CoreCable machineBeginner

How to Do a Pallof Press

By Bryan Alger, Co-Founder of Gravitus

· Updated Oct 1, 2026

A Pallof press is an anti-rotation core exercise. Stand side-on to a cable set at chest height, hold the handle at your chest and press it straight out without letting your torso turn toward the stack. It trains the obliques and the rest of the abs, with the glutes helping. Most lifters do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side.

Sets x reps 3 x 8-12 per side
Median 10-rep weight 37.517 lbkg men 27.513 lbkg women
Muscles Obliques, abs, glutes
Setup Chest-height pulley, D handle
Pallof Press demonstration
Technique

How to do a Pallof press

  1. Set the pulley level with your breastbone and clip on a D handle. A band anchored at the same height works too.
  2. Stand side-on to the stack, about an arm's length, 3 ft (1 m), from the pulley. Hold the handle at your breastbone with both hands, so the cable runs straight out to the side. Feet hip width, knees soft.
  3. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes. Your hips and shoulders face straight ahead for the whole set.
  4. Press the handle straight out from your chest until your arms are straight. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds without letting your hands drift toward the stack.
  5. Bring the handle back to your chest over 2 seconds. Finish your reps, then turn around and do the same on the other side.
Setup

Pressing out is what makes it hard

The cable tries to twist you toward the stack, and how hard it twists depends on how far your hands are from your spine. With the handle at your chest the lever is short. Pressing your arms straight roughly triples it. Where you stand matters much less: on a weight stack the pin sets the pull at any distance, and stepping out only turns the cable square to your arms at lockout. The curves are modelled for a pulley at chest height, your hands 10 in (25 cm) in front of your spine at the chest and 30 in (75 cm) with arms straight, all scaled to the hardest point on the chart.

Twist on your torso through the rep by distance from the pulley
HARDER Hands at chest Halfway Arms straight
An arm's length out, 3 ft (1 m). The standard setup. The twist triples from chest to lockout and ends within 8% of the most it can be.
Beside the stack, 1.5 ft (0.5 m). At lockout the cable angles back toward the pulley, so part of the pull no longer twists you. About a quarter less than standing far out.
Two big steps out, 6.5 ft (2 m). Only 8% more twist at lockout than an arm's length out. Walking further adds almost nothing.
What to do

Stand about an arm's length out, press until your arms are straight and pause there. To make it harder, add a pin or hold lockout longer instead of walking further out. A band is different: it stretches, so stepping out does add load.

Gravitus data

How much weight should you use for the Pallof press?

On Gravitus, the median man lifts 37.5 lb (17 kg) for 10 reps on the Pallof press, and the median woman 27.5 lb (13 kg).

Men, typical 37.5 lb for 10 reps
Most lift
25 to 55 lb
Top 10% lift
75 lb or more
Starting out
under 25 lb
Women, typical 27.5 lb for 10 reps
Most lift
20 to 37.5 lb
Top 10% lift
50 lb or more
Starting out
under 20 lb
Men, typical 17 kg for 10 reps
Most lift
11 to 25 kg
Top 10% lift
35 kg or more
Starting out
under 11 kg
Women, typical 13 kg for 10 reps
Most lift
9 to 17 kg
Top 10% lift
22.5 kg or more
Starting out
under 9 kg
PercentileMenWomen
25th32.5 / 25 lb25 / 20 lb
Median50 / 37.5 lb37.5 / 27.5 lb
75th75 / 55 lb50 / 37.5 lb
90th105 / 75 lb65 / 50 lb
 One-rep max / 10-rep weight, rounded to 5 lb (2.5 under 40). From 1,005 men and 206 women who log the Pallof press on Gravitus, computed Sep 30, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
PercentileMenWomen
25th15 / 11 kg12 / 9 kg
Median22.5 / 17 kg17 / 13 kg
75th32.5 / 25 kg22.5 / 17 kg
90th47.5 / 35 kg30 / 22.5 kg
 One-rep max / 10-rep weight, rounded to 2.5 kg (1 under 20). From 1,005 men and 206 women who log the Pallof press on Gravitus, computed Sep 30, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
Stack numbers are not comparable between machines. Many functional trainers use a 2:1 pulley, where the 40 lb pin feels like 20 lb. The number that matters is the heaviest pin you can press out and hold without turning. Compare yourself to your own log on the same machine.
Anatomy

Muscles worked

Obliques, internal and externalThey turn the trunk, so they are what stops the cable from turning it. The internal oblique on one side and the external oblique on the other work as a pair.
Primary
Rectus and transverse abdominisBrace the trunk and stop your lower back from arching as your arms go out.
Primary
Glutes and hipsStop your hips from turning with your torso.
Secondary
Front delts, chest, tricepsPress the handle out and hold your arms straight against the side pull.
Secondary
Spinal erectors, upper back, rotator cuffHold your spine and shoulders still.
Stabilizer
Progression

Kneeling, standing or split stance

EasiestTall kneelingBoth knees down. The steadiest position, so start here.
StandardStandingFeet together or hip width. Close to kneeling in the study.
HarderSplit stanceOne foot in front of the other. Moved the pelvis more than kneeling.
HardestOn a balance ballStanding on a half ball moved the pelvis about twice as much as a split stance and three times as much as kneeling.

In 12 active adults holding a band Pallof press for 15 seconds, the pelvis moved least kneeling, a little more standing with feet together, more in a split stance and most on a half ball (Juan-Recio 2025). Standing raises the line of pull and narrows your base, which the authors say is why it is harder. Half kneeling was not tested. Coaches lay these positions out as a progression from kneeling to standing (Mullane 2021).

Research

Pallof press claims the research does not back

Four claims that many Pallof press guides repeat:

  • EMG studies prove it is a top oblique exercise. We found no peer-reviewed study that measured muscle activity in the Pallof press. The only EMG data we found is a conference pilot of 4 people, in which twisting versions of the press drew more deep core activity than the anti-rotation press (Stephens 2021). The press clearly loads the obliques, but how much, compared with other core exercises, has not been measured.
  • Step further from the stack for more tension. True for a band, which stretches as you step out. On a weight stack the pin sets the pull wherever you stand. Going from 3 ft to 6.5 ft (1 to 2 m) out adds only 8% twist at lockout, as the chart above shows. Add a pin instead.
  • Tall kneeling works the obliques hardest. No study shows that. Kneeling was the steadiest of five Pallof press positions, and a split stance or a balance ball made the hold harder (Juan-Recio 2025).
  • It builds a six-pack. Six weeks of ab exercise, 5 days a week, did not reduce belly fat or waist size (Vispute 2011). Visible abs come from lower body fat.
Compare

Pallof press vs side plank vs cable woodchopper

Pallof pressSide plankCable woodchopper
Trains you toStop your torso turningStop your trunk bending sidewaysTurn your torso under load
Works mostObliques, absObliques, glute medObliques
LoadAny pin on the stackYour body weightAny pin on the stack
Easy to cheat byTurning toward the stackHips drifting backPulling with your arms
Verdict

They train different jobs, so use them together. No study has compared training with them. The side plank drew enough oblique activity to count as strength work (Ekstrom 2007). Use the Pallof press to learn to stay square under load, and the woodchopper to load the turn.

Programming

Sets, reps and progression

3Sets
8-12Reps per side
2-3 sPause at lockout

Do Pallof presses 2 to 3 times a week, early in a session as a bracing warm-up or at the end with your other core work. Pause 2 to 3 seconds at lockout on every rep, or hold lockout for 15 to 30 seconds per side instead of doing reps. Always train both sides.

Add a pin only when you can press out and hold with your hips and shoulders still. A trunk strength test built on the Pallof press works the same way: the load goes up after each 5-second hold until you move out of position (Franco-López 2024).

Form

Common mistakes

Variations

Pallof press variations

Half-kneeling Pallof pressOne knee down, the knee nearest the stack. Your hips cannot help, and it is easy to set up.
Split Stance Pallof PressOne foot in front of the other. Harder to hold than kneeling (Juan-Recio 2025).
Pallof HoldPress out and hold lockout for 15 to 30 seconds per side.
Overhead Pallof PressPress out, then raise your arms overhead. The pull shifts from twisting you to bending you sideways.
Pallof Press With RotationTurn away from the stack and back under control. Twisting versions drew more deep core activity in a small pilot (Stephens 2021).
Banded Pallof PressA band anchored at chest height. The pull grows as you step out and as the band stretches.
Cable WoodchopperTurns the torso against a cable instead of resisting the turn.
Side PlankResists your trunk bending sideways. No equipment.
PlankResists your lower back arching. No equipment.
Suitcase CarryWalk with a weight in one hand without leaning toward it.
FAQ

Questions people ask

What muscles does Pallof press work?

The internal and external obliques, which stop your torso from turning, and the rectus and transverse abdominis, which brace it. The glutes keep your hips square, and the front delts, chest and triceps hold your arms out.

Does Pallof press build abs?

It strengthens them, but no study has measured how much muscle it builds. For ab size, add a loaded crunch such as the kneeling cable crunch. Visible abs come from lower body fat, not ab work (Vispute 2011).

Is the Pallof press better than the plank?

Neither is better; they train different jobs. The plank stops your lower back from arching, and the Pallof press stops your torso from turning. The Pallof press is easier to load, one pin at a time. Do both.

Should Pallof press be done on both sides?

Yes. Facing one way trains you to resist turning in one direction, so do the same sets and reps facing both ways.

How many Pallof presses should I do?

3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, with a 2 to 3 second pause at lockout, 2 to 3 times a week. Or hold lockout for 15 to 30 seconds per side.

How far should I stand from the cable for a Pallof press?

About an arm's length, 3 ft (1 m). On a weight stack the pull is the same wherever you stand, and going twice as far adds only 8% twist at lockout. With a band, step out until it is taut with the handle at your chest.

Does Pallof press work lower back?

Your spinal erectors help hold your spine still, but the obliques and abs do most of the work. It is used with people who have low back pain. In one test, 35 adults, some with chronic low back pain, did band Pallof press holds with no pain reported (Franco-López 2024).

How much weight should I use for the Pallof press?

For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 37.5 lb (17 kg) for men and 27.5 lb (13 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 55 lb (25 kg) and 37.5 lb (17 kg) or more.

Gravitus See where your Pallof press ranks

Log every set and see your percentile on every lift, Pallof press included.

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References
  1. Juan-Recio et al. 2025. Medicina 61(2):312.
  2. Mullane, Turner and Bishop 2021. Strength Cond J 43(2):121-128.
  3. Stephens et al. 2021. Int J Exerc Sci Conf Proc 8(9). Conference abstract.
  4. Franco-López et al. 2024. Sensors 24(13):4131.
  5. Ekstrom, Donatelli and Carp 2007. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 37(12):754-762.
  6. Vispute et al. 2011. J Strength Cond Res 25(9):2559-2564.