Understanding cable machines

Not all machines use a cam. A class of equipment called cable machines uses a typical round pulley. A cable machine is a vertical metal beam, called a tower, with a pulley attached. You can adjust the height of the pulley to move it close to the floor, up over your head, or anywhere in between. Some cable machines have two towers. Cable machines are more versatile than Nautilus-type machines. Clip a new handle onto the pulley and you instantly create a new exercise. Consider the triceps pushdown, . Pressing down with a rope feels considerably different from pressing down with a V-shaped bar. You may prefer one attachment to the other, or you may want to use both for variety. See the sidebar “Coming to grips with cable attachments,” in this chapter for a rundown of the most popular attachments..