Muscle Insider
New member
Every home gym needs a cable machine – and you’ll learn the best cable machine for home gym use today.
A cable machine for home gym training will help you target specific muscle groups you’re missing, expand your home gym versatility, and they’re available at every price point you can imagine.
Let’s dive straight in so you’re in the know to get the best cable machine for home gym use.
Cable Machines: Which Cable Machine Do You Need?
The cable machine is a piece of gym equipment that lets you use a dual pulley system to keep constant tension on the muscle. They’re either made with a weight stack built in, or you can use your own weight plates (with options for standard and Olympic plates).
They’re also available at a wide range of sizes. You can get cable machines in a variety of different formats – adding to the versatility and value. These include:
Portable cable machine refers to anything that comes off, can be packed into a bag or car, and moved independently. The average portable cable machine is designed to go over a tree or supporting beam, and uses weight plates on a peg.
Compact cable machines are smaller items, often a wall mounted cable machine that saves you significant amounts of space. These can either come with a weight stack or use your own weight plates.
Home gym cable machines are the full system, built to be kept in one place and with the extra weight capacity that typically comes with it. These are the best cable machine for home gym if you have the space and money – with the best premium features.
Power rack cable machine attachments are a way to get the benefits of a compact cable machine but the quality, weight capacity, and features of a full home gym cable machine. They attach to a power rack for stability, and are more likely to have a weight stack than the usual compact cable machine.
All of these styles of cable machine are great for home gym use – and the best cable machine will depend on your home gym space, budget, and your training needs. Let’s look at some of the best examples on the market and what the best cable machines might be…
The Best Cable Machine for Home Gym: Our Contenders
Best Cable Machine Attachment
Rogue Slinger Cable Machine AttachmentThe Rogue Monster Slinger is a cable machine attachment for home gyms with adjustable pulleys. This is a smart cable machine for home gyms, converting a Rogue Monster rack into a cable machine with excellent functions and some of the best value on the market with a plate loaded cable machine on equipment you might already own.
This uses weight plates you’d already own for your Monster squat rack. This limits the total quality of the rack without a fixed weight stack, but it’s one of the best cable machine attachments and still carries the quality you’d expect from Rogue fitness.
This is designed to work with a straight bar and leather tricep straps instead of a triceps rope, which are available to add to your order for better results. This is a single cable pulley machine, so it’s not like full cable crossover machines, but an excellent extra utility to target new muscle groups in your own gym.
Best Single Cable Machine
Rogue CT-1X2 Cable TowerThis is Rogue’s major cable machine, with a full weight stack. This means a perfectly balanced cable pulley for the weights and a reliable, commercial gym quality ‘pull’ with a smooth movement and a super high quality cable.
This doesn’t have the same features as a dual adjustable pulley system. However, it’s the best cable machine with a single stack, offering mega-premium value that will last a lifetime and offer the best possible experience.
This is our favorite cable machine with a single cable and offers a perfect option if you want to invest in a product that will justify its price with decades of perfect quality.
Best Premium Cable Machine
Rogue Fitness Monster CaveRogue Fitness Monster Cave is the best cable machine on the market – if you have no budget and can buy anything you want.
However, the cost is very high – but it doubles up as a squat rack and plate storage system, making it perfect for a single purchase to make a total premium home gym.
It offers dual, full cable crossovers on either side of the rack with a massive footprint and the best possible stability, dual weight stacks, commercial gym quality cable machines for home use.
If you have one of these, you may never need to buy anything again – except a bar, plates, and a weight bench. This is a functional trainer, cable crossover machines, a premium squat rack, a pull up bar selection, and integral storage for weight plates.
Best Value for Money Cable Machine
XMARK Functional Trainer Cable MachineThis is a great step down in cost from the Rogue monster cave without compromising on quality. It’s a single freestanding unit with dual weight stacks and full cable crossover machine function: you can train the traditional chest flye with this machine alone.
This product also comes with a weight bench that is used for things like lying chest flyes, reverse flyes, and other exercises. It doesn’t have a pull up bar, but a pair of handles.
The weight stacks are 200lbs each, as well as many attachments. It has long straps, short straps, a long bar for pulldowns, and a triceps rope as standard.
Best Entry Level Cable Machine
Inspire Fitness FTX Functional TrainerThis is a similar product to the XMARK functional trainer cable but offers a more affordable option that still offers 165lbs of dual stacks, complete cable crossovers for all the same core exercises and high quality build.
It’s a functional trainer with great versatility, a ton of smart cable machine design, and even a pull up bar despite the lower cost. This is definitely better pull up bar function than the XMARK functional trainer cable machine lacks.
The build quality here is, once again, excellent. It’s a commercial quality piece of gym equipment, and high quality adjustable pulleys with great moving parts, ensuring a nice long lifespan for your premium spend.
Best Mid Quality Cable Machine
Titan Functional Trainer Cable MachineThis is a dual stack cable machine that is almost identical to the XMARK functional trainer but at a lower cost and with a strong, reputable brand in the background.
This is a good cable machine for maximum quality at great value, even with the mid-upper price tag. The Titan cable crossover machine might be the best value on the market for a commercial quality cable machine.
The cables are high quality, the moving parts are perfectly durable, and the dual stacks are 200lbs each, offering great weight stacks for the cost. The accessories are also good.
Best Affordable Double Cable Machine
Titan Cable Crossover MachineAnother Titan cable crossover machine, this is a simple but excellent alternative to the previous product. It’s a plate loaded cable machine with ‘dual weight stacks’, if you can call it that. The plate loaded design does mean a sub-commercial experience, but you’re also paying around 1/4 of the price of the functional trainer.
There’s no pull up bar and you do need your own weight plates, but this is a more affordable than most cable crossover machines, with a wide footprint but no major bulk and it’s surprisingly easy to disassemble., move, or just fit in smaller home gyms.
You can fit this into a basic garage or basement gym with an 8ft clearance, but offers complete variety. You need enough plates to load it up, but the upper limit to the weight capacity on a plate loaded cable machine.
Super Cheap Wall Mounted Cable Machine
Valor Fitness BD 62 Wall Mounted Cable machineValor Fitness BD-62 is a wall mounted cable machine, which makes it one of the absolute best ways to save space in home gyms.
This is another plate loaded carriage system that offers more stability than you’d normally get from such a small piece of equipment due to the high quality wall mounting. It’s one of the best cable machines for the price, the size, and for home gym function due to the smart design.
This doesn’t offer the same quality and versatility as cable crossover machines, making it one of the best cable machines on pure benefit-per-dollar.
Sadly, you don’t get the same range of accessories that you’d get with the functional trainer, but you’re also paying around 1/10th of the price. You’ll get two strap handles, and the rest are aftermarket purchases you’ll need to pay for.
It’s a cable machine without the trimmings, and it is an excellent total choice.
Cheapest Dual Cable Machine
Valor Fitness BD-61 Dual Adjustable Pulley SystemValor Fitness are back with BD-61, a complete dual weight stacks option with comparable features to XMARK and the Titan cable crossover machine. It has dual adjustable pulleys, which offer you a massive range of exercises.
Price-wise, it’s the lowest cost dual cable system on this list, but this is due to being a plate loaded system. It’s a major saving but comes with a ton of trimmings that make it a fantastic choice with outstanding value for money.
It comes with a built-in lat pulldown pulley, a low cable row, two cable crossover machines, as well as a full attachment set with a v-handle, row handle, and triceps rope.
This product has its own niche and it performs it perfectly bringing you the basics of dual cable function at the same kind of price you’d pay for some good weight benches.
Cable Crossover Machine Buying Guide: Cable Machine for Home Gym Use
The cable machine is a perfect piece of home gym equipment because of the versatility it offers. The isotonic resistance is perfect for weight training and there are options on the market for both plate loaded cable machines (and attachments) and weight stack variations.
We’re going to look at the most important factors for choosing a cable machine for home gym use: type of cable machine, weight capacity, what kind of cable system it uses, the attachments (like the lat pulldown bar or triceps rope), and design or build quality.
Type of Cable Machine
Premium quality cable machine equipment is usually more expensive and offers a weight stack, for example.
Expensive cable machine design includes a weight stack that makes it better quality because the whole cable machine is built around this design. You may even get a dual weight stacks build, which offers the most cable machine exercises and use, but costs more and is significantly larger. Having two dual weight stacks is a huge training benefit, though.
Plate loaded cable machine design is typically cheaper and more versatile, but lower quality (with a few exceptions). There are versions for both standard and Olympic weight plates, with conversion pegs, and this lets you use weight plates you own for training with free weights.
Weight Capacity
The weight capacity of your cable machine – including the weight stack or the weight plates it can use – is crucial. This determines the upper end of your loading capacity and some muscle groups need significantly more than others.
Constant tension exercises like the lat pulldown require a lot of weight, while upper body rehab like the face pull might not. A high weight capacity is always good, though, as it offers more innate durability in the system. Not all cable machines are built with this longevity in mind and it can separate high quality cable machine design from lower quality.
Home gym equipment needs headroom – it needs to grow with your long-term development. A better weight capacity is always great for this and a cable crossover machine for home gym needs some surplus weight stack or weight plate opportunities.
Cable system: design and materials
The cable machine depends on the way that the pulley system is built. A good pulley system, with high quality dual adjustable pulleys and one central weight stack is the gold standard for most home gym cable machines.
There are also attachments to squat racks that use a dual cable pulley system, which can be a fantastic way to save money and get premium quality. The materials and design of your rig and pulley system need to be high quality, well-thought-out, and not limit your max weight load.
We always consider the build and quality for home gym equipment, because it matters for both durability and cable machine exercises. It’s a question of both functionality and the lifespan of your investment. Cable machines aren’t cheap and – in a home gym – that’s your hard-earned cash you need to protect.
Cable Machine Attachments: getting the best value cable machine for home gyms
The attachments to a cable machine dictate which cable machine exercises you can do. In this way, free attachments or the ability to expand your home gym equipment out with more cable machine attachments is great for versatility, value for money, and getting the most out of your pulley system (whether that’s a portable cable machine, compact cable machine, or just an attachment to your power rack).
This is the simple idea: the more things you can use your cable machine for, the better value you get for your home gym. Home gym equipment is best when it can do multiple things, and a cable machine is no exception.
Lat pulldown bar and triceps rope are the most common accessories, but we also like to see a double bar track, ez bar style attachment, individual handles, and any bar with a 45-degree option (perfect for shoulder health).
The more creative a brand gets with attachments, the better value they offer for home gyms. Focus on getting a high quality cable machine first, then look at the options that help target a specific muscle group, that offer functional trainer cable machine use, and even specific attachments for muscles in the lower body.
Is a cable machine good for home gym?
Yes – cable machines for home gyms are a perfect match. The best cable exercises are perfect to cover the weaknesses of a free weights gym, while you can get smaller options in the compact cable machine or portable cable machine.
A wall mounted cable machine is perfect for smaller spaces, while functional trainer cable machine bundles are great value if you’re looking to spend more to get a lot more value. Cable machines for home are all about finding the product features you need, and the space/budget you can spare.
Cable machines for home come in a wide range of builds, sizes, and costs. The cable machines we’ve looked at today are just some of the best cable systems on the market, and you can decide the best cable crossover machine for your priorities – but almost all of them are an asset to your home gym.
Which gym machine is best at home?
The cable machine is probably the best weight machine that you can use at home. While most plate loaded machines are useful, the cable machine (especially the models with weight stacks or dual weight stacks) is the most useful option.
Cable machines have multiple uses with dozens – if not hundreds – of exercises they open up. If your home gym already has free weights, then the cable machine is the best supporting exercise machine. It lets you focus in on the smaller muscles – and more expensive free-standing cable machines come with a pull up bar built-in, which is another great piece of equipment.
Overall, a good cable machine is a fantastic investment for home gyms, and the best cable machines completely change home gyms’ possibilities. Most cable machines are worth the money, and the best cable machine for home gym is the one that offers the best training options for your money.
Can you build muscle with cable machines?
You can build serious muscle with cable machines – though they’re typically better for upper body training than the lower body. Most cable machines are a great choice for building muscle, you just need to make sure that you’ve got the weight stack or weight plates to use serious weight.
Cable machines use isotonic, or constant tension, resistance. This is excellent for building postural strength in the upper body, or rehabilitation and control training in the lower body – such as terminal knee extensions or adductor training.
Cable machine exercises are best with higher reps, where you can really get the most from the isotonic resistance. It’s a perfect way to hit different muscle groups to normal, with specific focus on neglected muscle groups like the rear delts, lower traps, rotator cuff, or hip flexors.
Is a cable crossover machine worth it?
Yes – cable crossover machines are usually worth it for your home gym. The value of a cable machine is in the wide range of exercises that it is possible to use, and they tend to fill out the types of exercises you can’t perform with free weights.
For most people, the development options for the upper body in particular are worthwhile. You can use cable machines for home to get full body training with a combination of free weights, cable machine training, and a pull up bar or other body weight exercise.
Click here to view the article.
A cable machine for home gym training will help you target specific muscle groups you’re missing, expand your home gym versatility, and they’re available at every price point you can imagine.
Let’s dive straight in so you’re in the know to get the best cable machine for home gym use.
Cable Machines: Which Cable Machine Do You Need?
The cable machine is a piece of gym equipment that lets you use a dual pulley system to keep constant tension on the muscle. They’re either made with a weight stack built in, or you can use your own weight plates (with options for standard and Olympic plates).
They’re also available at a wide range of sizes. You can get cable machines in a variety of different formats – adding to the versatility and value. These include:
Portable cable machine refers to anything that comes off, can be packed into a bag or car, and moved independently. The average portable cable machine is designed to go over a tree or supporting beam, and uses weight plates on a peg.
Compact cable machines are smaller items, often a wall mounted cable machine that saves you significant amounts of space. These can either come with a weight stack or use your own weight plates.
Home gym cable machines are the full system, built to be kept in one place and with the extra weight capacity that typically comes with it. These are the best cable machine for home gym if you have the space and money – with the best premium features.
Power rack cable machine attachments are a way to get the benefits of a compact cable machine but the quality, weight capacity, and features of a full home gym cable machine. They attach to a power rack for stability, and are more likely to have a weight stack than the usual compact cable machine.
All of these styles of cable machine are great for home gym use – and the best cable machine will depend on your home gym space, budget, and your training needs. Let’s look at some of the best examples on the market and what the best cable machines might be…
The Best Cable Machine for Home Gym: Our Contenders
Best Cable Machine Attachment
Rogue Slinger Cable Machine AttachmentThe Rogue Monster Slinger is a cable machine attachment for home gyms with adjustable pulleys. This is a smart cable machine for home gyms, converting a Rogue Monster rack into a cable machine with excellent functions and some of the best value on the market with a plate loaded cable machine on equipment you might already own.
This uses weight plates you’d already own for your Monster squat rack. This limits the total quality of the rack without a fixed weight stack, but it’s one of the best cable machine attachments and still carries the quality you’d expect from Rogue fitness.
This is designed to work with a straight bar and leather tricep straps instead of a triceps rope, which are available to add to your order for better results. This is a single cable pulley machine, so it’s not like full cable crossover machines, but an excellent extra utility to target new muscle groups in your own gym.
- Excellent cable attachment for a rack
- Punches above weight for its cost and size
- Offers amazing value for money
- Very high quality ‘feel’ for a plate loaded machine
- Does require a Rogue rack for compatibility
- Not weight stack loading so ‘pull’ isn’t commercial quality
Best Single Cable Machine
Rogue CT-1X2 Cable TowerThis is Rogue’s major cable machine, with a full weight stack. This means a perfectly balanced cable pulley for the weights and a reliable, commercial gym quality ‘pull’ with a smooth movement and a super high quality cable.
This doesn’t have the same features as a dual adjustable pulley system. However, it’s the best cable machine with a single stack, offering mega-premium value that will last a lifetime and offer the best possible experience.
This is our favorite cable machine with a single cable and offers a perfect option if you want to invest in a product that will justify its price with decades of perfect quality.
- Great dual pulley system
- Opens up cable crossover exercises
- Perfectly sized for home gym use
- Commercial quality experience and ‘pull’
- Expensive compared to some alternatives
- Doesn’t have the same complete functions as some options
- Not the most versatile option
Best Premium Cable Machine
Rogue Fitness Monster CaveRogue Fitness Monster Cave is the best cable machine on the market – if you have no budget and can buy anything you want.
However, the cost is very high – but it doubles up as a squat rack and plate storage system, making it perfect for a single purchase to make a total premium home gym.
It offers dual, full cable crossovers on either side of the rack with a massive footprint and the best possible stability, dual weight stacks, commercial gym quality cable machines for home use.
If you have one of these, you may never need to buy anything again – except a bar, plates, and a weight bench. This is a functional trainer, cable crossover machines, a premium squat rack, a pull up bar selection, and integral storage for weight plates.
- Maximum versatility in one place
- One of the best cable machines around for home gyms with dual stacks and massive weight capacity
- Thoroughly comprehensive with plate storage and a whole squat rack and pull up bar integrated
- Obviously very expensive
- Doesn’t work well in existing home gyms
Best Value for Money Cable Machine
XMARK Functional Trainer Cable MachineThis is a great step down in cost from the Rogue monster cave without compromising on quality. It’s a single freestanding unit with dual weight stacks and full cable crossover machine function: you can train the traditional chest flye with this machine alone.
This product also comes with a weight bench that is used for things like lying chest flyes, reverse flyes, and other exercises. It doesn’t have a pull up bar, but a pair of handles.
The weight stacks are 200lbs each, as well as many attachments. It has long straps, short straps, a long bar for pulldowns, and a triceps rope as standard.
- Good balance of design and cost
- Effective versatility
- Good weight stacks with strong weight capacity
- No defining trait with massive dominance
- Offers a strong value offering
Best Entry Level Cable Machine
Inspire Fitness FTX Functional TrainerThis is a similar product to the XMARK functional trainer cable but offers a more affordable option that still offers 165lbs of dual stacks, complete cable crossovers for all the same core exercises and high quality build.
It’s a functional trainer with great versatility, a ton of smart cable machine design, and even a pull up bar despite the lower cost. This is definitely better pull up bar function than the XMARK functional trainer cable machine lacks.
The build quality here is, once again, excellent. It’s a commercial quality piece of gym equipment, and high quality adjustable pulleys with great moving parts, ensuring a nice long lifespan for your premium spend.
- Excellent build quality with total versatility
- Good functional trainer with strong features and a lower price tag than others
- Offers quality above its price point
- Great value for money with outstanding balance
- Smaller weight stack capacity
- Lacking some premium features
Best Mid Quality Cable Machine
Titan Functional Trainer Cable MachineThis is a dual stack cable machine that is almost identical to the XMARK functional trainer but at a lower cost and with a strong, reputable brand in the background.
This is a good cable machine for maximum quality at great value, even with the mid-upper price tag. The Titan cable crossover machine might be the best value on the market for a commercial quality cable machine.
The cables are high quality, the moving parts are perfectly durable, and the dual stacks are 200lbs each, offering great weight stacks for the cost. The accessories are also good.
- Outstanding attachments as standard
- Adjustability is a fantastic option for cable exercises
- Versatile, quality, and good value
- One of the best middle-market cable machines
- Excellent 200lbs weight stacks
- Possible the best value on the market
- Definitely not the cheapest
- Lacks some super-premium options and features
Best Affordable Double Cable Machine
Titan Cable Crossover MachineAnother Titan cable crossover machine, this is a simple but excellent alternative to the previous product. It’s a plate loaded cable machine with ‘dual weight stacks’, if you can call it that. The plate loaded design does mean a sub-commercial experience, but you’re also paying around 1/4 of the price of the functional trainer.
There’s no pull up bar and you do need your own weight plates, but this is a more affordable than most cable crossover machines, with a wide footprint but no major bulk and it’s surprisingly easy to disassemble., move, or just fit in smaller home gyms.
You can fit this into a basic garage or basement gym with an 8ft clearance, but offers complete variety. You need enough plates to load it up, but the upper limit to the weight capacity on a plate loaded cable machine.
- Excellent size and easy to build
- Light frame despite larger total footprint
- Surprisingly space-efficient since you can use the space under the frame
- Complete dual pulley system for cable crossovers
- Plate loaded machine lack total premium functions
- ‘Pull’ isn’t commercial quality
Super Cheap Wall Mounted Cable Machine
Valor Fitness BD 62 Wall Mounted Cable machineValor Fitness BD-62 is a wall mounted cable machine, which makes it one of the absolute best ways to save space in home gyms.
This is another plate loaded carriage system that offers more stability than you’d normally get from such a small piece of equipment due to the high quality wall mounting. It’s one of the best cable machines for the price, the size, and for home gym function due to the smart design.
This doesn’t offer the same quality and versatility as cable crossover machines, making it one of the best cable machines on pure benefit-per-dollar.
Sadly, you don’t get the same range of accessories that you’d get with the functional trainer, but you’re also paying around 1/10th of the price. You’ll get two strap handles, and the rest are aftermarket purchases you’ll need to pay for.
It’s a cable machine without the trimmings, and it is an excellent total choice.
- The second best ‘footprint’ of any item, after the Rogue Monster slinger
- Stability and quality above its price point
- Excellent total value for money
- Massive savings compared to free-standing cable machines
- Plate loaded lacks the total weight of other options
- Doesn’t offer a commercial quality pull
- Limited versatility with a single handle anchor
Cheapest Dual Cable Machine
Valor Fitness BD-61 Dual Adjustable Pulley SystemValor Fitness are back with BD-61, a complete dual weight stacks option with comparable features to XMARK and the Titan cable crossover machine. It has dual adjustable pulleys, which offer you a massive range of exercises.
Price-wise, it’s the lowest cost dual cable system on this list, but this is due to being a plate loaded system. It’s a major saving but comes with a ton of trimmings that make it a fantastic choice with outstanding value for money.
It comes with a built-in lat pulldown pulley, a low cable row, two cable crossover machines, as well as a full attachment set with a v-handle, row handle, and triceps rope.
This product has its own niche and it performs it perfectly bringing you the basics of dual cable function at the same kind of price you’d pay for some good weight benches.
- A dual adjustable pulley with excellent attachments
- Most versatile out-of-the-box for the price
- Plate loaded means more savings
- Very cheap compared to many options
- Lat pulldown and low cable pulleys are excellent
- Plate loaded for lower total quality feel
- Lacks many premium features
Cable Crossover Machine Buying Guide: Cable Machine for Home Gym Use
The cable machine is a perfect piece of home gym equipment because of the versatility it offers. The isotonic resistance is perfect for weight training and there are options on the market for both plate loaded cable machines (and attachments) and weight stack variations.
We’re going to look at the most important factors for choosing a cable machine for home gym use: type of cable machine, weight capacity, what kind of cable system it uses, the attachments (like the lat pulldown bar or triceps rope), and design or build quality.
Type of Cable Machine
Premium quality cable machine equipment is usually more expensive and offers a weight stack, for example.
Expensive cable machine design includes a weight stack that makes it better quality because the whole cable machine is built around this design. You may even get a dual weight stacks build, which offers the most cable machine exercises and use, but costs more and is significantly larger. Having two dual weight stacks is a huge training benefit, though.
Plate loaded cable machine design is typically cheaper and more versatile, but lower quality (with a few exceptions). There are versions for both standard and Olympic weight plates, with conversion pegs, and this lets you use weight plates you own for training with free weights.
Weight Capacity
The weight capacity of your cable machine – including the weight stack or the weight plates it can use – is crucial. This determines the upper end of your loading capacity and some muscle groups need significantly more than others.
Constant tension exercises like the lat pulldown require a lot of weight, while upper body rehab like the face pull might not. A high weight capacity is always good, though, as it offers more innate durability in the system. Not all cable machines are built with this longevity in mind and it can separate high quality cable machine design from lower quality.
Home gym equipment needs headroom – it needs to grow with your long-term development. A better weight capacity is always great for this and a cable crossover machine for home gym needs some surplus weight stack or weight plate opportunities.
Cable system: design and materials
The cable machine depends on the way that the pulley system is built. A good pulley system, with high quality dual adjustable pulleys and one central weight stack is the gold standard for most home gym cable machines.
There are also attachments to squat racks that use a dual cable pulley system, which can be a fantastic way to save money and get premium quality. The materials and design of your rig and pulley system need to be high quality, well-thought-out, and not limit your max weight load.
We always consider the build and quality for home gym equipment, because it matters for both durability and cable machine exercises. It’s a question of both functionality and the lifespan of your investment. Cable machines aren’t cheap and – in a home gym – that’s your hard-earned cash you need to protect.
Cable Machine Attachments: getting the best value cable machine for home gyms
The attachments to a cable machine dictate which cable machine exercises you can do. In this way, free attachments or the ability to expand your home gym equipment out with more cable machine attachments is great for versatility, value for money, and getting the most out of your pulley system (whether that’s a portable cable machine, compact cable machine, or just an attachment to your power rack).
This is the simple idea: the more things you can use your cable machine for, the better value you get for your home gym. Home gym equipment is best when it can do multiple things, and a cable machine is no exception.
Lat pulldown bar and triceps rope are the most common accessories, but we also like to see a double bar track, ez bar style attachment, individual handles, and any bar with a 45-degree option (perfect for shoulder health).
The more creative a brand gets with attachments, the better value they offer for home gyms. Focus on getting a high quality cable machine first, then look at the options that help target a specific muscle group, that offer functional trainer cable machine use, and even specific attachments for muscles in the lower body.
Is a cable machine good for home gym?
Yes – cable machines for home gyms are a perfect match. The best cable exercises are perfect to cover the weaknesses of a free weights gym, while you can get smaller options in the compact cable machine or portable cable machine.
A wall mounted cable machine is perfect for smaller spaces, while functional trainer cable machine bundles are great value if you’re looking to spend more to get a lot more value. Cable machines for home are all about finding the product features you need, and the space/budget you can spare.
Cable machines for home come in a wide range of builds, sizes, and costs. The cable machines we’ve looked at today are just some of the best cable systems on the market, and you can decide the best cable crossover machine for your priorities – but almost all of them are an asset to your home gym.
Which gym machine is best at home?
The cable machine is probably the best weight machine that you can use at home. While most plate loaded machines are useful, the cable machine (especially the models with weight stacks or dual weight stacks) is the most useful option.
Cable machines have multiple uses with dozens – if not hundreds – of exercises they open up. If your home gym already has free weights, then the cable machine is the best supporting exercise machine. It lets you focus in on the smaller muscles – and more expensive free-standing cable machines come with a pull up bar built-in, which is another great piece of equipment.
Overall, a good cable machine is a fantastic investment for home gyms, and the best cable machines completely change home gyms’ possibilities. Most cable machines are worth the money, and the best cable machine for home gym is the one that offers the best training options for your money.
Can you build muscle with cable machines?
You can build serious muscle with cable machines – though they’re typically better for upper body training than the lower body. Most cable machines are a great choice for building muscle, you just need to make sure that you’ve got the weight stack or weight plates to use serious weight.
Cable machines use isotonic, or constant tension, resistance. This is excellent for building postural strength in the upper body, or rehabilitation and control training in the lower body – such as terminal knee extensions or adductor training.
Cable machine exercises are best with higher reps, where you can really get the most from the isotonic resistance. It’s a perfect way to hit different muscle groups to normal, with specific focus on neglected muscle groups like the rear delts, lower traps, rotator cuff, or hip flexors.
Is a cable crossover machine worth it?
Yes – cable crossover machines are usually worth it for your home gym. The value of a cable machine is in the wide range of exercises that it is possible to use, and they tend to fill out the types of exercises you can’t perform with free weights.
For most people, the development options for the upper body in particular are worthwhile. You can use cable machines for home to get full body training with a combination of free weights, cable machine training, and a pull up bar or other body weight exercise.
Click here to view the article.
