The Official Cable Attachments Buyer's Guide

[Deep-Voiced-One]

So I thought this would be a good idea with Christmas right around the corner and all. I wanted to make a resourceful thread for people to post their favorite cable attachments with pics, opinions and reviews of why they like the piece(s) they own (Include the certain style of handle(s) and specific company it came from). Also feel free to send links to products you find for suggestions, or as links to ask others that are here if they have tried them and what they thought of the piece(s).

[Hardgains88]

Good thread, I'll take some pics today when working out and post. Like the topic!

[urbanlifter]

Best Curl/Tricep Attachment: American Barbell (GP Industries) Revolving Solid Pressdown V-Bar

Urethane handles are textured nicely, it rotates to take the strain off your wrists, and for me its the perfect width for supersetting curls and triceps. They are FREAKING expensive, but you will not find higher quality cable attachments. I plan on buying the entire urethane line slowly over time.

[urbanlifter]

EliteFTS Swiss Multi Grip Cable Bar Attachment

Another great cable attachment for supersetting, I mainly use this bar for pulldowns and its worth every penny. It's the highest quality powdercoating I have seen anywhere (putting BWTG and Edge Fitness to shame), its very coarse and provides excellent grip. However I would be afraid to attempt low rows with this if your pulley is low to the ground, dragging this bad boy up your shins would be a VERY unpleasant experience.

[uforce]

i hope many others post in here. i really want to add cables to my home gym. hoping to see some cost effective options.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Good thread, I'll take some pics today when working out and post. Like the topic!

Thanks man, I'll contribute to this thread as well when I receive the lat machine and get one of the handles out there for it.

[jormone]

MAG maximum advantage grip is recommended:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1000914713

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1306733921

[Ramcharger310]

I can chime in on a new el cheapo attachment I got today.

CAP Barbell Solid Curl Bar with Revolving Hanger, 28"
http://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-So...lat+attachment

All I can say is you get what you pay for and this cost $15 shipped. The swivel joint was so dry in screamed like a banshee. I had to use 8 drops of 3n1 for it to quiet down. The finish is rough.




Such tight tolerances.....

[Deep-Voiced-One]

MAG maximum advantage grip is recommended:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1000914713

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1306733921

Do these attachments have rubber coating on them? Kind of looks like it which is kind cool. From the reviews they seem like nice quality pieces that target the specific muscle group without grip giving out, but from an appearance standpoint they don't look all that impressive for the price I mean they could've made them a little different looking to identify which piece is which lol (But I guess that doesn't matter as long as they work as demonstrated).

[Deep-Voiced-One]

I can chime in on a new el cheapo attachment I got today.

CAP Barbell Solid Curl Bar with Revolving Hanger, 28"
http://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-So...lat+attachment

All I can say is you get what you pay for and this cost $15 shipped. The swivel joint was so dry in screamed like a banshee. I had to use 8 drops of 3n1 for it to quiet down. The finish is rough.




Such tight tolerances.....

I was thinking of buying a few additional handles from Cap, or Weightlifter's Warehouse off of Amazon...They were affordable (Especially after just ordering the lat machine through there)...Now thanks to the boards I'm considering checking out a few mid to higher end handles for the machine...Grrrrr.

[jormone]

Do these attachments have rubber coating on them? Kind of looks like it which is kind cool. From the reviews they seem like nice quality pieces that target the specific muscle group without grip giving out, but from an appearance standpoint they don't look all that impressive for the price I mean they could've made them a little different looking to identify which piece is which lol (But I guess that doesn't matter as long as they work as demonstrated).

Check out the youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...g+maximum+grip

Its more about muscle targeting & activation & feel of the movement than about what the attachment looks like

[uforce]

i hope many others post in here. i really want to add cables to my home gym. hoping to see some cost effective options.

guys, didn't realize this was an attachments thread. but, what are some cheap ways to get cables into my home gym? is the spud inc econo worth the $85? seems like i could make it cheaper....

[BulkMore]

Best Curl/Tricep Attachment: American Barbell (GP Industries) Revolving Solid Pressdown V-Bar

Urethane handles are textured nicely, it rotates to take the strain off your wrists, and for me its the perfect width for supersetting curls and triceps. They are FREAKING expensive, but you will not find higher quality cable attachments. I plan on buying the entire urethane line slowly over time.

Man that is sick looking, never saw one. $90 is steep but the quality looks top notch.

[rpark]

REPOST:
Black Iron Strength cable attachments...Handles are knurled too. (copper looking handles are supposedly germ killers, not a big deal for a home gym though)
Website must have just been redesigned http://www.blackironstrength.com
******** page https://www.********.com/Black-Iron-...=page_internal

and


TK Star fat triceps pushdown, last I heard he only offered the unfinished version with clear coat
http://tkstar.com/product.sc?productId=1&categoryId=98

[urbanlifter]

The copper looks cool, but if its just coating how durable it is to scratching and abuse? Also what happens when it starts to tarnish, because I have a solid copper cup for my favorite cocktail and its a PITA to keep it from looking like a dirty penny LOL.

[themaddemon]

I love my MAG attachments.

This handle looks awesome.... any reviews?

http://bumperplates.com/umax-strengt...er-handle.html

[Deep-Voiced-One]

I'm thinking of getting this handle possibly (If I don't go with a mag grip handle). Anybody have any experience with this attachment? http://americanbarbell.com/products/...g-handle-solid

[rpark]

Oh yeah, I don't use this much, but I have this one from black iron strength too. A bit pricier than the american barbell one you posted

[swimmer32]

I don't have pics on this computer - but I've picked up a handful of attachments from Power Systems the last two years. They usually have a 40% off sale at some point during the year so I've gotten them pretty cheap.

http://www.power-systems.com/s-419-c...ments.aspx#top

[urbanlifter]

DVO, I have owned that exact handle, the finish on the import versions is not quite as refined as the urethane versions, but they are still built like a tank and you would be hard pressed to find a better low row/chinning handle. I would describe the knurling as deep and aggressive, and the angled handles feel great for slightly pronated and supinated grip. I would imagine TPB owners would appreciate this handle for its sharp knurling...

[Ramcharger310]

I was thinking of buying a few additional handles from Cap, or Weightlifter's Warehouse off of Amazon...They were affordable (Especially after just ordering the lat machine through there)...Now thanks to the boards I'm considering checking out a few mid to higher end handles for the machine...Grrrrr.

Ha, that guy is almost the next city over from my parents. Thanks for the tip.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

RamCharger310: No problem man, glad the thread could help lol.

Urbanlifter: Thanks for the information, That AB handle would be no problem for me as far as the sharper knurling is concerned and I like the rotating handles...It's just that price after shipping that's making me kind of hesitant. How is the texture powdercoat on the Blackwidow pieces (I'm assuming they use the same for all of their pieces including the cable handles) does it have a good grip, or does it get slippery when sweat hits it? (The reason I ask this is because I just took a look at their site and the attachments are free shipping).

Jormone, themaddemon and others with MAG attachments: Can low-rows be done with the medium and wide grip attachments they carry? Also has anyone tried the wide grip one for behind the neck pulldowns comfortably? (According to their claim it's easier on the joints doing behind the neck pulldowns with that piece).

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Anyone ever try the leather straps for triceps pushdowns? How effective do they work compared to the rope, or solid V-bar attachment?

[urbanlifter]

RamCharger310:Urbanlifter: Thanks for the information, That AB handle would be no problem for me as far as the sharper knurling is concerned and I like the rotating handles...It's just that price after shipping that's making me kind of hesitant. How is the texture powdercoat on the Blackwidow pieces (I'm assuming they use the same for all of their pieces including the cable handles) does it have a good grip, or does it get slippery when sweat hits it? (The reason I ask this is because I just took a look at their site and the attachments are free shipping).

It's not bad, feels a little thin but the coating does provide a small amount of stick for your grip. Its semi-cold in my basement area so I haven't really poured on the sweat, but I think if you had a little liquid grip or chalk handy you wouldn't have problems with BWTG's powder coat. Assuming of course that they use the same coating for everything, I just have a custom pull up bar for my rack.

The AB attachments are worth the money though, once you hold that low/row chinning handle you will know where your money went. It feels VERY heavy in hand, the only other cable attachment I have had that compares in thickness was the Rogue Monster Triangle.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Well it was a battle between Blackironstrength, Blackwidow, MAG and American Barbell as well as the cheaper line up for the low-row handle I wanted, but I decided to pull the trigger on the AB attachment for my new Powertec lat machine when it arrives. Not to write off any of these attachments at other times, but to me the AB low-row looks heavy-duty (I prefer the knurling as oppose to the lack of it on the Blackwidow for the price point) and it's shaped more like a traditional Double-D handle as opposed to the MAGs close grip which will be better when I get more familiar with the classic lat machine pieces and want to throw in another piece to add to the fun of back training. Blackironstrength has some sleek pieces as well, but way too much for the handles (I should talk with the price of this attachment on it's way...But it still came out to slightly cheaper), going into the $90 to $100s territory is just way too expensive to me for handles, so AB won my vote (I might also get their non-urethane triceps attachment sometime as well).

Right now I have three attachments so I should be well equipped for now with the default lat bar and short bar that are included with the machine (I can make up for triceps with the short bar for now), but the low-rows couldn't have been done without the proper handle and I didn't want to use the lat bar, or short bar to compensate for it, so that's why I chose the low-row handle as my first addition.

I'll update some pics when the machine is up and I get to use the attachment.

[rpark]

Glad you picked, but for the record....the black iron does have knurling.

[urbanlifter]

Not to write off any of these attachments at other times, but to me the AB low-row looks heavy-duty

I think you will be very pleased with the AB, I fell in love with their attachments when I first started going to Gold's gym. It was one of their brand new facilities and the cable attachments, dumbbells, and urethane plates were all GP Industries (American Barbell). When I switched to LA Fitness I couldn't go back to run of the mill cable attachments so I bought the curl and row attachments and took them to the gym with me. People looked at me like I was crazy at first, but then I had several guys come up to me wanting to use them because they were so awesome. Definitely report back, hopefully you will agree that it was worth the extra money.

[TLYNCH777]

Www.tkstar.com

Hands down best attachments money can buy. From the fabrication to the function these bars all or amazing !!

-true wing Lat bar
-ultimate straight bar
-old school row
-shorty
-Larry Scott bar
-zotterman curl
-fat triceps bar

[Deep-Voiced-One]

rpark: Thanks and I should've elaborated more, but I was referring to the Blackwidow handle lacking the knurling when comparing it to the AB handle. The Blackironstrength handle was the higher price that turned me away from choosing it (Not the knurling, which is actually very nice on that handle as well).

urbanlifter: Thanks man, I can't wait to get the machine and put it together and start using the handle. I'll definitely report back and let everyone know in the thread what I think of it, I really like that it has a slight supinated grip as well.

TLYNCH777: Thanks, I didn't really look at their other attachments (Just the fat triceps one that rpark mentioned), but I will take a look at some of their other pieces just to browse.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Back to bumping this thread and bringing it back, so I received my Powertec lat machine last week and took it up to the attic piece by piece (amazon did an excellent job with shipping and the packaging was mint. Just yesterday I received my AB rowing handle and it is quite impressive in real life built to last, It's so heavy-duty in real life and in feel that I could honestly say I have no regrets spending a bit more for it (And to add to it, AB does an excellent job with packaging taped up and secured all over...I took out the leatherman to hack through all the heavy tape securing it lol). I'll have to wait to put the lat machine together until after X-mas, but I've been rearranging some other pieces that are upstairs to make room for it when I'm able to get some free time. Pics to follow a little bit later today on the rowing handle.