There’s a reason why cable machines have become as occupied like benches on a Monday. This versatile machine gives you great options to train your upper and lower body. And all the attachments —from ropes, D-handles, and straight bars — allow you to attack your muscles with different grips and angles for better muscle development.
When it comes to training the lower body, the cable machine is a solid option alongside dumbbells, barbells, and resistance bands. But the cable machine has one major advantage over these tools. With a cable machine, the resistance is constant throughout the range of motion, unlike dumbbells, barbells, and bands which means better muscle tension and muscle building potential.
Here we will go into the benefits of using cable machine exercises, sets, and rep suggestions and four great exercises to program into your lower body training for variety and hypertrophy.
3 BENEFITS OF CABLE MACHINE EXERCISES
Constant Tension: Each strength exercise has a strength curve. This is the force generated at each point throughout an exercise’s range of motion, as the resistance you feel is not constant. And this is due to your joint angles, But the cable machine provides constant tension throughout the ROM which can result in more muscle and strength.
More Core Work: Most cable machine exercises are performed standing, training on the cable machine engages more of the muscles of the lower back, hips, obliques, and abs. And when you train unilaterally, this takes it all up a notch.
Muscle Development: With the cable machine’s freedom of movement, combined with the ability to go high and low and to change your grip with different attachments, you’ll be able to train your muscles from a variety of angles for better overall muscle development.
CABLE MACHINE SETS AND REPS SUGGESTIONS
The cable machine is a great tool to train your muscles from multiple angles, using various attachments for better overall muscle development. One thing the cable machine isn’t great for is absolute strength. The best tool for strength will always be the barbell.
The cable machine weight stack usually varies between 100 to 200 pounds, which means when you top out, you only can do more reps or perform tempo lifting. Better to program cable machine exercise for variety, hypertrophy, and to strengthen your weakness. For the following exercises perform after your big strength movement for the day for two-four sets from anywhere from six to 15 reps.
THE FOUR BEST CABLE MACHINE EXERCISES
There are other options, but these four exercises are compound movements that train more muscle and have a direct carryover to improve your lower-body barbell lifts.
This is one exercise you don’t want to smile or make eye contact with strangers because this reminds people of “other” things. However, the cable pull-through is a pure hip-hinge exercise that forces you to sit back in your hips and will strengthen weak or underactive glutes which can be a problem when locking out your squats and deadlifts.
MUSCLES TRAINED: Glutes, hamstrings, abs.
HOW IT HELPS: This reinforces good hip-hinge mechanics and it’s easier on your lower back if you’re suffering from lower-back pain.
HOW TO DO IT: Attach a rope to the cable set on its lowest setting. Then turn around and face away from the machines with the rope attachment between your legs and palms facing each other. Take a few steps away from the machine, set your feet hip-width apart, and push your hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Make sure to keep your back neutral. Then reverse the movement, squeezing your glutes at lockout. Reset and repeat.
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Cable Machine Belt Squat
The cable machine belt squat is similar to the machine version except for the loading angle. This squat variation is a great way to train the squat without loading the spine or using the upper body. Because you’re squatting with a vertical torso, with the weight around your hips, there is less compressive load on your lower back. This helps build your quads and glutes without grinding your joints.
MUSCLES TRAINED: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves
HOW IT HELPS: This exercise mimics the front squat without the compressive load of the barbell, allowing you to add volume to your quads without stressing your joints too much.
HOW TO DO IT: Hook the belt to the cable machine with the cable on the lowest setting. Place the belt around your hips, walk back until the weight stack is separated, and stand tall with your shoulders down and chest up. Squat down keeping an upright torso to your desired depth and push through your feet, and squat back up. Reset and repeat.
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Cable Machine Front Squat
The cable machine front squat is similar to the goblet squat except for the obvious. Your training upper back and anterior core strength plus your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. When training with heavier dumbbells, setting up the exercise can become a problem, but with the cable machine, you’ll be able to train with bigger weights with cable attachments rather than a bulky dumbbell or kettlebell.
MUSCLES TRAINED: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
HOW IT HELPS: It allows you to train the goblet squat with heavier weights without the hassle of getting the dumbbell or kettlebell into position.
HOW TO DO IT: Attach a D handle, a bar, or a rope to the pulley (set on its lowest setting) while standing in front of the cable machine with your feet in your preferred squat position. Squat down and pull the handle to your shoulders and stand up. Then squat down to your preferred squat depth, pause, and push through your feet to squat back up. Repeat for the desired reps and sets.
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Cable Machine Single-Leg RDL
The traditional Single-leg Romanian deadlift is great for increased performance, injury prevention or rehabilitation, and for strengthening imbalances between sides. The cable machine variation with the weight being anteriorly loaded acts as a counterbalance making it easier to sink back into your hips. Plus, due to the loading angle, this is an easier variation to do and to go heavier with as opposed to dumbbells or kettlebells.
MUSCLES TRAINED: Hamstrings and glutes.
HOW IT HELPS: This move strengthens imbalances between sides and is easier to do than other dumbbells/kettlebell variations because balance is less of an issue with the weight being anteriorly loaded.
HOW TO DO IT: Attach a handle on the cable machine with it set on the lowest setting. Hold the handle in one hand and stand up straight. Take on the same leg off the ground as the hand gripping the handle unlock your knee, and hinge back let your outstretched arm go towards the cable machine. Once you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, push your foot through the floor and extend the hip, returning to the starting position. Reset and repeat.
