Coming to grips with cable attachments

At most gyms, you see a large heap of metal bars and handles sitting in a plastic container or milk crate. This pile may look like junk but, actually, it’s more like a treasure chest. By attaching these handles to a cable pulley, you create an unlimited variety of exercises.

Some people are afraid to go near this pile, so they simply use whatever bar happens to already be attached to the cable. But if you frequently switch the handles, your workout can be more fun. Here’s a rundown of the most popular cable attachments:

• Ankle collar: You clip this wide leather ankle bracelet to the pulley to perform exercises such as leg lifts, back kicks, and leg curls. The ankle collar can strengthen your inner and outer thighs while you’re standing. We don’t use the ankle collar in this book, but a trainer can fill you in on the details.
• Curved short bar: Some of these are U-shaped and some are V-shaped. Both varieties are used almost exclusively for triceps exercises, such as the triceps pushdown.
• Long bar: These bars come in various lengths and are commonly used for back exercises that involve pulling the bar to your chest. You can pull these bars with an underhand or overhand grip, and you can place your hands as far apart or as close together as you like.
• Rope: This attachment is most commonly used for triceps exercises such as the triceps pushdown.
• Straight short bar: This bar is used in triceps exercises, biceps curls, and rows. We especially like to use this bar for the triceps pushdown and the seated cable row.