Pallof Press: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The Pallof press is an anti-rotation core exercise: your abdominals brace hard to resist the cable pulling you to one side while your chest, shoulders, and triceps press the handle straight out from your torso. It builds core stability rather than moving the spine through a range.
- Primary muscle:
- Abdominals
- Secondary muscles:
- Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Muscles worked
Your abdominals, including the obliques, do the real work here. Instead of shortening to bend your torso, they contract isometrically to resist the cable trying to rotate you toward the machine. That anti-rotation demand is what makes the Pallof press a core stability exercise rather than a typical ab movement.
Your chest, shoulders, and triceps handle the pressing part of the movement, extending your arms to push the handle away from your body. They're doing real work, but the exercise earns its name from the core bracing that has to hold steady while you press.
Log Pallof Press in PR Streak
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How to do it
- Connect a standard handle to a tower, and—if possible—position the cable to shoulder height. If not, a low pulley will suffice.
- With your side to the cable, grab the handle with both hands and step away from the tower. You should be approximately arm's length away from the pulley, with the tension of the weight on the cable.
- With your feet positioned hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, hold the cable to the middle of your chest. This will be your starting position.
- Press the cable away from your chest, fully extending both arms. You core should be tight and engaged.
- Hold the repetition for several seconds before returning to the starting position.
- At the conclusion of the set, repeat facing the other direction.
Form tips
- Set your feet hip-width apart and brace your core before you press the handle out.
- Press straight out from your chest and resist any twist toward the cable machine.
- Hold the extended position for a couple of seconds before bringing the handle back in.
- Work both sides evenly. Face away from the machine on one set, then switch for the next.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Cable |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Isolation |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the Pallof press different from a regular ab exercise?
Most ab exercises bend or twist the spine through a range of motion. The Pallof press instead asks your core to resist rotation and stay still while your arms press against the cable's pull. That anti-rotation strength carries over well to squats, deadlifts, and other lifts.
How many reps of Pallof press should I do per side?
Since it trains core endurance and control rather than raw strength, most lifters use 12 or more reps per side with a moderate cable weight, holding each rep briefly before returning to the chest.
What's another good core exercise to pair with it?
A hanging leg raise trains the abdominals from a different angle, working the front of the core through a full range instead of resisting rotation.
More abdominals exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
