Cable Machine Workouts for Strength and Muscle

Safe. Versatile. Efficient. 

You may be wondering why I’m listing these seemingly random words. Well, there’s a reason. These are just some of the benefits of working out on a piece of gym equipment that can sometimes get overlooked. That’s correct—the cable machines.

We appreciate that you may already know or do one or two cable exercises, such as the cable fly or cable tricep pushdown. But, contrary to popular belief, you can get a full-body workout using the cables only. If done properly, you’ll still be able to build strength and muscle, similar to traditional resistance training using free weights.

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As a certified personal trainer (CPT), I’m here to show you how. I’ll start by explaining the benefits of training with cable machines, then go into the best cable machine exercises. To finish, I’ll even give you some tips on how to make the most of your cable machine workouts.

Why Train With Cable Machines? 

So, you’re intrigued. But maybe you’re still skeptical and don’t think cable machines are as good for building as free weights. I’ve been there. Before you make that decision, read this section. I also consulted with certified personal trainer (CPT) and GGR Head of Content Kate Meier to get her thoughts.

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Here are three reasons why you should consider training with cable machines:

Safety

If you’re new to strength training or have had injuries that limit your mobility, cable machines are safer than barbells or dumbbells, especially for some exercises. Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, says, “Doing flyes or tricep extensions with dumbbells puts a lot of stress on your joints, especially as you get older.” 

Even if you’ve been lifting weights for a while, replacing free weight exercises with cables may help limit your risk of injury. 

Versatility

With cables, you can easily change the attachment, your grip, or the positioning of the pulley to target a different area of the muscle group you’re working on. This makes the cables extremely versatile. Compared to selectorized weight training machines, with the cable machines, starting and ending joint angles may be better, and you may get a better range of motion (ROM), according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research¹. 

More Efficient

Compound exercises using barbells or dumbbells are great, but they usually require long rest times in between sets. You may not want to superset them because you want your body to recover fully. When using cable machines, you usually need shorter rest periods and can do supersets or tri-sets to make your workout efficient. 

“Cable machine workouts are great for when I’ve only got 30 minutes or so to exercise because I’m able to do five or six full-body exercises for three or four sets each,” Kate adds. 

Best Cable Machine Exercises 

Now that you’re completely sold on using cable machines for your next training session, see below for my 12 favorite cable machine workouts: