Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Cable One Arm Press on Exercise Ball: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The cable one arm press on exercise ball is a unilateral chest exercise that also challenges core stability and balance by having the user sit on an unstable surface while pressing a cable handle forward.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Shoulders
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the cable one arm press on exercise ball
Front view: muscles worked by the cable one arm press on exercise ball. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the cable one arm press on exercise ball. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the cable one arm press on exercise ball

  1. Step 1: Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Step 2: Hold a cable handle in one hand and position your arm at chest height, elbow bent.
  3. Step 3: Place your other hand on your hip for stability.
  4. Step 4: Press the cable handle forward, extending your arm fully.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the cable one arm press on exercise ball by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

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