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Does "no machines" include cables?


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I know machines stop you from using core muscles to balance and adjust for the weight, but is the same true of cable machines? It would seem that they would be halfway in between a machine and free weights, in that the weight is attached to a static point, so there will always be some directional counter-pressure (other than that exerted by gravity), but there's still a hemisphere (or more) of free motion that can occur with the cable attached to that one point, so that there is at least SOME core/stability work going on.

Thoughts?

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I travel for work, but haven't since starting weight lifting. i have planned for it in case and decided to use cables if they are all that's available rather than machines for this very reason. I wouldn't use them constantly, but on the short term if that's all that's there, sure.

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What cable exercises were you planning on using?

I mean, your logic is on the right track, but the issue is that some of the exercises put emphasis on stabilizers that normally never get them, and they end up getting over worked.

For instance, say you did cable curls (not the best exercise, but the easiest to demonstrate. With barbells, all the weight is driving downward, and you oppose a downward direction. With cables, because of geometry you must stand away from the machine and thus exert a force downward AND outwards from your body. You get pulled forward in an un-natural way.

Just try to avoid where possible. Use common sense otherwise.

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