If you value a strong lower body as much as an upper body, there’s a good chance you’ve worked through a fair share of hip thrusts, RDLs, and squats. But you’re likely overlooking one of the best glute exercises: Seated cable deadlifts. The form is exactly how it sounds—plop onto a seated cable row machine and deadlift accordingly. For lifters who prefer to stick to the basics, trainer and bodybuilder Jeff Nippard admits the exercise looks gimmicky at first glance, but it’s anything but.
“Conventional deadlifts are great, and I do Romanian deadlifts every week. But they simply aren’t as stable as when you’re seated,” Nippard says. “That extra stability helps me connect with my glutes and hamstrings a lot better.”
The hip hinge is a key movement pattern for building strong glutes and a powerful posterior chain, but plenty of lifters struggle with proper form or mobility. The seated cable deadlift adds stability, letting you focus purely on mechanics and muscle activation. Plus, Nippard says it delivers a glute pump like you’ve never felt before.
When working through seated cable deadlifts, focus on squeezing your glutes to extend your hips. For Nippard, a big glute squeeze at the top helps him engage them better for the next rep. You can also perform seated cable deadlifts as a single-leg exercise to work on any left-to-right asymmetries.
How to Do Seated Cable Deadlifts
- Attach a lat pulldown bar to the pulley on a seated cable row machine.
- Sit on the bench facing the machine, knees bent, feet flat, and toes pointed slightly out.
- Take a grip just outside shoulder-width. Keep your chest up and core engaged.
- Drive the weight back and extend your hips to a full lockout, keeping your back straight. You should be nearly lying down at this point.
- Unlock your hips and knees to bring the bar back down towards your feet.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, using lighter weights.
Related: Movement Specialist Breaks Down 5 Easy Cues for Perfecting Your Deadlift Form
