Single Arm Cable Twisting Pull

In SetGrip: Cable Twisting Pull (Single Arm)

Secondary muscles
Delts, Biceps
Body part
Back
Position
Bent over
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Adding torso rotation to a single-arm low-pulley pull sweeps the handle from full reach across to your side, taking the lat through both stretch and contraction while the obliques drive the turn. Keep the weight light enough to control the unwinding back toward the stack - that return is where the movement earns its keep.

How to do the Single Arm Cable Twisting Pull

  1. Attach a cable handle to a low pulley and stand facing the machine.
  2. Grasp the handle with your left hand and step away from the machine, extending your arm fully.
  3. Position your feet shoulder-width apart, with your knees slightly bent.
  4. Keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the exercise.
  5. Pull the handle towards your body, rotating your torso to the right as you do so.
  6. Squeeze your back muscles at the end of the movement.
  7. Slowly return to the starting position, keeping tension on the cable.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides and perform with your right hand.

Tip: Pause for a full count with the handle at your torso before letting it go back.

Muscles worked

Primary

Lats · Back

The lats pull the upper arm back toward the hip, and they take over more as the elbows stay close to the body and the pull goes toward the waist.

Secondary

  • Delts — The rear delts do a lot of work on face pulls and wide, high rows, where the elbows travel out to the sides.
  • Biceps — The biceps bend the elbow on every row but should never be the muscle that fails first.

Common mistakes

  • Yanking with the arms — the rep should start with the shoulder blades pulling back, then the elbows follow; if the biceps give out first, you are curling the weight.
  • Torso heaving up — on bent-over rows the back angle should not change between reps; if it does, drop the weight.
  • Shrugging the shoulders up — pull the elbows back and down and keep the shoulders away from the ears, especially on face pulls.
  • Skipping the stretch — let the arms straighten fully and the shoulder blades slide forward at the start of each rep, then pull from there.

Where it fits in a workout

Rows are a main movement in any pull or back session and go before pulldowns and arm work. They pair well with a chest press or a push-up as a push and pull superset.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

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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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. 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.