Are you showing up for your weight training every day, but still not seeing the booty progress you expected? It might not be your effort; it might be your workout.
If you’re wondering how to get a shelf on the upper glutes, traditional squats aren't always the answer. Cable glute exercises, when practiced with various handles, provide constant tension that keeps your muscles working through the entire range of motion. Tight in space? The Tousains cable machine CR63 is designed to be foldable. If you want a free-standing cable machine that doesn't take up too much space, this is the solution.
In this article, we’ll walk you through 6 effective cable glute exercises to help you build a bigger, stronger, and more defined booty, along with how to perform and common mistakes to avoid.
6 Effective Cable Glute Exercises for a Strong Booty
Cable RDL (Romanian Deadlift)
A cable RDL for glutes helps you understand the hinge movement better than dumbbells, which only pull straight down.
Muscles Worked: Glutes and hamstrings.
How to:
- Set the pulley to the lowest position and use a straight bar or rope attachment. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place the bar on your arms or grasp the bar with an overhand grip, and walk back until there is tension. Stand tall with a slight bend in your knees (don't lock them).
- With your chest up, slowly push your hips straight back toward the wall behind you.
- Let the bar travel along your thighs toward your shins. Your torso should naturally lean forward, but your back must stay like a tabletop.
- Stop when you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings.
- Pull through your heels and drive your hips forward to return to the starting position, focusing on using your glutes to pull you back up.
Common Mistake: Squatting down. Remember: your shins should remain vertical; the only thing moving is your hips sliding backward.
Reps and sets: aim for 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Gradually increase the weight or reps as you build strength.
Cable Glute Pull-Through
This is a staple for butt workouts on the machine because it isolates the glutes while teaching you how to generate power specifically from your hips.
Muscles Worked: Lower glutes and hamstrings.
How to:
- Attach a rope handle to the low pulley. Stand facing away from the machine with the rope between your legs.
- Reach down and grab the handles with a neutral grip, then walk forward until the weight stack lifts. Stand with a wide stance.
- Keep your back flat and hinge at your hips, allowing the weight to pull your hands back through your legs until you feel a deep stretch in your glutes.
- Keep your head in a neutral position, looking at the floor a few feet in front of you.
- Forcefully drive your hips forward to an upright position and squeeze your glutes hard at the top.
Common Mistake: Using your arms to row the rope. Your arms should stay straight like hooks; the power must come entirely from your hips snapping forward.
Reps and Sets: Aim for 3 sets of 12–15 reps. Focus on the squeeze.
Cable Reverse Lunge
Adding cable resistance to a lunge creates "constant tension," meaning your glutes never get a break, even at the top of the movement.
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/@Theomnifit2016
Muscles Worked: Glutes, quads, and stabilizers.
How to:
- Set the pulley to the lowest position. Use a handle and hold it in the hand opposite to your front leg (e.g., if stepping back with your left leg, hold the handle in your right hand).
- Stand facing the machine and take a large step back with one leg, lowering your back knee until it nearly touches the floor.
- Keep your front shin vertical and ensure your weight is pressed firmly into your front heel.
- Drive through that front heel to explode back to the starting position, keeping your core tight for balance.
Common Mistake: Letting your front knee wobble or cave inward. Keep your knee pushed slightly outward to ensure the glute medius stays engaged.
Reps and Sets: Aim for 3 sets of 10–12 reps per leg.
Cable Kickback
If you want to know how to get a shelf on the upper glutes, the secret is in the angle. This move allows for a level of isolation that is hard to achieve with free weights.
Muscles Worked: Gluteus maximus and gluteus medius.
How to:
- Fasten an ankle strap to your leg and hook it to the lowest pulley setting.
- Face the machine and hold the frame for balance. Lean your torso forward at about a 45-degree angle.
- With a slight bend in your standing leg, kick your strapped leg back and slightly outward (at a 30-degree angle).
- Squeeze the glute at the peak of the movement for one second, then slowly control the leg back to the start.
Common Mistake: Arching the lower back to get the leg higher. Keep your core braced and focus on the glute contraction rather than the height of the kick.
Reps and Sets: Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps per leg.
Cable Squat (Glute-Focused)
While we mentioned traditional squats aren't always the answer, the cable squat is different. It allows you to sit further back into your hips, shifting the load from your quads directly to your glutes.
Muscles Worked: Gluteus maximus, quads, and core.
How to:
- Attach a straight bar or D-handle to the low pulley. Stand facing the machine with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Grab the handle and take two steps back until the cable is taut. Hold the handle at chest height with your elbows tucked.
- Inhale and sit your hips back and down as if reaching for a chair far behind you. Keep your chest up and shins as vertical as possible.
- Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, drive through your heels to return to standing.
- Squeeze your glutes firmly at the top without leaning back.
Common Mistake: Letting the cable pull your shoulders forward. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together to maintain a flat back.
Reps and Sets: Aim for 3 sets of 10–12 reps.
Cable Hip Abduction
This isolation move targets the glute medius, which is responsible for the width and side-rounded look of the hips.
Muscles Worked: Gluteus medius (side booty).
How to:
- Attach an ankle strap and set the pulley to the lowest setting. Stand sideways to the machine.
- Hold the machine with your inner hand for stability. The strap should be on your outer leg, with the cable crossing in front of your standing leg.
- Stand tall, brace your core, and sweep your outer leg out to the side as far as you can without tilting your torso.
- Pause for a second at the top, then slowly lower the leg back down, resisting the pull of the weight.
Common Mistake: Leaning the torso away from the machine to swing the leg up. Keep your upper body perfectly still; only the leg should move.
Reps and Sets: Aim for 3 sets of 15–20 reps per leg.
The Cable Glute Workout Routine
To see real progress on cable glute exercises, we recommend performing one of these routines 2 times per week, allowing at least 48 hours of rest between sessions for muscle recovery.
Option A
Best for: Increase strength and overall glute volume.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Cable RDL | 4 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Cable Squat | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
| Cable Glute Pull-Through | 3 | 12-15 | 45 sec |
| Cable Kickback | 3 | 15 (per leg) | 30 sec |
Option B
Best for: Round the side booty and build the glute shelf.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Cable Reverse Lunge | 3 | 12 (per leg) | 45 sec |
| Cable Glute Pull-Through | 3 | 15 | 45 sec |
| Cable Hip Abduction | 3 | 20 (per leg) | 30 sec |
| Cable Kickback | 3 | 15 (per leg) | 30 sec |
Conclusion
From cable glute pull-throughs to the cable kickbacks, these 6 cable glute exercises are your roadmap to a stronger, more shaped booty. Always remember to start light and build your strength gradually. The secret to long-term growth lies in proper form and consistency rather than just chasing the heaviest weight on the stack. Besides, your results are reinforced in the kitchen, so prioritize a diet rich in high fiber and high protein to support muscle recovery.
At the end of the day, most of these movements can be performed seamlessly on the Tousains cable machine CR63. If you have one at home, there’s no need to wait. Follow the cable glute workout in this article and start building your booty today!
