5 Best Cable Machine Exercises For Basketball Players

Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, success in basketball requires a higher level of fitness. Basketball players should possess strength, power, speed, balance, agility, and endurance.

Believe it or not but basketball is one of the toughest physical sports out there. A lot of people play basketball for the hard workout it offers, which is beneficial for your mental and physical health. 

In today’s article, we discuss how a cable machine can help athletes and list the best cable machine exercises for basketball players. 

What Is A Cable Machine And How It Benefits Basketball Players?

A cable machine is a piece of exercise equipment that comprises adjustable pulleys, cables, and various attachments. The flexible design of a cable machine enables you to do various workouts regardless of your fitness level. Here’s how cable machines can help basketball players:

Consistent Tension

Cable machines offer consistent resistance during an exercise’s entire range of action. Free weights rely on gravity, but cables hold tension as you shorten and extend your muscles. This consistent tension may help grow muscle. These machines also provide consistent resistance. It enables you to focus on the eccentric (lengthening) and concentric (shortening) stages of a workout. 

Flexibility

Cable machines allow you to execute workouts in several styles of motion. Hence, you can simulate basketball-specific motions, e.g. dribbling, passing, and shooting. It can also help you improve functional strength and agility. With attachments like ankle bands or cuffs, you can even perform leg workouts on a cable machine.

Injury Prevention

Cable machines reduce the danger of damage associated with high free weights. The “fixed” nature of cable machine workouts allows you to concentrate on appropriate technique and alignment. In turn, stronger muscles and joints help prevent injuries on the court.

Simple And Economic

Finally, a cable machine is an excellent choice if you are a basketball player seeking to train at home. It is economical because it includes several functions (including a power rack, functional trainer, and lat pulldown) into a single space-saving product. And it is effective for all experience levels. 

In short, cable machine workouts are a good addition to your basketball training routine. It will improve your agility, strength, and movement patterns, among other benefits. 

5 Best Cable Machine Exercises For Basketball Players

Here are some of the best cable machine exercises that can help improve your fitness in basketball:

1. Cable Lateral Raise

This shoulder exercise targets the middle head of the deltoid muscle. Here’s how to perform it.

Get Started

• Stand beside the pulley machine. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
• Push your chest forward and your shoulders back for correct posture
• Now bend your knees slightly. You can use your free hand to hold the machine for support

How To Do It

• Reach across your body and use your outer arm to hold the stirrup (handle).
• Bend your elbow to a 10- to 30-degree angle.
• Raise your arm sideways until it is level with your shoulder. Exhale as you do.
• Avoid rotating your arm and maintain your concentration on the middle shoulder.
• Hold this lifted position for up to five seconds.
• Inhale and slowly drop the weight back down. Allow the cable to come to a complete stop before repeating.
• Try to do at least 10-15 repetitions per set for each arm.

 

1. Cable Kickback

Next is a cable machine exercise that targets your glutes and hamstrings. Here’s how to do it.

Get Started

• Face the machine and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Attach an ankle strap to the machine at the lowest tension

• Place your working leg’s ankle in the strap
• Slightly bend both knees
• Use a stable surface for support

How To Do It

• Activate your glutes by turning your feet slightly outward
• Brace your core for stability.
• Kick your leg with the ankle strap keeping your knee slightly bent.
• Extend your hip to fully stretch your leg rearward and your glutes are tightened.
• Pause for a second at the apex of the movement.
• Slowly lower your leg back to its starting position.

 

1. Cable Curls

Moving on, you can’t go wrong with cable curls. They’re great for the bicep muscles in the upper arm. Here’s how to perform this exercise:

Get Started

• Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet firmly on the ground.
• Connect the cable at the lowermost end using the sliding adjustment.
• Make sure that the cable metal grip extends to your arms as they’re outstretched with your  palms facing up.

How To Do It

• Stare forward with your back straight and upright and tighten your core muscles.
• Curl the cable weight upward toward the chest while exhaling. Just move the forearms from the elbow.
• Hold at the peak of the contraction for a second.
• Inhale and lower the forearms to their starting position, pausing before slowly lowering the weights down towards the stack to keep the cable tensioned.

 

1. Cable Crunch

Want to target your core with a cable machine? Here’s how you do it.

Get Started

• Set up a cable machine in a way that the attachment reaches the ground.
• Add a rope handle to the cord.
• Kneel in front of the cable machine, but face the other way.
• Grab the rope grips and bring them to the rear of your shoulders, like in a back squat.
• Sit back on your knees. Your torso should be fully upright.

How To Do It

• Maintain a neutral spine and use your core muscles.
• Begin by crunching down and bringing your shoulders to your thighs.
• Concentrate on clenching your abdominal muscles.
• Lower your shoulders as much as you can without losing control.
• Pause for a second or two at the bottom of the exercise.
• Slowly return to the initial posture by stretching your spine upwards.

 

1. Lat Pulldowns

Finally, we have the lat pulldown for, well, your lats! Here’s how to perform this exercise:

Setup

• Attach a straight bar handle to the highest setting on the cable machine.
• Sit on the machine bench with your feet flat on the ground.
• Adjust the leg support padding to rest against the top of your legs. It should lock you in place.
• Reach up to grab the attachment using both hands, using an overhand grip 
• Your hands should be shoulder-width apart.

 

Execution

• Pull down with your elbows as you bring back your shoulder blades. 
• Lower the bar so it’s aligned with your upper chest.
• Clench your lats at the bottom of the action.
• Slowly restore the bar to its starting position.

Conclusion

So that’s about it! These are the best cable machine exercises for basketball players. In fact, depending on your fitness goals, you can do many more exercises on a cable machine.  Regardless if you are a basketball player or a professional in any other sport, these exercises can work to strengthen your muscles as well. 

So, what exercises do you perform as an athlete or a regular gym goer? Share your thoughts below in the comments section  and if you have any queries, do not hesitate to ask!