Home gym - DIY Cable Machine ideas?

Howdy folks,

Working on a home gym. Plan is to convert an old workshop into a home gym. Lots and lots of work involved in cleaning out the place, etc. so will be a while before I get any equipment in or near it.

Anyway, one of my favourite machines is the cable machine, but with their overall price and size, it's not feasible for me to consider including one in my potential home gym set up.

Now, I know that most pulldown exercises (lateral pulldown, etc.) don't require the cable machine, but I've become fond of doing a little bit of 'boxing' in it, using the cables in my fists to add resistance to my arms. This is what I'd like to recreate but I'm a bit puzzled as to how to do this on a budget.


Would anyone have any idea?

Something I considered was sticking some hooks on the wall at differing heights (so two hooks opposite each other, about 4-5 foot apart, at ankle, wasit and above head height?) and slipping resistance bands into them and hoping to do something that way?


Like a DIY version of this;





I've never used resistance bands before, though, so not sure how good/bad this would be in comparison to a proper cable machine (where you can choose your weight/resistance and have it constant throughout the exercise).



I'm sure most people with home gyms will have run into such an issue, so just thought I'd stick up a thread and hope for the best.


Cheers

Hanley

The orange super mini band off d8fitness attached to something solid is what you want.

Now I think what you want to use it for is a terrible idea, but hey, up to you

Hanley

Hanley wrote: »

The orange super mini band off d8fitness attached to something solid is what you want.

Now I think what you want to use it for is a terrible idea, but hey, up to you

€10 seems a fair enough price for it. Will have to look into that.


Not sure why you think it's a terrible idea, all the same. Seems (to me) to be one of the better uses for your everyday resistant band. Keeps me moving, anyway, and that's all that's really important.

Hanley

Bad idea because you're essentially loading an internally rotated pattern, ballisticly.

If you enjoy it and feel it works, that's great!! I just believe long term its not the best approach and can potentially lead to complications down the line.

deadlybuzzman

Mount 2 pulleys from the ceiling and attach rope and weights as required. I just had a quick look on ebay and theres plenty there for only a few quid

Hanley

Hanley wrote: »

Bad idea because you're essentially loading an internally rotated pattern, ballisticly.

If you enjoy it and feel it works, that's great!! I just believe long term its not the best approach and can potentially lead to complications down the line.

Well I'm not talking about mad heavy weights or anything, but I understand what you're saying (I think... ).

I feel comfortable doing it, and use controlled movements (not jerking about and falling over fighting against the resistance or such) so I'm just gonna keep at it as I enjoy it at the moment.

It's probably a bit of exercise that's just a novelty to me and may well fizzle out before I ever get to installing such an idea in a home gym anyway, but I do enjoy it at the moment, and any activity is better than no activity, so...

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Mount 2 pulleys from the ceiling and attach rope and weights as required. I just had a quick look on ebay and theres plenty there for only a few quid

If I were to do that then I'd be pulling downwards all the time, wouldn't it?

I suppose I could mount some to the wall, either... Hmm... sounds like a good idea, but could be problematic (unless there was a quick and easy way to switch out the cables to different pulley wheels)...

deadlybuzzman

You could use carabiners to attach the pulleys to more than 1 fixed position, when you clip it onto a lower position all you have to do is stand a bit further away.....makes sense in my head anyway!

deadlybuzzman

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

You could use carabiners to attach the pulleys to more than 1 fixed position, when you clip it onto a lower position all you have to do is stand a bit further away.....makes sense in my head anyway!

Hmm.. I think I kinda see where you're coming from alright, but I'll have to figure it out in my head a bit better (thankfully I've plenty of time).

I suppose a quick question now would be where would you get the actual cables? Do they have a name or do they have different types that can support different levels of weight/stress?

deadlybuzzman

Deleted User wrote: »

Hmm.. I think I kinda see where you're coming from alright, but I'll have to figure it out in my head a bit better (thankfully I've plenty of time).

I suppose a quick question now would be where would you get the actual cables? Do they have a name or do they have different types that can support different levels of weight/stress?

Well if it was me, Id be inclined to keep it simple by using rope. If youre not planning on using alot of weight itd work fine, learning a couple of fishermans knots would be much much handier than having to start crimping cables

deadlybuzzman

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Well if it was me, Id be inclined to keep it simple by using rope. If youre not planning on using alot of weight itd work fine, learning a couple of fishermans knots would be much much handier than having to start crimping cables

If you were repeating a similar back and forth movement, though, would the cable not provide a smoother run through of any pulleys (whereas a rope may give an overly 'jagged' or rough feel)?

deadlybuzzman

Deleted User wrote: »

If you were repeating a similar back and forth movement, though, would the cable not provide a smoother run through of any pulleys (whereas a rope may give an overly 'jagged' or rough feel)?

If theres any difference Id imagine itd be small but Im totally open to correction, Id guess the heavier the weight the less it matters. Probably boils down to the pulley used. Although it was a fancier pulley Ive used a chain pulley that was very smooth

deadlybuzzman

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

If theres any difference Id imagine itd be small but Im totally open to correction, Id guess the heavier the weight the less it matters. Probably boils down to the pulley used. Although it was a fancier pulley Ive used a chain pulley that was very smooth

Bears some thinking about. When rope is mentioned I picture a 2" thick blue rope, twisted throughout. Maybe there are smoother variations and I'm just wearing blinders.


I appreciate your advice on this, by the way.

Mellor

Deleted User wrote: »

If you were repeating a similar back and forth movement, though, would the cable not provide a smoother run through of any pulleys (whereas a rope may give an overly 'jagged' or rough feel)?

The rope (or cable) doesn't slide through the pulley, the pulley rotates with it. It its working properly, there's no movement where they are in contact. So the fact that its rougher doesn't affect how smoothly the pulley rotates.

deadlybuzzman

Deleted User wrote: »

Bears some thinking about. When rope is mentioned I picture a 2" thick blue rope, twisted throughout. Maybe there are smoother variations and I'm just wearing blinders.


I appreciate your advice on this, by the way.

you can get rope rope about the thickness of your little finger that would easily be string enough.
No bother at all, I had planned to do it myself years ago in my home gym in my parents garage but I moved out before I followed through with it

Mellor

Mellor wrote: »

The rope (or cable) doesn't slide through the pulley, the pulley rotates with it. It its working properly, there's no movement where they are in contact. So the fact that its rougher doesn't affect how smoothly the pulley rotates.

Yeah, I don't know why that didn't register in my head for some reason.


The last thing to figure out then, is how to attach weight plates? If I've got a cable or rope, going through a pulley, with me lifting on one side, I still need to have a fixed resistance on the other side.

I can't figure this out in my head.


The only workable solution I can think of is a 'ring toss' type set up, where you have a steel pipe with a base that you can place weights on, and this is connected to the other side of the cable/rope (so you can add or remove weight plates as you see fit?).





Something like above, but with weights (and a hole at the top to attach to the other side of the cable, to a carabiner, perhaps?)

Does such a product exist? (I'd imagine it'd have to?!)

Mellor

That's a pretty good solution, but I don't know if it specifically exists. I've seen similar as part of adjustable kettelbells and such.
But for you, it might be easier to combine, a carabiner, a 25mm bar with a ring on end and some sort of stop the other, and some cheap weight plates.

TommyKnocker

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah, I don't know why that didn't register in my head for some reason.


The last thing to figure out then, is how to attach weight plates? If I've got a cable or rope, going through a pulley, with me lifting on one side, I still need to have a fixed resistance on the other side.

I can't figure this out in my head.


The only workable solution I can think of is a 'ring toss' type set up, where you have a steel pipe with a base that you can place weights on, and this is connected to the other side of the cable/rope (so you can add or remove weight plates as you see fit?).

If you wanted to go with somethign like you outlined, then I am sure that folks who do wrought iron gates etc could knock something like that up for you and it shouldn't be too expensive.





Something like above, but with weights (and a hole at the top to attach to the other side of the cable, to a carabiner, perhaps?)

Does such a product exist? (I'd imagine it'd have to?!)

Buy a length of chain about 1m in length in a hardware store and place a carabiner on one end. Run the other end through the center hole of the plates, something like this (Pic shows a DIY forearm exercise gadget, but you will get the idea)



Then secure the end of the chain to the carabiner also, giving you weights on a loop of chain. The simply attach the carabiner on the end of the rope to the carabiner on the chain and hey presto. Simple

Climbing rope from an outdoors shop works great for this kind of setup and it is designed to hold different bodyweights.

If you wanted to go with something like you outlined above, then I am sure folks who make wrought iron gates etc could knock you up something, which should not bee too expensive.

rubadub

Deleted User wrote: »

Does such a product exist? (I'd imagine it'd have to?!)

usually called loading pins.

I made one which looks a bit like this

I was doing belt squats with it.


Instead of a pin I normal just use an adjustable webbing strap, feed it through the plate holes, and a loop on the end of your rope/cable and tighten up. Just like a normal dip belt loaded up with multiple plates.


The loading pin as the advantage of a smoother takeoff from the ground. You would want a bunch of cushions or blankets under your weights.

I also found a way to turn a tri-grip plate into a loading pin.

I had a 20kg plate flat on the ground with webbing weaved into the holes, then this gathered in the centre and I could place more plates on top of it, the webbing fed through these new plates holes. So when you lifted up the bottom plate acted like the loading pin base. Problem with this is htey could shift off to the sides. The solution is to stick a stick down the centre of the holes, this can be weak as it only needs to be strong enough to stop weights slipping sideways, i.e. it is not taking the weight.


Climbing rope mentioned will be smooth on the pulleys, its a bit expensive. You can get climbing pulleys cheap enough, and also search the term "arborist" when looking for pulleys or rope, they care for trees and I got more hits this way, climbing specific stuff can be very pricey. If you just look up "pulley" you get lots of crappy one for washing lines, or massive ones.

rubadub

Fair play guys, some pretty good ways of overcoming the issue of a DIY Cable machine. Though admittedly I do think rubadub's loading pin is probably the best/simplest way of doing it.

rubadub wrote: »

usually called loading pins.

I made one which looks a bit like this

Argos cheapo weights (York vinyl plates, for example) have a 1" hole in the centre, which means that they could be used fairly easily with this pin on Amazon;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/IronMind-Loading-Pin-Snap-Clip/dp/B0080JER48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347200934&sr=8-1



So that seems to be pretty much everything covered, as far as I can see, for a home-made cable machine?

ShayyyD

Theres always ways around a budget and if its something that will take a while to clean out and something you wer able to save up for its something i may be able to help with you in 3 to 4 months as ill be setting something up in the near future , this is not me trying to advertise my services but just to help a fellow gym lover :O)