60 Minutes Beginner Back Workout with Cable Machine
A 60 minutes muscle building workout targeting your back using cable machine equipment. 5 exercises, 19 total sets, designed for beginner lifters.
60 Minutes
Duration
19
Total Sets
8-12 reps
Rep Range
~798
Est. Calories
The Workout
Start with this as your primary movement. Warm up with 2 lighter sets first.
Form cues
- Sit with a slight bend in your knees and feet braced against the platform.
- Keep your torso upright or lean forward slightly at the start, then pull back to perpendicular.
- Pull the handle to your lower abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Sit with thighs secured under the pad to prevent your body from lifting.
Form cues
- Sit with thighs secured under the pad to prevent your body from lifting.
- Grip the bar wider than shoulder-width with palms facing away.
- Lean back slightly (10-15 degrees) and pull the bar to your upper chest.
Set the cable to upper-chest or face height and grab a rope attachment with a neutral grip.
Form cues
- Set the cable to upper-chest or face height and grab a rope attachment with a neutral grip.
- Pull the rope toward your face, separating the ends as your hands pass your ears.
- Externally rotate your shoulders at the end so your fists point to the ceiling.
Stand facing a high cable with feet shoulder-width apart.
Form cues
- Stand facing a high cable with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grip the bar with straight arms, hands slightly wider than shoulders.
- Hinge forward slightly and pull the bar down to your thighs in an arc.
Finish strong — take the last set close to failure.
Form cues
- Set the cable to belly-button height and stand in a staggered stance for balance.
- Pull the handle toward your hip, leading with your elbow and squeezing your shoulder blade back.
- Keep your torso square — resist the urge to rotate toward the working side.
Why This Workout Works
This workout is built around the principles of muscle building training. Use moderate loads (65-80% of your 1RM) with controlled eccentrics and full range of motion. Prioritize progressive overload by adding reps before adding weight. Train each muscle group 2x per week with 10-20 hard sets per muscle per week.
Training Parameters
- Rep Range: 8-12 reps — the hypertrophy sweet spot for maximum muscle growth
- Rest Periods: 60-90 seconds — long enough for quality reps, short enough for metabolic stress
- Sets Per Exercise: 3-4 sets — optimized for muscle building
Back Training Tips
- *Initiate every pull by squeezing your shoulder blades together — think about pulling with your elbows, not your hands.
- *Use straps on heavy rows so grip fatigue does not limit back development.
- *Include both vertical pulls (pulldowns, pull-ups) and horizontal pulls (rows) in your program.
Get this back workout personalized for you
Revy's AI will analyze your training history, recovery status, and strength levels to customize every set, rep, and weight for maximum muscle building results.