Single Arm Cable Press
The Single Arm Cable Press is a unilateral standing exercise that targets the middle chest while significantly challenging core stability. By pressing with one arm at a time, you engage the pectorals and anti-rotation muscles of the core to build functional upper body strength.
Iridium identifies this as a time-intensive unilateral movement and checks your available session duration, potentially swapping for a bilateral variation if you are short on time. The system scans your 7-day history to ensure your obliques and core are recovered enough to provide the necessary stability for this exercise. Additionally, volume is tracked against your middle chest and anterior deltoid landmarks to ensure progressive overload without exceeding your local recovery capacity.
Form Cues
- Stagger your feet for a stable base of support
- Brace your core tightly to resist torso rotation
- Press the handle straight forward in line with your chest
- Squeeze your pectoral muscle hard at full extension
- Control the weight slowly as you return to the start
- Don't let your torso twist or rotate
- Don't hike your shoulder up toward your ear
- Don't let your elbow travel excessively far behind your body
- Don't use momentum or hip swing to move the weight
Common Mistakes
- Rotating the torso to assist the press
- Shrugging the shoulders upward
- Flaring the elbow too wide
- Standing with feet too close together
- Rushing the negative (return) phase
Muscles Worked
This movement primarily targets the pectoralis major (middle chest), anterior deltoids, and triceps for pushing power. Uniquely, it heavily recruits the obliques and deep core muscles (transverse abdominis) to stabilize the torso against the offset load, making it a powerful functional exercise.
Primary
Secondary
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