If you haven’t explored the cable machine at your local gym yet, it’s time to start. Cable machines provide a form of resistance training, which means they can help sculpt lean muscle and burn fat. Having more muscle heightens your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which means you torch more calories at rest, aiding in your weight-loss progress. So, we did the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best cable machine exercises for weight loss, according to Domenic Angelino, CPT from International Personal Training Academy (IPTA), and Amanda Capritto, a certified personal trainer and functional training specialist from PTPioneer.com.
Cable machine exercises are an excellent addition to your overall fat-burning routine. Be sure to select movements that engage as many muscle groups as possible, stresses Angelino. “You will burn more calories doing a cable exercise that involves your biceps and your back muscles than you will by just performing a cable exercise for only your biceps,” he explains.
1. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Sit down at the lat pulldown machine, making sure the supports hold your legs firmly in place.
- Assume a wide grip, grabbing onto the outer ends of the lat pulldown bar.
- Bend and drive your elbows down to lower the attachment.
- Slowly raise your arms to return to the start position.
2. Seated Close-Grip Cable Row (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Sit on a workout bench.
- Hold a close-grip cable attachment with your palms facing inward.
- Drive your elbows back as you row the attachment toward your upper abs.
- Slowly straighten your arms to return to the start position.
3. Kneeling Cable One-Arm Overhead Press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Kneel down so your body is perpendicular to a cable tower with your abs facing the side.
- Grab a pulley attachment with the arm that’s closest to the tower.
- Press that arm up until it’s fully extended.
- Lower your arm.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other.
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4. Cable Pull-Through (3 sets of 15 reps)
- Stand tall, facing away from a cable tower and holding onto a rope attachment between your legs.
- Make sure your feet are planted wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward and squat down.
- Rise back up to standing as you pull the rope attachment forward between your legs, squeezing your glutes.
5. One-Arm Cable Chest Press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Stand perpendicular to a cable tower.
- Hold a pulley attachment at chest height.
- Press your arm forward toward the midline of your torso, making sure your torso doesn’t rotate.
- Bring your arm back to the start position.
- Complete all reps before switching over to the other side.
6. Cable Bicep Curl
- Adjust the cable machine so the pulley is at the bottom.
- Attach a rope or straight bar to the cable machine and adjust the weight.
- Stand tall, feet shoulder-distance apart, facing the weight stack.
- Take hold of the rope or bar, keeping your core tight and spine neutral.
- Bend both elbows to curl the weight upward.
- Briefly pause at the end of the range of motion and lower the weight.
- Perform your chosen rep scheme so that the sets are taken to a point of near-failure.
7. Cable Goblet Squat
- Adjust the cable machine so the pulley is at the bottom.
- Attach a V-bar or rope attachment and adjust the weight.
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart, facing the weight stack.
- Grab the rope or bar and bring the attachment toward your chest.
- Stand tall and keep your core tight and spine neutral.
- Step back a bit and plant your feet in a comfortable squat position.
- Descend into a squat.
- Rise back up and repeat.
- Perform your chosen rep scheme so that the sets are taken to a point of near-failure.
