We Researched The Best At Home Cable Machines. Here Are Our Recommendations.

Best At Home Cable Machines At A Glance

As more people find ways to work out at home in their spare time, the demand for home gym equipment has skyrocketed. Many people opt for the most common equipment found in the gym, such as dumbbells or a squat rack, however, there is another piece of equipment that may be safer, more versatile, and more enjoyable.

The cable machine is one of the most versatile pieces of gym equipment you can buy due to its use of pulleys and unrestricted, multiple plane motions. These machines allow users to complete hundreds of different exercises and train more muscle groups in less time.

It’s no secret that cable machines for home use can be expensive, and as such, many people take their time when it comes to actually buying one. So, to help you decide whether a cable machine is worth adding to your home gym, I’ll walk you through its benefits, its uses, and how to get the most out of your money.

What To Look For In A Cable Machine

When searching for an at-home cable machine, you should consider the following factors in order to make the best selection possible:

• Price – What’s your preferred price range for a cable machine? Premium cable machines typically exceed $2,000, while medium-tier ones may cost between $800 and $1,600. Higher price point cable machines often come with other perks not found in more basic models so make sure to keep that in mind.
• Intended Use – Do you want a cable machine solely for the purpose of performing isolateral movements? Or do you want one that allows you to perform more compound movements as well? Make sure to choose a cable machine that accommodates your preferred style of training and has everything you need for the muscle groups you want to strengthen.
• Total Resistance – How much weight do you intend to lift? While most cable machines support up to 200 lbs of added resistance, others may support as much as 400 lbs or more. If you only need a cable machine for isolateral movements or training smaller muscle groups, then having a lower weight load isn’t a big deal. However, if you’re more experienced and use your cable machine for more complex exercises, then you should definitely consider a cable machine with a higher weight capacity.
• Included Accessories – Does the cable machine you’re considering come with accessories like handles and plates? It can be incredibly helpful to purchase a machine that comes with at least a few sets of handles and plates to start out. However, some machines come with the bare minimum and require you to purchase everything else separately.
• Desired Dimensions – Pay careful attention to how large the cable machine you’re considering is and whether or not you have enough space in your home to accommodate it. There’s nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars on premium equipment for it to barely fit for your home gym. While some people may have ample space, others should consider wall mount cable machines or portable ones.
• Weight – Just as important as dimensions, you want to make sure your house can support the weight of the cable machine you plan to purchase. The packaged weight might be less than 100 lbs, but once you add on plates and accessories the total weight of your product may be much higher than you expected. If you plan on using your cable machine in a home gym that’s on ground level and have plenty of help with assembly, then purchasing a higher-weight machine is completely fine. However, if you’re training above the 1st floor of your home or have limited assistance with assembly, then going with a lighter machine is best.
• Assembly Time – If you live alone or don’t have any help setting up your cable machine, then it’s probably best to purchase a machine with fewer parts and a shorter assembly time. However, if you have more than 1 person in your house or can easily get help with setup, then assembly time isn’t as big of a deal.
• Warranty – Does the cable machine you want to buy have a warranty, even if it’s limited? Although no one plans for their new equipment to break down quickly, it may be helpful to have coverage in the rare occurrence that something is defective.
• Reputation – What do customers say about the cable machine they purchased? Does it have at least 4 out of 5 stars? Make sure to read through the reviews on Amazon to see what people say about the product and check for any potential red flags.

The Best Cable Machine For Home Gym Use: Our Top 12 Recommendations

Due to the high demand for cable machines, the market is gradually becoming oversaturated, making it more difficult to determine which home gym cable machines stand out above the rest. However, we did the work for you and compiled a list of the 12 best cable machines.

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Best Cable Machine Attachments

Depending on which cable machine you select, you may need to purchase certain attachments separately. The following 4 attachments are among the most popular for cable machine exercises.

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Cable Machine Dimensions

If you’re trying to narrow down your options when it comes to selecting the best cable machine based on size, here’s a list of each machine’s height and weight in ascending order:

• MAXPRO Smart Cable Gym – 10’’L x 4” W x 16’’ H, 9 lbs
• Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station – 25’’ L x 24.5’’ W x 80’’ H, 62 lbs
• Valor Fitness Cable Machine – 53.5″ L 24″ W 80″ H, 83 lbs
• Valor Fitness BD-61 Cable Crossover Station – 50″ L 56″ W 81″ H, 940 lbs
• Body-Solid Powerline PCCO90X Cable Crossover Machine – 112″ L x 39″ W x 82″ H, 108 lbs
• Bowflex Blaze Home Gym – 90″ L 38″ W 83″ H, 191 lbs
• Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer – 42″ L x 63″ W x 83″ H, 476 lbs
• XMARK Functional Trainer – 43.5” L x 65” W x 83” H, 807 lbs
• Body-Solid Best Fitness BFFT10R Functional Trainer – 55″ L x 61″ W x 84″ H, 309 lbs
• FreeMotion Dual Cable EXT Crossover – 60″ L x 113″ W x 84″ H, 925 lbs
• Inspire Fitness FTX Functional Trainer – 40″ L x 54″ W x 85″ H, 624 lbs
• Archon Cable Machine Wall Mount – 19.73″ L x 29.89″ W x 90.5″ H, 82 lbs

What Types Of Cable Machines Are Available?

Cable machines come in different designs, structures, weight capacities, and overall functionality, and selecting the right kind should be based on your workout routine. Here are the common types of cable machines.

Plate-Loaded 

Plate-loaded cable machines use stack-up plates to perform pulling and tension exercises. It enables anyone to train without needing a spotter while lowering the risk of injury due to the structural support and controlled movement range.

Weighted Stack

A weighted stack is a cable machine that consists of a weighted stack in two variations: single-weighted stack and double-weighted stack.

Power Rack Extension

Power rack extensions offer additional attachments to the existing pulley system. This attachment includes a plate-loaded cable machine with adjustable levels.

Functional Trainer

A functional trainer is a cable machine built with two pulley systems attached to dual weighted stacks. Each pulley can be adjusted in height, angle, and horizontal placement to suit the users’ needs.

Lat Pulldown

A lat pulldown is a cable system with a detachable seat for lat pulldown exercises. The chair is useful for other activities that require the use of the cable machine.

Home Gym Cable Machine Benefits

Home gym cable machines have become quite popular due to their numerous uses and resulting benefits. It’s a safer option than other pieces of equipment because you’re always pulling or pushing away, and if something goes wrong, then you can simply let go of the pulley.

Another advantage of using cable machines is that they’re able to constantly work your core. When using a cable machine, you are almost always standing, which requires your entire body to work, unlike other exercises, such as the chest press, which requires you to lie down. 

It also provides tough resistance to the muscles without the need for heavy loads or other equipment, saving you money while improving your physique effectively through consistent training.

On top of these key features, cable machines are also customizable and can be adjusted to best suit each person’s height or preferred weight as they get stronger. You can also use specific attachments to incorporate other types of exercises.

Finally, cable exercises can target a wide variety of muscle groups and they are most commonly used in exercises such as the following: cable squats, standing kickbacks, cable pull-throughs, single-arm chest press, chest flys, standing rows, kneeling lat pull-downs, wood chops, and Pallof presses.

Cable Machine Exercise Resources

Cable machines are among the most versatile pieces of gym equipment available today. While this is certainly a great attribute, it can feel a bit overwhelming when it comes down to selecting which specific exercises are best for your goals as the options seem endless.

Below are some of the best channels on Youtube that provide guidance on cable machine training. The videos from these channels can help you get started and come up with more ideas for exercises.

Bodybuilding.com

Bodybuilding.com is one of the best places to go when searching for demonstrations on how to execute certain exercises. Their Youtube channel offers tons of instructional videos for cable machine-specific exercises and is great for beginners who need to learn proper form.

Here’s a video from their channel on how to perform a cable rope overhead tricep extension:

Muscle & Strength

Muscle & Strength is another bodybuilding-centric website that provides thousands of free workouts, diet plans, guides, and tools. Many of their videos feature IFBB Pros and world-renown fitness professionals and they have several guides to training with cable machines.

Here’s a video featuring IFBB Men’s Physique Pro Brandon Hendrickson providing guidance on the best cable exercises for chest isolation:

Gym Body Motivation

Gym Body Motivation is dedicated to providing weekly motivational videos about bodybuilding and fitness. One of their playlists is exclusively focused on cable-only workouts and offers tons of exercises for all muscle groups.

Here’s a video covering 6 cable exercises for a bigger back:

Erin Stern

Erin Stern is a fitness model and bodybuilder who won Ms. Figure Olympia twice and is a 14-time IFBB Champion. She is regarded as one of the greatest icons of women’s figure in the history of bodybuilding and continues to assist thousands of people each year on their journey to better living.

Her channel shares training techniques, workouts, meal tips, and lifestyle tips. Here’s a video of a standing abs workout that she completed through the use of cable machine exercises:

Jeff Nippard

Jeff Nipard is a Canadian natural pro bodybuilder and internationally-qualified powerlifter whose channel is dedicated to providing science-based training and nutrition information. Some of his playlists include Full Body Science Applied Workouts, Technique Tuesday, and Myth Bust Monday.

In this video, he explains how to build bigger glutes and features Stephanie Buttermore performing the cable glute kickback:

FAQs About Cable Machines

What Is A Cable Machine?

A cable machine is a piece of gym equipment that comes with adjustable cable pulleys that attach to various styles of handles or rods which are used in different directions to target specific muscle groups. The machine’s resistance is derived from the addition of standard or Olympic weight plates (plate-loaded) or weight stacks that are built into the machine.

Cable machines are versatile in that they allow the user to switch up their angle, weight, and grip to perform a wide variety of exercises that rely on certain ranges of motion. Other pieces of gym equipment typically do not have this range of flexibility and are intended for single exercises or muscle groups.

Additionally, cable machine exercises typically require very low amounts of weight compared to those used during compound movements such as squats or deadlifts. As such, they’re used by a larger population and can be used to target smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, and shoulders.

Although they’re not typically used for larger or heavy movements, some cable machines come with add-ons like benches, a leg extension/leg curl bar, or a lat pulldown area so that it can be used for full-body training and compound movements.

How Much Is A Cable Machine?

Generally, you can expect to pay between $800 to $3,000 for a cable machine depending on factors such as add-ons, accessories, weight capacity, and size.

Smaller, more basic cable machines typically come in the form of wall mounts that don’t take up much space and cost around $300-$600. They generally don’t come with many add-ons and support a lower weight capacity.

Less advanced functional trainers with cables or basic dual-pulley cable machines usually cost between $600 and $900. They support a bit heavier weight than mall mounts and typically come with a few accessories like handles or a pull-up bar.

More advanced cable machines generally cost $2,000+ and serve as a compact home gym. Not only do they support a higher weight capacity, but they also have the most add-ons and support a greater range of compound movements.

How Much Does Each Weight Stack Weigh In Cable Machines?

Typically, weight stacks are around 10 lbs each and most cable machines offer a weight capacity of around 200 lbs, or 20 stacks total.

What Exercises Can You Do On A Cable Machine?

The amount of exercise you can do on a cable machine seems infinite. However, here are some of the most popular cable machine exercises:

• Cable Crossover
• Bicep Curls
• Tricep Extensions
• Crunches
• Woodchoppers
• Cable Flyes
• Lat Pulldowns
• Lat Press
• Single-Arm Rows
• Lateral Raises
• Glute Kickbacks
• Pull-Throughs
• Reverse Flyes

Can You Build Muscle With Cable Machines?

Absolutely! Cable machines allow you to train a much wider range of muscle groups than most machines and support higher volume training.

Despite having lower weight capacities than other types of equipment, they typically offer enough options for resistance for most people to challenge themselves with and are ideal for targeting smaller muscle groups that often get left behind. Not only that, they offer an incredible range of motion that’s often hard to achieve with most machines.

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Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.

Photo by Total Shape on Unsplash