Best Pulley Machine And Cable Weight Reviews In 2023

Why should I use a cable machine?

Working out in the gym helps in keeping fit and building muscles for more strength – it ultimately helps in ensuring a happier and a healthier life. An ideal gym has various devices that are used by trainees in helping them tone up their bodies as desired. One such equipment is the cable machine which is a device made up of a frame made from steel usually three meters in width and two meters in height.

Why Pulley Weights Machine?

Weights are stacked on one end of the machine depending on the strength of the user using the machine at the time. To lift the weights, a series of cables and a pulley system are attached to a handle which the user uses to pull.

The cable weight machine is designed with a lofty height to accommodate users of any height; shorter users can adjust the pulley system to be comfortable at their height enabling them to lift without much strain. Changing the height helps the user get the most from the resistance that is offered by the weights on the opposite side.

Benefits Of Cable Weight Machine

The best cable machines are usually broad enough to allow for the best range of movement allowing the user’s muscles to gain from the most strain as they lift the weights. Cable machines usually have several weights with the minimum weight going to as low as twenty pounds, which is approximately nine kilograms.

Accommodating lesser weights makes the device easy to use even for beginners and women who just want to keep fit without having their muscles all puffed up. A pulley system in a cable pulley machine should be easy and quick to adjust to suit all kinds of users.

Cable pulley machines are built for both the short and the tall; the key to using a cable machine regardless of one’s height lies in the pulley system. The easier it is to adjust the pulley system, the better the equipment will be for use as a home cable machine.

Top 5 Cable and Pulley Machines in 2021

How To Use Cable Machine For Glutes

A significant advantage that a gym goer gets from using a gym pulley machine is the fantastic shape their muscles get from the exercises performed on one. A cable machine is appropriate in targeting certain muscles in the body giving them an all-around look.

Glutes, calves, hamstrings and quads are worked from different angles helping the lower body and upper body look right after some time working out on a cable machine. To stabilize their muscles, users can use the machine when standing up which helps work the core of the muscles making them stronger. These routines help users of cable machines get the best results on their glutes after some time working out;

#1. Cable Squat

The cable squat is performed like a regular squat only that in this the user has additional cable weight from the cable machine helping gain more from the squat.

Using a straight bar attached to the machine, the user should hold it in an overhand position or grip and take a few steps back from the machine to create tension in the cable.

The user should then squat and have their thighs parallel to the ground, stand up from this position and repeat the process.

This squat technique ensures that the back stays upright and exerts more force on the legs as opposed to the regular squat techniques.

#2. Leg Extension

In this, the user employs the use of an ankle cuff that is attached to a low pulley machine.

During the workout, the user should lift their leg so that their thigh is parallel to the floor, then extend their leg outwards at the knee and go as far as possible. They should then repeat the process making sure their foot does not touch the ground at all. Depending on their strength and stamina the user should switch legs after they do the intended reps.

#3. Cable Lunge

The pulley cable weights machine in this exercise should be used at waist level using a D-handle with the user facing the weight stack.

The user should space their legs, hip-width, and hold the handle with both hands then lunge with one leg behind the other and both legs bent at the knee.

From the lunge position, the user should then stand, resisting the pull of the weight as much as possible and repeat the process.

Once they are done with one leg, the trainee should switch legs and do the same reps with the other leg to make a set.

The exercises to be performed on the cable machine should be monitored by a trained professional especially when beginners are using the machine. The weights placed on the device should be weights that the user can handle. This should however be discontinued if the trainee experiences sharp pains.

How To Adjust Cable Pulley Machine

When a user decides to modify a home gym pulley system or a gym pulley system, they should first know what kind of exercises they need to do on the machine.

Different activities call for different pulley systems, and their placement is also different. For example, when using the cable pulley weight machine for cable squats, the pulley system is usually set near the ground whereas when doing triceps pull downs, the handle should be above making the pulley system go all the way up almost to the top.

After determining the height at which the user will be using the equipment at, the pins that fasten the pulley onto the central metal tower can then be loosened.

Once the knob is loosened, then it is pulled to release the pulley from the current hole. It is important at this point to hold the pulley to ensure it does not move to an undesired position. It is easy to move the pulley up or down to a desired position.

One then gets the pin back making sure it fits in a hole in the tower at the required position and fastens it stabilizing the pulley. The machine is now ready to be used at that position without the worry of the pulley coming off.

How To Use Cable Pulley Machine

Cable pulley machines are easy to use, and they offer a broad range of exercises that any user can do with a lot of ease. Most people are afraid to use cable pulley machines because they do not understand the process of adjusting these equipment to suit the exercises they are doing.

However, one a person gets a grasp of how it is done, it is natural to end up spending a lot of time using cable pulley machines. All a user needs to know before they get on a cable pulley workout machine is the pulley system it uses.

Most machines have a single pulley that comes as standard and can be used to do most exercises with the machine. Although in other machines there can be up to three pulleys which help the user operate the machine with ease.

After adjusting the pulley to suit the user’s height and the particular exercises they are doing, the machine can offer one a wide range of workout exercises.

The weight system is another part of the cable pulley machine that a user should understand before using the machine. Adjusting the weight is easy and it helps the user keep track of their progress at different stages.

The weights are arranged in the form of bars which are marked in kilograms/pounds for the user to select the number of kilograms that they are comfortable lifting. It is important that one knows what weight their body can take and increase the weight gradually to avoid injury and muscle cramps.

Before lifting or pulling on the cable pulley machine, a user should ensure that they are standing in a strong and stable position to prevent injury when they start their exercise. It is also important to give one’s body a few seconds to rest before moving on to the next rep – usually thirty seconds are enough to catch breath.

The handles that can be attached to the machine for doing different exercises are another thing one should know about the machine. From D-handles, short bars, to ankle cuffs, a user has various handles to use with the cable weight machine making it safe and comfortable for any exercise.

How Effective Are Cable Kickbacks For The Glutes?

Cable kickbacks can be used by people who want to work their gluteal muscles and tone them up. It put a lot of strain on these muscles as the energy used in the kickback is mostly generated by the glute muscles.

The exercise can be done in two ways where one: the person kneels on a flat bench, uses the cable weight machine on a low setting and using an ankle cuff or a Glute strap attached to their foot pulls the weight.

The user should have the leg in use off the bench and use their hands and the one leg not doing the exercise to support themselves on the bench. After attaching the strap, one then pulls the cable as far back as they can and repeat the process till they hit their target reps.

Once they are done, they then switch the legs and use the other one to pull the weights making a complete set of reps. It is important that the user does this without touching the ground, tilting their hip or arching their backs to apply as much strain on the glutes muscle.

The other way is in a standing position where the user after strapping their legs using the ankle strap they use their hands for support on the cable machine and push the attached foot as far back as possible. They then bring back their foot to a standing position as slowly as possible resisting the pull provided by the weights.

What Muscles Do Cable Crossovers Work?

Cable crossovers, unlike regular cable machines, work quite differently and are mostly used to work the chest muscles. What muscles in the chest they work is different depending on the exercise the user is performing.

The cable crossover machine is usually a set of cable pulley machines that are placed opposite each other enabling the user to stand in between them. The shoulder joint is the one that does all the moving when using the cable crossover machine.

Doing regular/standard crossovers, the machine pulleys are usually placed at shoulder-level or high level, and one stretches out their hands and grabs the D-handle on each side and pulls their hands towards each other.

At the end of the movement, the user has their hands crossed over each other, forming an X. They then go back to their normal position, with the hands spread apart and raised; that being one rep.

In the standard crossover exercises, the main muscles in the chest are exercised, the sternal heads in the pectoralis major muscles, the muscles near the collarbone, and the muscles in front of the shoulders are also exercised.

The upper arm muscles and forearm muscles are used to stabilize the movement and as a result they are strengthened. A high-level pulley system targets muscles in the lower section of the sternal pecs and a medium pulley system works muscles in the pectoral region.

How To Use The Cable Crossover Correctly

To enable one to use a cable crossover whether at home or in the gym, they should know what muscles they want to grow and tone. The cable crossover focuses on muscles in the chest region, which is a region that is sensitive and any injuries could be fatal to the victim.

As a result, it is important to know how to use a cable crossover correctly from setting it up all the way to doing the shoulder pulls. First, one should consult with a doctor and know if they can exert that much pressure on their chest region. Some health conditions will make using even the best cable crossover machine dangerous and have complications on the user after some time.

The user should also know the amount of weight they are placing on each machine. The weight should be balanced to avoid hurting oneself on either hand. It is also essential for a user to know their weight limit and not exceed this weight to avoid muscle injuries.

Cable machines are an amazing way to get exercises that seemed boring and impossible before. They help the user enjoy exercises and achieve progress much easier and faster. The various workouts that one can do on the cable machine makes it an appropriate machine to have in the gym or buy a home gym pulley system to use with the family.

Knowing the limit of weights that a user can have on the machine goes a long way in making use of the equipment safe. The ease in adjusting the pulley systems makes the machine a fantastic tool as a home gym cable machine. It is critical to note that amateurs should not use the machine without the supervision of a knowledgeable person so as to avoid injury.

The crossover cable machine which uses two cable machines is an amazing way to build up the chest muscles. Care should however be exercised when utilizing this machine to avoid injury to the chest; which can be lethal even to a trained user.

When using a cable machine, while lifting, a user should ensure they do not do any halting or quick movements. These actions can increase the chances of injury; instead, one should make their movements smooth and stop lifting in case of pain or discomfort.

Users should always ensure they fasten their cuffs securely. Not too tightly or too loose to avoid them slipping off which can cause injury and/ or destruction to the machine.