Cable pull-through

What it is

A hip hinge performed facing away from a low cable with a rope held between the legs. The cable pulls backwards rather than downwards, which keeps tension on the glutes and hamstrings throughout and makes the hinge almost impossible to do wrong, which is why coaches use it to teach the pattern.

Muscles worked

Primary: Glutes, Hamstrings. Secondary: Spinal erectors, Core.

How to perform it

1. Set a rope on the lowest pulley, face away from the machine, and hold the rope between your legs with both hands.
2. Walk forward a couple of steps until there is tension, feet about shoulder-width and knees soft.
3. Push your hips back and let your hands travel back between your legs, keeping your back flat, until you feel a strong stretch in the hamstrings.
4. Drive the hips forward to stand tall, squeezing the glutes at the top without leaning back.

Common form faults

• Squatting instead of hinging. Push the hips backwards with the shins near vertical; the movement is the hips travelling back, not the body travelling down.
• Leaning back at the top to 'finish' the rep. Stand tall and squeeze the glutes with the ribs down. Hyperextending the lower back adds nothing but strain.
• Standing too close to the machine, so tension disappears. Walk further out until the cable is taut through the whole rep, including at the top.

Programming

A glute and hamstring accessory in moderate to higher reps, and one of the best drills for learning the hinge before loading a barbell. The stack usually runs out before the glutes do, so treat it as volume and pattern work rather than a strength lift.