🏋️ 15 awesome full-body cable exercises to build muscle

On this day in 1868, the first-ever traffic light was installed in London close to Westminster Bridge. Over 150 years later, we're giving you the green light on the latest in strength.

As a seven-time Mr. Olympia, few competitors know about shining on that stage better than Phil Heath. He spoke with the modern face of the sport, Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay, about what to expect in Las Vegas next week.

In the current weightlifting pantheon, few can measure up to Chinese competitor Li Fabin. And after he nabbed a new clean & jerk world record this week, he might be out of everyone's league.

Need to give the free weights a rest? Here are 15 great cable moves that should make for serious gains.

Bodybuilding

An Olympia Meeting of the Minds

Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay knows what's at stake. Should he win his third consecutive Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas next weekend, he will become just the eighth athlete to do it on at least three occasions. With the contest just around the corner, Elssbiay and seven-time winner Phil Heath met up earlier this week to discuss expectations for the Egyptian titan.

Among the more notable revelations is that Elssbiay says he plans to weigh around 295 pounds by the time he steps onto the Olympia stage. As for what winning another title would mean to him, Elssbiay didn't mince words to Heath. After overcoming personal adversity for a repeat in 2021, he's not stomping on the brakes now.

"[When] they ask about my fire, about my dream to be Mr. Olympia again, I said to myself, ‘you are strong, you have a great mentality,’ and I think in my heart I can’t lose again.”

Weightlifting

Li Fabin Puts on a Show

Entering the 2022 World Weighlifting Championships, Chinese weightlifter Li Fabin was already on the map. He owned the snatch and total World Records in his 61-kilogram weight class, and the community certainly understood his unique strength. The athlete might have outdone himself on his lifting platform in Bogotá, Colombia.

During Fabin's 2022 Worlds performance, he captured a new clean & jerk Senior World Record of 175 kilograms (385.8 pounds). The feat officially makes it a clean sweep of all three World Records for Fabin in the 61-kilogram division. We fully understand the joy and tears on his face after he made a competitive category all his own. Now that's what you call dominance.

Training Tips

15 Dynamite Cable Exercises for Strength

Cable exercises offer an incredibly diverse range of benefits to every lifter. They are potent tools to optimize hypertrophy training, and offer a joint-stabilizing option between rigid machines and free weights. Cable exercises can give you more movement freedom than other machines, but also offer more guidance than free weights. This means that cables are great for getting a pump without too much joint stress.

If you're looking for more freedom in the gym — while giving yourself more leeway in your overall training routine — then working out with cables is the move. From crunches to seated rows, we break down 15 terrific cable exercises to give you a head start.

Everything Else

A European Championship to Remember

• If you want even more competition coverage, check out the rousing performances from the recent European Classic Powerlifting Championships.

• Speaking of elite powerlifters, Russel Orhii added another milestone to his résumé after nailing a three-rep 705-pound squat PR.

• Need a movement that combines total-body strength and conditioning in one? The Turkish get-up will be your best friend.