by James - This article may contain affiliate links.
A cable crossover machine is one of the most versatile strength training equipment for a home gym.
It could be hard to list all the muscle building and shaping exercises we can do with the help of it. We can have total body training. Personally, I always add a cable weight machine exercise to my workout plan for definition, versatility or targeting areas that I cannot with free weights.
Do you want one for your home gym?
They are a one-time investment but can be an expensive one. Though the benefits are worth the expense. If you’re making a good investment, you don’t have to go around finding the broken parts of the machine in some months.
Here I will show you the best-rated models, review them and give advice on what to pay attention to when buying a home cable machine. So, in the end, you will know which is the most suitable for you.
Contents
- 1 Top Rated Home Cable Crossover Machines Comparison
- 2 Cable Weight Machine Reviews
- 2.1 1. PowerLine Cable Crossover PCCO90X
- 2.2 2. Body-Solid Functional Cable Cross Training Center
- 2.3 3. XMark Functional Trainer Home Cable Machine with Dual 200 lb Weight Stacks XM-7626
- 2.4 4. Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station
- 2.5 5. FreeMotion Light Commercial EXT Dual Cable Cross
- 2.6 6. Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage with Pulley System
- 3 Cable Cross Machine FAQ
Top Rated Home Cable Crossover Machines Comparison
1. POWERLINE PCCO90X
2. BODY-SOLID CABLE CROSS TRAINING CENTER
3. XMARK FUNCTIONAL TRAINER
4. Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station
5. MARCY DIAMOND ELITE
AFFORDABLEÂ CLASSIC MODEL
HIGHEST RESISTANCE
EXCELLENT USER EXPERIENCE
THE MOST COMPACT
SMITH MACHINE WITH CABLE CROSSOVER
1. POWERLINE PCCO90X
AFFORDABLEÂ CLASSIC MODEL
2. BODY-SOLID CABLE CROSS TRAINING CENTER
HIGHEST RESISTANCE
3. XMARK FUNCTIONAL TRAINER
EXCELLENT USER EXPERIENCE
4. Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station
THE MOST COMPACT
5. MARCY DIAMOND ELITE
SMITH MACHINE WITH CABLE CROSSOVER
Cable Weight Machine Reviews
1. PowerLine Cable Crossover PCCO90X
Basic home cable pulley machine that is compact and affordable.
PCCO90X helps you to achieve a body of total performer with its amazing features. It comes with pulleys with large diameters, adjustable handles for height which can be useful for tall guys, option to use your own plates. It also has a size which is appropriate for typical room. This machine allows the users to perform as many exercises they want with the variability it offers.
Features
- The machine is 88” tall with a width of 166” and a length of 39” which makes it best size for every room.
- The user is provided with two chrome cable handles excluding the weights which should be added according to the users’ choice.
- It also has a movement degrees of 180 which is an addition to the many features and allows the high and low pulley exercises.
- This cheap cable crossover machine has dual grips which are locked-down and has a large width spacing. This allows the user to do all the exercises involving extraction and contraction.
- Powerline provides an instruction manual which are so easy to understand, and the machine can easily settle up without help from many people.
2. Body-Solid Functional Cable Cross Training Center
It provides the experience as a gym cable machine.
Body Solid is a little more expensive than the other home cable machines here but adds to the features with that expense. The size of this machine is smaller than the other crossovers while this one has weight stacks included of about 160 lb. which is the usual stack used by people. The crossover does let you change the weight stack as you wish for.
Features
- The best thing about the machine is its pulley system which moves 180 degrees with a bigger ratio on it. This feature allows the user to go further more with the plates. The resistance of the pulley moving is minimum, and this makes the machine incredible as the exercises go with a perfect flow.
- The chart provided with the machine helps you understand clearly on what is this equipment able to do.
- The handles of the machine have a good grip and are comfortable too. The nylon strips on the outer grip make exercising and holding easy yet strong.
- The load you want to put on the machine, and yourself does vary too, and you can work on with about 210 lbs per side which are more than enough for athletes too.
- The cost of the machine is quite reasonable depending on the features which are provided.
- The design of the device is sleek too as it’s not very big like the other models available and doesn’t ruin the look of your home gym too.
- It comes with a pull up bar that is essential to make the most efficient bodyweight back exercises such as the pull up and chin up.
3. XMark Functional Trainer Home Cable Machine with Dual 200 lb Weight Stacks XM-7626
Professional pulley weight machine
XMark XM-7626 cable home gym is one of its kind highly adjustable cable crossover machine which is different from the other ones as it has additional features which the typical crossover machines exclude.
- Just like the other crossovers, XMark also has a flexible pulley system, but this one has 19 adjustable settings which make it more flexible, resistant and adds more to the exercising routine. The user can fit the size of the pulley according to their preferences and size.
- Moreover, this cable trainer includes 2 hand straps and 2 long strap handles too which makes it similar to the other gym exercising machines.
- The machine also has a triceps rope, short and long bars which make these easy to handle and operate with different forms. For the legs, the machine has proper leg extension and leg curl.
- All the cable crossover machines let the user play with different angles and exercising methods, but this particular crossover gives proper straps, ropes and handles for various exercising method making it even easier for the user. The long handles, long bars, and straps are a great addition to the upper body while the leg extensions are a great addition to the lower body parts.
- There are 200 lb weight stacks available which mean around 100 lbs of resistance per side which is quite good for an average person. In case, you want to have more weight; the machine allows you to change that.
- The equipment is kind of heavy and therefore, you should get hold of the individual pieces first in moving and then set up the whole thing where you want it to be. The body is made of steel mainframe heavy duty construction. The scratch resistant coat lets it work around for a larger time than the standard models.
4. Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station
A typical problem with a cable crossover machine for home is that it requires a lot of space. BD-62 is a good solution for people with a lack of space. It is a wall-mounted corner cable machine that you can install in the corner of your home gym, for example. The footprint is just 25 inches by 25 inches. The height is 80″ which is OK for most of the people, although somebody over 6 feet may find it a bit low.
It is not a stack machine. Therefore, you need to own weight plates. If you do not have weights yet, that means extra cost. But, if you already have, you can save a lot of money, as it cost just a fraction of the other machines here.
It has a compact design but still comes with dual-attachments that are close to each other. This way, you cannot perform so many types of exercises as if you were using a traditional machine. Valor Fitness BD-62 is more suitable for close grip or single arm pulling exercises like chest press, triceps extensions, biceps curls, rows, etc.
This cable fitness equipment comes with two handle straps. But, for 30 bucks you can get a tricep rope, single D-Handle, V-Shaped bar package making it an even more versatile strength training equipment. But still, it is not suitable for doing lat pulldown with a wide bar.
The weight ratio is about 1:1. So, you can lift almost as much you load on the machine. The maximum capacity is 250 lb which should be enough for most of the people.
5. FreeMotion Light Commercial EXT Dual Cable Cross
The FreeMotion EXT Dual is an entirely different type of cable workout machine than the ones we were discussing. This is a nice and small piece which is extraordinarily good when it comes to the strengthening of the body. This equipment is made keeping in mind the functions of the cable crossover and lets the user take advantage of the premium features easily while also working out on all the different body parts. The equipment is safe and easy to use.
Features
- This commercial cable crossover machine has a pulley system which is swivel making it less resistant than the other crossovers. The swivel design also allows the users to move around practically with the machine in different motion directions. The adjustable arms in the Dual Cable Cross rotates to around 12″ vertically and 9″ horizontally which again helps in the movement of the body.
- This cable gym equipment not only focuses on different muscles but different body type sections needed to be an expert in various sports.
- It also has an ankle cuff which is padded inside the product. This makes the exercising safe and comfortable for the user
- One important feature of this cable cross is its multi-functionality. Unlike other models, in this one, two people can work out on the same machine at one given a point of time. The weight stacks are placed in such a way that it lets more than one person to workout.
- It is easy, fun and has complete precision on the exercises you can do one with this one. The features and design are outstanding, and I can easily workout on this one for an hour and never feel the need to leave. The machine is made professionally by a good name in the equipment industry.
6. Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage with Pulley System
Marcy Diamond Elite Smith Cage is a blast of features for those who love strength training workouts. The machine is one stop for all the exercises to build muscle and develop strength.
Features
- The features of this equipment included linear bearings including the ultra-glide and the press bar. The machine also has a dual function leg developer available for the ease.
- The pulley system of this machine is the low side which is a perfect one when workouts for foot and row exercises. Keeping in mind the movement needs, its pulley systems are operated with different motion system which helps to keep the resistance low and exercise precise.
- This smith machine with weight pulley system is better than a traditional one because it lets you sit on or move according to the need of the exercise you’re performing.
- Moreover, the multi-functional bench provided gives you support to perform the other functions smoothly and with a focus on the muscles only. The total leg developer and bicep preacher curl give you a great boost to work on both your legs and hands at the same time.
- The capacity of the equipment is much more than those provided by the other players. It provides with 600 lb of weights in total which can vary according to you.
- Along with the cable pulley machine, included is the Olympic weight plate pegs which are a great addition for an athlete or a gym-freak.
Cable Cross Machine FAQ
Why have one at your home gym?
Why is it so beneficial to add the cable crossover machine in your daily exercise routine? Here are some of the reasons worth considering.
- A cable cross home gym lets your workout from different angles using all the muscles of the body. Develop your legs, arms, knees or core muscles, all this can be done by exercising on one strength training equipment.
- It lets your workout on one side of the body at one time which strengthens the focus on both the sides without getting too tired with the exercises.
- A cable weight system lets you work on all the muscles of the body without wasting time on different machines and equipment.
- They let you put more pressure on your core when you exercise and lets you strengthen the body and muscles better than other machines.
If you are tired of exercising since ages on your old treadmill and cycles, this fitness equipment will be a good addition to old machines. It will be an excellent addition to your room to shape your muscles and for bodybuilding.
List Exercises You Can Do With Cable Pulley Machine
- They can be used for shoulders and triceps while working as alternating cable shoulder press where you use force to move the hands upward with the cable.
- You can use this for lower back and middle trap by doing bent over low-pulley side lateral where you use pull forces.
- You can also use cable chest press which is an exercise done for chest, shoulders and triceps.
- Moreover, this machine can also be used for lower body exercises for knees, legs, abdominals, and other body parts.
There are many video guides available on the internet to understand how to use and the exercises you can do with this equipment. A range of options for exercising is available which can be used differently depending on your workout plan.
Maintenance?
No serious maintenance is required, just don’t forget to use lubricant on the cables and attachments depending on the how often you use it.
Alternatives?
I cheaper and more compact alternative is the lat pulldown machine, but it provides a far fewer opportunities to work out.
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Last update on 2023-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Thanks for the reviews. I’d like to set up my own home gym and I cannot decide if I should buy free weights or a cable crossover first. What do you think which is better to invest into first.
It depends on. If you wan to build muscle mass and strength, then free weight are better, IMO. But if you are beginner, you should learn how to perform the exercises correctly. I suggest you to read our post Free Weights vs. Machines.
If I had a choice, I would take the cable crossover machine every time. The range of exercises and the ability to work a series of muscles, the versatility of this machine is all you need. It can work arms legs stomach- the possibilities are endless.