12 Cable Shoulder Exercises (For a Stronger Upper Body)

To nail the cable shoulder press, set the cable angle just right in front of you.

This sparks new muscle growth by working fibers with the force pulling from behind.

Tilt it more horizontally to beef up your front delts.

How to Perform a Cable Shoulder Press

1. Set the stirrup to the lowest point.
2. Begin the exercise by facing away from the cable machine and grabbing stirrups with an overhand grip.
3. Your hands should be at ear level, and your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees.
4. Start pressing straight up until your arms finish in the extended position.
5. Ensure a slow return to the starting position and repeat.

3. Cable Bent Over Single Arm Lateral Raise

The cable bent over a single arm lateral raise nails it as a top-notch shoulder workout, much like the dumbbell lateral raise.

It's a champ at zeroing in on those delt muscles, thanks to the cable machine's non-stop tension. This means smoother lifts and more muscle-building time under tension.

Plus, you'll get to hoist your hand higher, stretching those muscles more for even better gains.

How to Perform a Cable Bent Over Single Arm Lateral Raise

1. Begin by setting up the stirrup at the low point and standing to the side of it.
2. Assume the position where you grab the stirrup using a neutral grip with the hand farther from the cable. Then hinge a little forward at the hips, ideally until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
3. Your non-working hand should be primarily used for stability by placing it on your hip or knee.
4. Lift the cable to the side and keep a slight bend in the elbow until the upper portion of your arm is parallel to the floor.
5. Hold that position briefly, and then return to the start.

Also Read: Cable Arm Workout Routine

I find the kneeling shoulder press exercise to be excellent, especially for beginners. It helps maintain strict form during an overhead press, which is crucial to avoid injuries when you're just starting out.

Since you're starting in a kneeling position, you won't be able to use any leg drive to press the weight overhead. This ensures the focus remains on your upper body.

When you press up with a close grip, it primarily targets your front deltoids, pecs, and triceps, making it an effective workout for these areas.

How to Perform a Kneeling Shoulder Press

1. The stirrup should be set at the low point.
2. Begin by kneeling facing the cable machine, and grab the stirrups with the overhand grip.
3. Your hands should be in front of you and at upper chest level, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and tucked in front.
4. Start the exercise by pressing straight up until you fully extend your elbows.
5. Hold the top position for one second and then slowly return to the starting position.

5. Lying Reverse Fly

The lying reverse fly is one of the best cable shoulder exercises to hit your rear deltoid muscles. You can focus on contracting your rear delts by completing this exercise in a supine position.

Keep your arms perpendicular to your trunk, since that will reduce the chances of your latissimus dorsi helping to complete the movement.

How to Perform a Lying Reverse Fly

1. Set the bench up in the middle of the cable machine, and the cables should be set at the high point.
2. Grab the cables with a neutral grip with each hand and reach up and across your whole body.
3. Lie down on the bench on your back.
4. Start the exercise with your arms slightly bent and up toward the ceiling. The cables should be crossed. Start pulling down the cables to your sides through your elbows until your arms reach the parallel position to the floor.
5. Hold that position for a second or two, squeeze your shoulder blades, and return to the starting position.

I find the cable cross-over reverse fly to be a fantastic choice for hitting those rear delts.

It's pretty much the twin of the bent over single arm cable lateral raise, focusing on the same movement.

The key difference? This time, you're engaging both shoulders at once, giving them an equal workout.

How to Perform a Cable Cross-Over Reverse Fly

1. Your stirrups should be set at the low point of both towers of the cable crossover machine.
2. Reach down and grab each stirrup with the opposite hands, using a neutral grip.
3. Hinge your hips forward so that your body is almost parallel to the floor and your knees are slightly bent, while your arms should be hanging down.
4. Start the exercise by pulling the cables out to your side and with your arms slightly bent at the elbows until the upper portion of your arms finishes at shoulder joint level.
5. Reverse the motion of the exercise to return to the starting position and repeat the whole process.

7. Cable Standing Front Raise Variation

The cable standing front raise variation helps to engage your trapezius and the side deltoids by allowing you to lift on one side of the bar at the top portion of the movement.

This is important since the extra lift at the top portion of the movement makes it harder because of the short isometric hold. 

This is an excellent exercise to get your traps and delts burning.

How to Perform a Cable Standing Front Raise Variation

1. Your cable should be set at the lowest point with a curl bar attached.
2. Face away from the cable machine; your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
3. Reach down to pull the cable through your legs and grab the bar with both hands using an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
4. Start the exercise by lifting up and away from your body and keep your arms straight until you reach shoulder joint level.
5. Remember to lift on one side of the bar and mildly rotate your shoulders up and out.
6. Hold that position for a second, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat for desired reps.

From my experience as a personal trainer, I've found the single-arm front raise to be top-notch for beefing up those front deltoids.

It's a game-changer because you can really zero in on each side, one at a time. Plus, it's a great way to spot any muscle imbalances in your shoulders.

How to perform a Single Arm Front Raise

1. Start by setting up the stirrup at the lowest point.
2. Stand in front of the cable machine and face away while your working arm lines up with the cable machine.
3. Grab the handle with an overhand grip.
4. The starting position is your hand at your hip level, with constant tension in the cable.
5. Exhale and lift straight up and away until your working arm reaches the level of your shoulder.
6. Hold that position for a second or two and slowly return to the starting position before repeating the process.

9. Single Arm Lateral Raise

The single arm lateral raise is one of the best ways to target your lateral delts.

The cable lateral raise is the perfect isolation exercise to challenge your shoulder muscles.

Always start this exercise by lifting weights so ensure the proper form and avoid injury.

Keep in mind that this exercise has multiple variations, but they all have the same goal of building your lateral deltoids.

How to Perform a Single Arm Lateral Raise

1. Start by attaching the stirrup or D handle at the lowest point and the stand to the side of the machine.
2. Assume the standing position where the cable runs behind your body, then grab the stirrup with an overhand grip.
3. Slightly bend your elbows and lift your arm up and away from your side while exhaling simultaneously until the arm reaches shoulder height.
4. Hold that position for a second to ensure maximum contraction, then return to the starting position.

The upright cable row works your upper back and shoulder muscles. The upright row builds the majority of your front and side deltoids while also managing to build the rhomboids and traps.

This exercise can help you perform your deadlifts better.

If you have shoulder impingement issues, stay away from the cable upright row since you may experience negative side effects such as pain and potentially even injure yourself.

How to perform a Cable Upright Row

1. Attach the bar after you set the cable at the lowest point.
2. Grab the bar with both your hands and primarily use the overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
3. Pull through your elbows so that the cable remains close to your body until your elbows reach the level of your shoulders.
4. Hold for one second at the top portion of the movement and then slowly return to the starting position.

11. Side Lying Lateral Raise

From my experience, the side lying lateral raise is a fantastic variation of the lateral raise cable shoulder exercises for exceptional isolation. It's a game-changer for achieving maximal hypertrophy effects and building those shoulder muscles at a quicker pace.

You can do the side-lying lateral raise either on a bench or the floor. This exercise not only builds muscle but also enhances strength and stability in your shoulder joint.

How to Perform a Side Lying Lateral Raise

1. Set the stirrup at the lowest point.
2. Lie down on your side with your feet towards the cable machine.
3. Grab the stirrup with an overhand grip using the upper portion of your arm.
4. Brace your upper portion of the body with your elbows on the ground directly under your shoulders.
5. Start the exercise with your hand at the hip level, lift your arm until it gets parallel to the shoulders, and hold that position for a second.
6. After the upper portion of the movement, slowly return to the starting position and repeat the process.

The cable twisting overhead press belongs to the efficient cable shoulder exercises for building your delts since it also works in the transverse plane.

This makes it a functional exercise that imitates daily movement patterns.

Pressing, twisting, and reaching are all combined into a single smooth motion. This exercise will also work your arms, shoulders, legs, and core.

How to Perform a Cable Twisting Overhead Press

1. The cable should be set at the upper height of the belly with the stirrup attachment.
2. Get into the position slightly in front and to the side of the cable machine.
3. Use an overhand grip to grab the stirrup and stand in a wide stance in a quarter squat with your hand that is not working on your hip.
4. Start the exercise with your hand at the upper chest level, and press across and up your body until your arms reach the fully extended position.
5. The torso should be rotated, and you should push through your legs throughout the movement.
6. After the top portion of the movement, reverse the motion and return to the starting position of the exercise.

The cable machine allows you to perform unilateral movements, which are excellent for developing stabilizer muscles and making your joints more functional.

6. Load & Tension

Cable machines can easily be loaded with extra weight, and the length of the cable will be proportional to its tension.

So you can implement the principle of progressive overload, build strength, and induce hypertrophy.

7. Safe & Efficient

According to NIH, the cable machine is one of the safest pieces of functional fitness equipment [4]. There is a small chance of weight falling on your body parts or making you unstable, which often results in injury.

"Strong and healthy shoulders are incredibly crucial for all of life’s tasks, especially as we age and begin to lose shoulder muscle density."

- Jeff Turbett, Health & Wellness Coach

8. Great for Isolation

You can isolate your anterior, posterior, and lateral deltoid with cable machines because it offers numerous exercise options. As NIH notes, it is also great for isolation since you can change the machine's height, position, resistance, and angle [5].