Six Lower Chest Exercises with Cables

In this article, we will be taking a look at six lower chest exercises that can be performed with cables. Adding these exercises to your gym routine will help to create some variety, and you may find an exercise that you really love.

We will also take a look at what the lower chest is and how it differs from the upper and middle portions of the chest.

Anatomy of the Chest

Technically, the lower chest muscle does not exist. You have a set of pectoral muscles, the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The pectoralis minor rests behind the pectoralis major, which is a larger muscle.

When people talk about the chest, they are talking about the pectoralis major muscle, so we will focus on that in this article.

The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped muscle that spreads from the centre of your chest towards your shoulder muscles. There are three parts to the muscle, one is attached to the sternum and travels towards the humerus, and the other is attached to the clavicle and also travels towards the humerus bone.

The third part is the smallest and is known as the abdominal part of the pectoralis major. It is situated right at the bottom yet still travels to the same insertion as the other parts.

So why do people talk about an upper, middle, and lower chest when it’s all one muscle? Well, the different “heads” or parts of the muscle can be targeted in different ways.

There are some exercises that place more emphasis on the clavicular part (upper) while other exercises will place more emphasis on the middle or the lower.

It should be stated, however, that all chest exercises will target all three parts of the chest, even if there is more focus on one than the other. An incline bench press is used to target the upper chest, but it will still work the middle and lower parts.

In fact, it can be argued that upper and lower chest exercises are still primarily middle chest exercises because the middle chest is so large and provides the majority of the pushing power.

Benefits of Cable Exercises

The main benefit of cable exercises is that they can provide constant tension on your muscles throughout the exercise, unlike dumbbell or barbell exercises that only provide tension for part of the movement.

They are also versatile, don’t take up much space, and can provide added variety for your exercise program. They are also great if you aren’t particularly coordinated. So, it is great for beginners and for experienced lifters who are getting fatigued from their workouts.

This is why cable exercises are usually left until towards the end of the workout.

Six Lower Chest Cable Exercises

In this section, we will be taking an in-depth look at six excellent lower chest cable exercises. All these exercises require a cable station, and two exercises will require an exercise bench, ideally with a decline setting.

Exercise #1 Cable Crossover

1. Stand in the centre of a cable station with a handle in each hand. The handles should be set to the highest setting of the station. Your body should be in a Y shape.
2. Bend your arms very slightly, push your chest out, and take one step forward. This is your starting position.
3. Take a deep breath and then pull the handles forward and down so that they travel until one hand crosses over the other.
4. Pause, and then slowly return the handles to the starting position, maintaining tension throughout.
5. Repeat the movement but with the other hand crossing this time.

This exercise is a classic and one that is very easy to perform once you’ve mastered the basics. The trick is to use a sensible weight that allows you a full range of motion. If you use too heavy a weight, your range of motion will shorten as you try to compensate.

Another thing to pay attention to is the control you have when pulling the cables back to the starting position. It can be tempting just to let them fall back as quickly as possible, but you really want to move them slowly and smoothly. This provides constant tension and will lead to superior muscle growth.

Exercise #2 Decline Bench Cable Flyes

For this exercise, you will need a decline bench. Most gyms have them, so this should not be an issue. However, if you don’t have access to one, then it should be possible to use a regular bench that has the front part elevated. Just make sure that the bench is stable and safe.

1. Place the bench in the centre of the cable station so that your chest is directly underneath the crossbeam. The handles should be set to the bottom of each cable stand.
2. Lie back down on the bench, and with your arms slightly bent, hold a handle in each hand. Both arms should be stretched out, and you should feel a stretch in your chest.
3. Take a deep breath and pull your arms together as if performing a giant clap. Keep that slight bend in your arms while you do this.
4. Pause, and then slowly spread your arms apart until your hands are almost touching the floor.

The important thing with this exercise, as with the cable crossover, is to maintain tension throughout the movement. Not only is taking tension off when returning bad for building muscle, it can also increase injury risk as it places pressure on your shoulders.

Exercise #3 Cable Low to High Flyes

1. Set the cables to the lowest height on the cable station and grab hold of one in each hand.
2. Stand in the centre of the station with chest pushed out and shoulders back, and take a large step forwards so that there is tension on the handles.
3. With your palms facing forwards, raise the handles forward and together
4. Pause when they touch, and then slowly return to the starting position.

Use a lighter weight than you would for the cable crossover exercise (#1). This is because the exercise is harder to perform. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement.

Exercise #4 Incline Bench Cable Flyes

This exercise is set up similarly to the decline bench cable flyes, except that you need to use an incline bench rather than a decline bench. The exercise targets the upper, middle, and lower pectoral muscle and will give an amazing stretch to your chest.

1. Place the bench in the centre of the cable station so that your chest is directly underneath the crossbeam. The handles should be set to the bottom of each cable stand.
2. Lie back down on the bench, and with your arms slightly bent, hold a handle in each hand. Both arms should be stretched out, and you should feel a stretch in your chest.
3. Take a deep breath and pull your arms together as if performing a giant clap. Keep that slight bend in your arms while you do this.
4. Pause, and then slowly spread your arms apart until your hands are almost touching the floor.

Exercise #5 Cable Flyes

This exercise is almost identical to the cable crossover except that the handles can be lower (though this is not compulsory), and instead of crossing your hands over after each rep, you just bring them together like you would on the incline bench cable flyes.

1. Stand in the centre of a cable station with a handle in each hand. The handles should be set to a high (but not necessarily the highest setting) of the station.
2. Bend your arms very slightly, push your chest out, and take one step forward. This is your starting position.
3. Take a deep breath and then pull the handles forward and down so that they travel until one hand crosses over the other.
4. Pause, and then slowly return the handles to the starting position, maintaining tension throughout.
5. Repeat the movement but with the other hand crossing this time.

Exercise #6 Decline Cable Press

This exercise is very similar to a resistance machine chest press, it’s a lot of fun to perform, and you can adjust it to target the upper, middle, or lower chest by moving the position of the handles. For a decline cable press, place the handles so that they are slightly higher than your shoulders.

1. Set your bench to an upright position and place it in the middle of your cable station. Sit on the bench with your chest pushed out and shoulders pulled back.
2. Grab a handle in each hand and pull the handles forward and together until both of your hands are almost touching.
3. Pause, and then slowly bring the handles backwards, keeping your elbows raised. Pause when your fists are close to your shoulders.

The important thing with this exercise is to perform it as a press rather than a fly. This means that your technique should be similar to that of a bench press, with your elbows at a 45 degree angle from your sides.

Final Thoughts

Now you have learned six new lower chest exercises with cables, you can begin to add them into your workout program. They provide some excellent variety, and can really help you to target that lower chest. But remember that the majority of your work should be based around barbell and dumbbell bench pressing, which is the cornerstone of the chest workout.

Add these exercises in afterwards, they make excellent “finisher” exercises, and they are great for supersets, or as an alternative to pressing during a de-load week.