What Are Cable Ratios on Gym Machines?
What Are Cable Ratios on Gym Machines?
Cable ratios, or pulley weight ratios, indicate what force is required to lift a selected weight. The smaller the cable pulley ratio, the more similar the resistance feels to the selected weight.
For example, in a 1:1 cable ratio, the resistance matches the weight selected so if you select 80kg on the weight stack, you'll feel 80kg of resistance. In contrast, a 4:1 cable ratio means the resistance you feel will be 20kg. There are three main cable ratios on gym machines, which are explained below.
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What Does a 1:1 Cable Ratio Mean?
This cable ratio means the weight selected is equal to the resistance you feel. 100kg on the stack will equal 100kg of resistance and would be best for people looking to build strength and size when targeting major muscle groups. Machines which offer this cable ratio include our Lat Pulldown Machine. This is also useful for experienced gym users who want to lift heavy loads when isolating smaller muscles.
What Does a 2:1 Cable Ratio Mean?
The weight selected is now reduced by 50%, so a 100kg stack weight provides 50kg of resistance. This suits those looking to participate in functional training because smaller muscle groups that are responsible for sport-specific activities can be targeted. The cable travel is also doubled, making it useful for exercises that require a large range of motion such as cable crossovers and wood chops. The speed of the weight movement is also halved, which helps provide a smoother action when performing exercises. Machines which offer this cable ratio include our Cable Crossover and Functional Trainer .
What Does a 4:1 Cable Ratio Mean?
Lastly, the 4:1 ratio means the resistance is quartered, so 100kg on the machine equals 25kg of resistance. This ratio typically offers smaller increments between each weight and increased cable length. People who would benefit from this include beginners, elderly people or those recovering from injury.
In summary, cable machines are versatile and can be used for a range of exercises to isolate specific muscle groups. Different cable pulley ratios have their own use cases and users should consider which ratio is best suited to their needs.
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