If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best cable crossover machine for your home garage gym, then I’d recommend the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer as the best one.
There comes a time in every gym rat’s life when you see someone who is obviously a superhero, test their chiseled physiques against the seemingly weightless cable machine.
Then you see all the plates connected to the cable, step up to the plate and wait your turn.
You want to do that.
Be that.
Watch yourself in the mirror as your mighty muscles ripple and flex.
Except, as it turns out, you have no idea how to properly use a Cable Crossover Machine and end up looking like an overzealous dog owner walking an overly excitable direwolf.
So, time for some practice in the garage!
Here are the top cable crossover machines we’ll be reviewing:
- Powerline by Body-Solid Cable Machine (PCCO90X)
- Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station
- Valor Fitness BD-61 Cable Crossover Station
- Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer
- Body-Solid BFFT10R Best Fitness Functional Trainer
What is a Cable Crossover Machine?
Originally designed by the well respected and much missed Jack LaLanne, cable exercise machines use adjustable pulleys to pull on cables that are connected to weights.
The thought process behind this machine is that with the exceptional range of movement provided by the cable system, you can accurately target the specific muscle groups you are looking to train.
Having been around since the 1950s, these machines have been extensively researched, well tested, and are proven devices that produce results in the gym.
Types of Cable Crossover Machines
Despite the number of years that have passed since their development, cable crossover machines can be broadly categorized into two man classes.
Fixed Resistance Cable Crossover Machine
This type of exercise device uses cables and pulleys that have been preset in place.
As the resistance felt by these machines increases at the weakest point of the joint’s angle, these types of cable exercise devices are used to specifically concentrate on target muscle groups.
Some examples are lat pulldown, leg extension, bench press, and dual back/abdominal machines.
Basically these are all those machines in the gym that replicate free weights through mechanical action.
Sounds familiar, right?
I’ll bet good money some of you just learned the proper term for “weight machines” at this moment. I was the same for a long time until I got lost for a few hours on the internet.
Learning ho!
Adjustable Cable Crossover Machine
The topic of the reviews we’ll be going over today, these devices are the crazy looking setups that use visible wheels and wires to connect your body to a source of resistance.
With how the wheels turn and allow you pull the wires with a wide range of motion, you can either make large, sweeping movements, or shorter, more isolated repetitions.
This high level of versatility makes these training tools excellent for full body exercise as well as more localized workouts.
The Advantages of a Cable Crossover Machine
Like free weights, learning how to use and adjustable cable machine actually isn’t all that difficult.
Whether you’re watching YouTube videos, getting coached by a gym buddy, or looking up pictures on bodybuilding forums, you’ll quickly learn that there a dizzying number of exercises you can incorporate into your training.
Like their fixed counterparts, adjustable machines are incredibly simple to prepare.
All you need to do is push the pins into the weight you want to use, grab the handle, move into position, and start repping like a mad man.
A properly postured mad man anyway.
Given the relative lack of consequences of dropping these plates, you don’t have to focus quite so hard on making sure you are in complete control of the weights at all times.
If you can’t finish a rep, all you have to do is let go of the handles, and the plates will simply fall back onto the stack.
That said, try to be gentle about it if you can. While metal or rubber coated plates won’t crack, you might end up startling some manly man who’s zoning out with their earbuds blasting out Katy Perry.
Look, don’t judge. Firework is a great song to get pumped to while pretending that you’re the Conan the Barbarian himself.
Ahem.
Additionally, you won’t need a spotter, so these machines are great for home use.
The Disadvantages of a Cable Crossover Machine
There are a couple things we need to touch on here. Generally it is agreed that while you’ll be able to better target specific muscle groups with cable machines, free weights are superior when building overall body strength.
The reasoning behind this is that you have to balance free weights.
As cable machines take care of stabilizing your body, the muscles you would use to do so with free weights don’t get the same level of attention.
If you do training with both methods, there is little danger of injury, but if you’ve been using machines for a long time, don’t go full on beast mode on the free weights.
You might find yourself unable to lift the same amount of weight as you could on a machine, and your stabilizer muscles won’t be able to cope with larger chunks of iron.
Who Should Invest in a Cable Crossover Machine?
That’s a tough question to answer. On one hand, you don’t need a spotter if you go with machines. On the other, I’m not sure I can recommend one of these for a beginner.
For those of you new to weight lifting, hear me out for a second.
Building up the body to a point where you need to specifically target muscle groups takes a bit of time. Before doing so, I would wholly recommend going to the gym, finding an experienced buddy, and train with free weights first.
While you could get trimmed up just by using machine weights, your functional strength level is going to suffer. In the worst case, the lack of training in your stabilizer muscles won’t allow them to properly support your growing muscle mass and density.
It’s unlikely, but this still increases the chance of injuries if you ever have to lift or carry something your body can’t actually balance or support.
If you’re new, many other gym rats will tell you the same thing I’m about to say here. Don’t just hyper focus on one type of training over the other. Do both instead.
You’ll get better results if you use a combination of free weights and cable machines.
My Top 5 Picks
Okay, the info dump and safety brief is over. Let’s get to the review!
Powerline by Body-Solid Cable Machine (PCCO90X)
Starting with the second least expensive item on the list, the Powerline by Body-Solid Cable Machine (PCCO90X) is a highly customizable machine that uses anchor points at four corners to give you a whole slew of training options.
All you need to get started with this machine are a few videos, the provided strap, handles, and a bottle of water!
Also all the tools you’ll need to get this rig built, but that didn’t sound as awesome.
Pros
- The large diameter pulleys help to smooth out the felt resistance as well as extend the life of the cables.
- With a 10 year frame warranty and a 1 year warranty for the rest of the parts, this machine is going to last you a fair while.
- The number of possible exercises you can do on this machine is staggering. If it’s a pulling exercise, you can pretty much do it.
- Optional parts include chin up handles, weight plates, and collars.
- For the price, this thing is a steal.
Cons
- This machine takes up quite a bit of space. Clear out some room in your garage before deciding to purchase this item.
- I’m a little sad it doesn’t come with a chin up bar as part of the basic package, but nothing’s stopping you from using the frame itself as a bar.
- You might need to lube up the weight carriages a little to get that extra smooth “glide”.
Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station
As the least expensive on the list, the Valor Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station just so happens to be the slimmest.
Additionally, this product also comes with an option to mount the top and bottom portions of the frame to a wall.
Pros
- This product is an incredible space saver. It won’t be hard to make room for this in the garage.
- It’s a decent option if you aren’t concerned with crossover exercises.
- The frame carries a 3 year warranty and a single year for the cable.
- The pulley system is quite smooth, and I didn’t have trouble with it out of the box.
Cons
- I’d recommend either bolting this machine onto a wall, or at the very least weighing it down with sandbags.
- You can use it without securing it, but very slowly and only with lighter weights.
- It doesn’t provide the same level of versatility as other designs on this list.
Valor Fitness BD-61 Cable Crossover Station
The middle of the pack when it comes to expense, the Valor Fitness BD-61 Cable Crossover Station is also the first of three, truly adjustable crossover stations.
Featuring 17 different adjustable positions and variable rotation angles, this machine offers an exceptional range of possible exercises you can do.
More than that, this machine is rated for a max weight of 400 lbs.
Pros
- This station comes with a couple of nice goodies. These include 2 strap handles, a lat bar, and a row bar.
- It uses a clever design of using plates to weight the machine down.
- Additionally, you can choose to bolt this product into the floor for extra security.
- Comes with an integrated pull up station.
- The popper pins are easy to use when adjusting the machine.
- Includes a 3 year frame and 1 year cable warranty.
Cons
- I’d recommend bolting this machine into the ground if possible.
- The materials used in this construction is on the cheap side.
- This machine is going to take up a bit of space.
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer
The most expensive option, the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer is also the second crossover station to make the list.
Coming with two 160 lb weight stacks and an integrated pull up bar, this product also allows you to adjust the pulleys with 20 different settings.
If you want to throw in some extra cash, you also get the option for an upgrade to two 210 lb stacks!
Pros
- Made with good materials. With a 10 year warranty, it’s in the company’s best interests to make sure at least the frame lasts for a while.
- Comes with a 10 year frame warranty and 1 year for everything else.
- This design is solid, you won’t have to bolt it to the ground.
- With 20 separate locking positions, you’ll be able to do most exercises you can think of.
- The cable movements are smooth out of the box.
- Takes up surprisingly little space. It’s still a crossover platform, but you can save some room with it.
Cons
- While not the most expensive crossover machine on the market, you’re probably going to be feeling a hole in your pocket.
- I believe the plates are proprietary, you’ll have to buy them from the manufacturer or get the upgraded model for more weight.
Body-Solid BFFT10R Best Fitness Functional Trainer
The last crossover platform on the list, and also the second largest investment, the Body-Solid BFFT10R Best Fitness Functional Trainer features a space saving design that uses a single 190 lb weight stack for your lifting needs.
The integrated pull up bar gives you additional options when it comes to the already wide range of exercises you can do with this machine.
Without the need to bolt this machine down, it’s just one less thing you have to worry about before you start getting sweaty.
Pros
- Despite being a budget option of the previous product, this machine works as intended and provides everything you need to get started.
- It has a smaller footprint than most cable stations, allowing you to fit more things into the former room of your poor, evicted car.
- The pull up bar is solid and won’t be bending anytime soon.
- Comes with a 3 year frame warranty and a 1 year guarantee on the rest of the parts.
Cons
- You’ll have to opt for a heavier model for more weight.
- You could always figure something out with Home Depot, but that’s going to void your warranty.
The Winner of the Roundup
I gotta say that while Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer gave me pause, I ended up going with the PCCO90X from the same company.
Despite not having the same level of adjustability, I can make do by bringing in my adjustable bench.
While this machine is on the bigger side, I also happen to have plenty of space in the basement to stash all of my workout gear.
Even if I didn’t have the room available, I’d probably still go with this option.
My primary reasoning behind it is that I can substitute a whole slew of different machines with this platform, a bench, and some clever positioning.
So in the end, I actually end up saving space instead of further cluttering what is basically growing into a commercial gym.
I should start charging for membership.
