Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Cable Side Bend: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The cable side bend is an isolation exercise targeting the oblique muscles and the abs. It involves standing upright and bending sideways at the waist against resistance provided by a cable machine.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Obliques
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the cable side bend
Front view: muscles worked by the cable side bend. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by the cable side bend. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques.
Primary Secondary

How to do the cable side bend

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the cable handle with one hand.
  2. Step 2: Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Step 3: Slowly bend sideways at the waist, lowering the cable handle towards your knee.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat on the other side.
  6. Step 6: Alternate sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the cable side bend 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.

Cable Side Bend alternatives

More exercises that train the abs as their main target:

More abs exercises

See the best ab exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.