curve through the spine rather than an exaggerated arch.