Legs · Squat and lunge
Cable Belt Squat
The Cable Belt Squat mainly trains your quads and glutes. Also working: adductors.
Both cables
Hip/dip belt
Stable
How to do it
- Belt low on your hips, clip in both cables
- Feet shoulder-width apart, close to the pulleys
- Squat deep, knees tracking over your toes
- Stand up powerfully
Coach’s tip
The strongest leg exercise on the cable machine: the load hangs from your hips instead of your arms, and your spine stays unloaded. Stand on two step platforms or weight plates so the stack doesn’t bottom out.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the bottom
Grip
Both cables on the dip belt
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
You need
Hip/dip belt
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (squat and lunge). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Cable Belt Squat work?
Mainly the quads and glutes. The adductors help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Cable Belt Squat?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the bottom. Grip: Both cables on the dip belt. You also need: Hip/dip belt.
Can I do the Cable Belt Squat on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Cable Belt Squat needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Goblet Squat and Cable Goblet Squat instead.
What can I do instead of the Cable Belt Squat?
For the same movement: Cable Bar Front Squat, Cable Split Squat and Goblet Squat. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Cable Belt Squat in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.