Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
In SetGrip: Cable Shoulder Press (Alternating)
- Secondary muscles
- Triceps, Upper Back
- Body part
- Shoulders
- Laterality
- Alternating sides
- Category
- Strength
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Pressing one cable handle overhead while the other stays loaded at shoulder height keeps tension on both delts for the entire set, something alternating dumbbells cannot match. The cable's pull also drags your arm forward and down between reps, so your trunk works harder to stay tall. Keep the load moderate and the reps around 8 to 12.
How to do the Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the handles of the cable machine with an overhand grip.
- Position your hands at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward.
- Keep your core engaged and your back straight.
- Press one handle up and forward until your arm is fully extended.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handle back to the starting position.
- Repeat with the other arm.
- Alternate between arms for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Lead with the elbows and think of reaching wide rather than lifting up.
Muscles worked
Primary
Delts · Shoulders
Front raises hit the front delt, lateral raises the side, and Y or rear raises the back head; whichever you pick, the burn should build across the top of the shoulder by the last few reps.
Secondary
- Triceps
- Upper Back — On Y-raises and rear delt raises the lower traps and rhomboids control the shoulder blade and should be felt between the shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Swinging from the hips — a small bounce at the bottom is the sign of a weight that is too heavy; lighten it and lift from a dead stop.
- Shrugging as you raise — the traps take over when the shoulders rise toward the ears; keep them down and lead with the elbows.
- Raising far above shoulder height — on lateral and front raises the upper traps take over past parallel, so stop around shoulder level unless the variation is built to go overhead.
- Locked elbows — keep a soft bend in the elbow throughout so the load stays on the shoulder rather than the joint.
Where it fits in a workout
Raises are accessory work and belong after the presses in a shoulder or push session. Superset lateral raises with a rear delt fly for a complete shoulder finisher.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without cable
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.