Why are cables inferior?

[elg123]

I can easily understand why most prefer free weights to machines(set path of motion causes injury over time, as one grows) but why are cable based exercises scoffed at as such a joke. I know alot of people that are just in the gym to "dik around usually take them up and do 20lbs on cable crossovers, but theoretically they are very similar to free weights. You can emulate benchs squats and deads, and even make slight modifications to improve the exercise, They allow free range of motion, The weight may be constant vs free weights are dynamic, but this simply eliminates inertia from surrounding muscles. Charles poliquin,Michael colgan, and Louie Simmons are all huge advocates and hey say there is very little difference between free weights and cables when equivalent amount of weight is used. they are strengh coaches, not functional, core trainers btw.

tHere are the only problems i see and hey may be bigger then i think
there seems to be an increase need for the muscles to stabilize when using cables. This seems to be counter productive to grow muscle, as when the body is attempting to stabilize you simply cant use as much weight(tension on the intended muscle) you need to use enough weigh to grow. I think that using a bench and putting the body on an even plane with the cable(adjustable cable stack) would eliminate this problem and allow one to greatly increase the amount of weight used> there are ones that allow the use of free weights instead of a selectorized stack as well. I have seen variations on cables that are not "functional" exercises and are very similar to their free weight ounterparts

All the theory in the world doesn't match experience in my opinion, so i would like opinions from people that have been lifting much longer then myself, has anyone ever used higher weight on these stacks and really pushed themselves, what are your reasons for liking or not liking this method of training

 

[Apro]

I certainly do not believe cables are inferior - they serve their own purpose (for me). However, I do believe that there is no way on this Earth that I could be anywhere near the size I am if all I employed where cables - especially in place of free-weight compound movements for my core mass/strength builders in major muscle groups. One thing I do, however, is I seldom ever use free-weights for my direct tricep work - bis, yeah, but not tris. Having said that, my tricep mass was founded on heavy free-weight movements - but in the last 2 years, I guess, I have dropped the direct free-weight tricep stuff and opted for cable exercises. As always, everyone is different and what best achieves one person's intended goal may not neccessarily do jack for the next man. Maybe I'll post a pic to lend credance to my post - I am as big and developed as the biggest guys - certainly never started out that way and it has taken forever. There are some exercises I had to dump in time because the weights I was beginning to employ in certain movements were just too much and too risky when I was "bodybuilding" and not doing largely "one and done" in powerlifting. And, after so long, joints take a beating and shit starts tearing - if I refused to become mindful of that, I would eventually be destroying myself and body-wrecking rather than Building.

 

[Future]

Cables have their positives as well: constant tension.

Whatever works use it. Bands, cables, machines, leverage equipment, free weights, just use something.

 

[Apro]

Cables have their positives as well: constant tension.

Whatever works use it. Bands, cables, machines, leverage equipment, free weights, just use something.

Exactly. (Lord, I hate banded box squats - don't mind chains but when everybody is squatting with bands I tend to wander (sneak) away.)

 

[elg123]

Thanks, very helpful answers

 

[Ashop]

Cables have their positives as well: constant tension.

Whatever works use it. Bands, cables, machines, leverage equipment, free weights, just use something.

I like to train with cables,,,maybe not all workouts,,,but they do have their own benefits.

 

[oldfella]

Cables

Cables certainly do have their place in training and mass building! They are not inferior, only when used incorrectly s anything would be. Some devasting sessions can be done with cable work. So do not avoid them but do use a mix of other methods as well!

 

[homonunculus]

I def. think cables have their place, but I'll toss out some of the things that may have contributed to their somewhat negative reputation (just for the sake of discussion).

The weight on many stacks is too low for guys with substantial strength to do some exercises. A cable cross-over rarely has enough weight for a triceps press-down (us. must be done on a lat pulldown for guys who incline / bench over 300 or so, I'd guess). You can't really do heavy lifts like deads (if you're reasonably strong) or squats with cables.

Lots of guys like chest training. For low rep, heavy cable work (cross-overs), its a pain to get into position with enough weight to really stress the chest the way a heavy DB fly would, so many guys doing cable cross-overs are training light. (Def. not always true - check out Marcus Ruhl on Made in Germany - he does some sick cross-cable training.)

The cables have friction unlike free weights (and generally more than most cam-driving or leverage machines, I think). Friction on the concentric side of things reduces the weight you can handle (lift), but unfortunately REDUCES the load on the eccentric part of the lift (lowering), which is the most important for muscle growth (damage and remodeling process).

I think there's a general perception that machines (I'm including cables in this category here) aren't as difficult as free weights and you can obviously kind of conceal how much weight you are doing. (This is kind of a machismo thing, it think, but maybe its just me... LOL) The guy buckling up to do side laterals with free weights is probably a bit more serious about his training than the guy who's doing them with cables... (NOT ALWAYS true, though - thinking of Dorian's Blood and Guts where he's doing behind the back cable laterals...)

Anyway, just some thoughts...

-R

 

[JohnnyPro]

There is a guy at my gym with big defined arms and all he does for arms is use cables. He does drop sets and high volume.