A selection of Mirafit cable attachments

A high-quality cable machine is the most versatile piece of equipment for any home gym. Period. They can enhance nearly all workout plans, offer hundreds of unique, quirky, and body-changing attachments to push you harder, and their effectiveness at testing your strength is almost unmatched (only losing out to strongman-style bar exercises).

And yet, while it has a wide variety of benefits for everyone, from gym newbies to experienced lifters, it’s one of the more under-appreciated additions when it comes to home gyms.

Maybe it’s because most people expect big equipment to cost big money? Or it could be that large machines look daunting? Either way, we’re here to tell you that neither is true. And that you could see great results for less money, and less hassle, than you might think.

They’re unquestionably the best ‘machine’

fitness expert uses a Mirafit tricep rope for pulldown exercises

Cables with pulley systems come under the ‘machine’ category when we talk about gym equipment. But most experienced lifters will tell you that they’re not quite a ‘machine’ when it comes to results.

While standard gym-level units like the bicep curl, ab cruncher, or seated row have their benefits, if used correctly, cables do a much better job at encouraging coordination, balance, and strength than their body-specific counterparts.

That’s mostly because they allow you to enjoy a full range of motion and eliminate too much muscle isolation, which has little benefit in the early stages of lifting.

They’re safer than their counterparts

Man doing a seated row with a Mirafit cable attachment

The freedom of movement cable machines provide also helps with avoiding injury. By allowing each person's unique body to move in their unique way, instead of following a machines' ‘fixed' motion, it can negate any discomfort that you might experience if a device isn't entirely built for your body type.

And, while we’d never encourage you to push yourself to a point where you’re dropping weights, dropping a secured weight stack is a lot safer than dropping a barbell or dumbbell, where heavy free-moving weights could potentially cause serious damage to your legs or feet.

They’re challenging for everyone

Man uses a Mirafit Single Stirrup Cable Attachment

It doesn't matter how strong you get, cables will always challenge your strength. Their constant tension and resistance make them the ultimate machine when it comes to strength training, and they even offer some benefits over free-weights like dumbbells.

Imagine chest flys, for example. You grip the weight, lie back, and immediately push the dumbbells above your chest before beginning your first rep. Sure, it's heavy, but with your arms extended over your chest, how long could you sit there? 30 seconds? A minute? And is it your chest that's giving up, or your arms?

Swap the dumbbells out for a cable, and you'll find the weight pulling against your chest before you've even begun. You've converted the peak of the exercise from a moment of rest, into the section with the biggest strain on your muscles

Rest is for after your set, not during, and cables will make sure you get none.

A jack of all trades

Man doing a lat pulldown with a Mirafit Thick Grip Lat Pulldown Bar Cable Attachment

Attachments, attachments, and more attachments. If you've got an exercise in mind, you'll find the hot-swap attachment for the job or one that'll help you do something even better. And it's that versatility that makes the cable machine the jack of all trades that gym-goers love.

If you've seen a cable set up at your local gym, then you've probably seen the wall of ropes, bars, and unusually shaped grips next to it. We're going to cover some of our favourite attachments to help you to make the most of your cable machine at home.

Pulldown bars

Pronated, supinated, close-grip or wide, this simple yet effective Bar offers you a ton of options when it comes to training. Looking for something to hit your lats? Lat pulldowns. Biceps? Underhand close-grip pulls. Traps? Keep the weight light and try behind-the-neck pulldowns.

Cable ropes

You've probably seen it in every gym, and for a good reason. The Rope is a cable-machine staple and is perfect for training arms in particular. When it comes to triceps, it's hard to find a competitor for a better contraction than the tricep pushdown. Biceps will get a real boost from finishing off your workout with a droplet of hammer grip curls. And you could improve your shoulders, and your posture with regular face pulls. Did we mention a rope helps with abs too?

Stirrup handles

These simple Handles with rotating grips can help you to target nearly every muscle on your upper body in some way. Front raises, lateral raises, and reverse raises, all help to develop your shoulders and upper back. Single-arm seated rows or bent over rows will strengthen your lats. Bicep curls or tricep press-ups will work your arms. And woodchoppers can define your core. You can even target your chest with single arm flys or a constant-tension chest press. Pair a second handle, and you'll find even more exercises to explore.

And more

While our three favourite attachments will strengthen your entire upper body, there’s a whole range of other Accessories that you can attach to your cable machine with an easy to use Carabiner Clip — including rotating straight bars, ankle straps, close-grip v-bars, and multi-grip curl and row bars.

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Tags: Equipment > Accessories ; Exercise Type > Strength