Legs · Cable
Cable Squat
How to do the cable squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set a cable low and hold the handle at shoulder height as you face the column. Sit your hips back and down into a squat against the cable tension, then drive through your heels to stand.
- 1Feel constant cable tension as you descend
- 2Push your hips back and load your glutes and quads
- 3Drive through your heels to stand tall
Common mistakes
- Don't let your knees cave inward or heels lift
- Avoid rounding your back or collapsing your chest
- Don't let the cable pull you up; control the tempo
Muscles worked
The cable squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the cable squat for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.