Shoulders · Cable
Cable Twisting Overhead Press
How to do the cable twisting overhead press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set a cable low and hold the handle at one shoulder, standing with feet hip-width apart. Press the handle overhead while rotating your torso away from the column, then lower back to your shoulder as you rotate square again under control.
- 1Front and side delts pressing the handle overhead
- 2Your core and obliques driving the rotation as you press
- 3Triceps finishing the lockout at the top
Common mistakes
- Leaning back excessively to get the handle up
- Flaring the elbow wide or shrugging the trap up
- Rushing the twist instead of pressing with control
Muscles worked
The cable twisting overhead press mainly works the front delts, triceps, and side delts, with the upper abs, obliques, forearms, upper chest, upper traps, and lower abs assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Side DeltsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the cable twisting overhead press 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 shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.