Cable ankle strap exercises target your hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core. The versatile resistance of cable ankle strap exercises promotes a firm posterior and toned legs.
The cable machine is a great way to give your legs and core a fantastic workout! Even more so when you use a cable ankle strap! Often resistance bands are used for similar kinds of exercises, but they are limited. Resistance bands are restricted to certain lengths and certain levels of resistance. All of which can be tailored exactly to your needs with a cable ankle strap!
Below are examples of some of the best cable ankle strap exercises that you can do. The following exercises are for you if you’re looking to spice up your workouts or tone your legs.
What is a cable ankle strap?
A cable ankle strap is a strap that wraps around your ankle and attaches to a cable machine. You can get double ankle straps or single ankle straps that allow you to do both double-sided and unilateral exercises.
Using a cable ankle strap and cable machine to perform your leg exercises, as opposed to a seated machine, requires a reasonable amount of core strength. This is due to the need to maintain your head, neck, back and hips in alignment.
If you find that you are experiencing high levels of hyperflexion through your lower back when doing any of the exercises contained in this article, do a few weeks of concentrated core strengthening and come back to them!
9 cable ankle strap exercises
All you need to perform the following exercises is a cable machine and an attachable ankle strap. When attempting any of these movements, ensure you pay close attention to the technique as explained in the notes and shown in the videos. Additionally, keep in mind that form is essential to get the most out of leg workouts like cable ankle strap exercises.
It’s important to note that you do require a reasonable level of core strength to complete these exercises safely. And you will find that most of these exercises are unilateral – it’s a good idea to commence the exercise with your weaker leg or side.
1. Cable straight leg hip flexions
Muscles worked: Quads, hip flexors, glutes
- Set the cable on the bottom setting and attach the ankle strap to one leg.
- Stand facing away from the machine with your feet together.
- Keeping your working leg straight, engage your quad as you lift your leg off the ground. (If you need to, hold onto the cable tower for support).
- Once your leg gets to about 45-degrees to the ground, hold it for a second.
- Return to starting position slowly and do all repetitions on one leg before commencing on the other side.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 on each leg
2. Cable inner thigh pulls
Muscles worked: Adductors, glutes
- Set the cable on the bottom setting.
- Stand side on to the weight stack and attach the ankle strap to the leg closest to the cable machine.
- Keeping your working leg straight, pull it across and in front of your stabilizing leg. You should feel your inner thigh contract.
- Hold for a second and then return to starting position (a hip-width distance away from the stabilizing leg).
- Don’t rest the working leg on the ground until you have completed all your repetitions.
- Return to starting position slowly and do all repetitions on one leg before commencing on the other side.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 on each leg
3. Cable hip abductions
Muscles worked: Glutes, lateral quad muscles
- Set the cable on the bottom setting.
- Stand side on to the weight stack and attach the ankle strap to the leg that isn’t next to the machine.
- Begin by standing with your feet together and hold onto the cable machine to stabilize yourself.
- Keeping your working leg straight, lift it out to the side until you reach about 45-degrees. You should feel your gluteus medius (side glute) fully contracted at this point.
- Return to starting position slowly and do all repetitions on one leg before commencing on the other side.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 on each leg
4. Cable 45-degree kickbacks
Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings
- Set the cable on the bottom setting.
- Stand facing the cable machine and attach the ankle strap to one of your legs.
- Begin by standing with your feet together and hold onto the cable machine to stabilize yourself.
- Keeping your working leg straight, lift it behind you – but, not directly backwards, rather 45-degrees to your hip.
- Don’t lift your leg to the point that you need to hyperextend through your lower back. You should only lift it enough to feel your gluteus minimus (top glute) contract.
- Return to having your legs together and then repeat on the same side until you have done all your repetitions.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 on each leg
5. Cable standing leg extensions
Muscles worked: Quads, VMO
- Set the cable half way up the cable machine.
- Stand facing away from the cable machine, a few feet out from it.
- Attach the ankle strap to one of your legs.
- It is important to hold onto something to stabilize yourself in order to get the most out of this exercise.
- Start standing with your feet together and then bend your leg attached to the cable behind you, creating a 90-degree bend at the knee.
- The working phase of the exercise is when you return to starting position, i.e. straightening your leg, contracting your quads and VMO.
- Don’t let your foot touch the ground in between repetitions.
- Do all repetitions on one leg before switching sides.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 on each leg
6. Cable standing hamstring curls
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes
- Set the cable on the lowest setting of the cable machine.
- Stand facing the cable machine and attach the ankle strap to one of your legs.
- Remaining upright, hold onto something to stabilize yourself.
- Start standing with your feet together and then bend your leg attached to the cable behind you, creating a 90-degree bend at the knee.
- The working phase of this exercise is when you perform the curl, i.e. bending your leg and contracting your hamstring.
- Go slow through the eccentric phase of the exercise to maximize the benefit.
- Do all repetitions on one leg before switching sides.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15 on each leg
7. Cable lying down hamstring curls
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes
- You can do this exercise lying on the floor or on a bench placed in front of the machine. Either way, make sure you are far enough away from the cable machine to be able to straighten your legs without hitting it.
- Whether on a bench or the floor, set the cable on the lowest setting of the cable machine.
- Attach a double cable ankle strap to your ankles and lie face down. (Note, if you only have one ankle strap, you can do this single sided).
- Start with your legs straight, i.e. a straight line from your head to your toes.
- Curl your legs towards your butt and then slowly back to starting position.
Suggested repetitions: 12 to 15
8. Cable reverse lunges
Muscles worked: Glutes, quads, adductors, calves
- Set the cable to the bottom of the cable machine and attach the ankle strap to one leg.
- Stand facing the machine with your feet hip-width apart to begin with.
- Keeping your core engaged and spine neutral, step back with the attached leg into a reverse lunge, bending both knees and lowering yourself towards the ground.
- Keep your weight in your front heel and your chest upright as you do so.
- Then step back into starting position before going into your next repetition on the same leg.
- Once you have completed all repetitions on that side, switch sides.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12 on each leg
9. Cable lateral lunges
Muscles worked: Glutes, quads, adductors, calves
- Set the cable to the bottom of the cable machine.
- Attach the ankle strap to one leg and stand side on to the cable machine with your attached leg away from the machine.
- Keeping your core engaged and spine neutral, step out wide to the side with the attached leg into a side/lateral lunge.
- Keep the resting leg straight whilst you dip into a lunge on the working leg by bending at the knee and sending your hips backwards.
- Keep your weight in your heels rather than your toes.
- Step your feet back together before going into your next side lunge.
- Once you have completed all repetitions on that side, switch sides.
Suggested repetitions: 10 to 12 on each leg
Final thoughts
A cable ankle strap adds variety to your workout and is a great way to do unilateral leg exercises. In my opinion, unilateral exercises should be prioritized as they are a perfect way to develop balanced activation, strength and size.
You can put a handful of these exercises together to make an excellent leg circuit workout. Alternatively, you can chuck a few of them onto the end of your workouts, as they also make for great finishing exercises. Regardless of how you put these exercises into practice, they will have you seeing results soon.
