What Is A Cable Machine?

First of all, let’s go over the cable machine and what it is. It’s a piece of equipment (pic above) that you’ll see in almost every gym. The great thing about the cable machine is that it has adjustable pulleys so that you can target your entire body and do a variety of exercises. Pretty much any *traditional* strength training exercise can be done using the cable machine.

Are Cable Machines Effective

YES! You can adjust the resistance to make the exercise more challenging. With cable machines, you’re able to smoothly work through the fun range of motion for an exercise. I find that using this type of resistance encourages you to use your core to help stabilize. Make sure that you breathe as you brace your core and work through cable machine movements.

How To Use a Cable Machine

You’ll need to adjust the cable position, depending on the type of movement you plan to do. Overhead movements, like overhead triceps extensions and lat pulldowns, require the pulleys to be higher. Chest presses and flies require a mid-point setup. Deadlifts, biceps curls, and upright seated cable rows require a low setup.

Something to keep in mind: when you pull the prong out of the pulley system to slide it up or down, you’ll notice that the stack of weights for resistance will also move. An easy way to prevent this is to put your hand ON TOP of the stack of weights before adjusting the cable pulley. Keep your fingers away from the stack of weights. If it drops down, it can pinch your finger(s). If you need help with pulley setup, ask a trainer at your gym or studio and they will show you how to use it safely.