Cable Crossover Vs. Functional Trainer

Dual Adjustable Cable Column Strength Equipment

Weather you are looking at a piece of weight training equipment for use in your home gym or you are in need of a center piece for your commercial fitness center having a dual adjustable cable column is a must.  Many times it is going to come down to how much room your strength equipment area has.  Home gym areas, fire stations, personal training studios, therapy clinics, and smaller clubs do not necessarily have the space for elaborate Jungle Gym-style cable crossover units such as the Life Fitness MJ8 Multi-Jungle Gym.  Although, it’s nice to look at and a very impressive piece of fitness equipment hardware not all workout rooms will allow for something that large.  Now enter the functional trainer. Not only does a functional trainer resemble a shrunken down cable crossover in looks and function, but it takes up about half the space and allows for other unique motions.

Different Types of Cable Crossovers

• Standard Cable Crossover – This consists of two adjustable pulleys situated facing each other connected by one or two cross-bars.  Just about every manufacturer has something like this from Body Solid with the GDCC250 Deluxe Cable Crossover with its low stature that is designed for home use as well as light commercial applications to Cybex with 17110 Free-Standing Cable Crossover that is designed for use in some of the most high demanding commercial gym equipment environments.
• Jungle Gyms – These units are more of the modular design.  They take a Standard Cable Crossover and allow you to add additional stations to give the ability to create 4, 5, 6, 8, all the way up to 12 station monster units such as the Precor CW2912

Different Types of Functional Trainers

• Cabinet Style – Originally made popular with the now discontinued Cybex 9101 FT-360 that had a single weight stack and Preying Mantis-like arms (many times you can still find these units re-manufactured), companies such as FreeMotion with the F624 Dual Cablecross and Paramount Fitness with the PFT-200A took them to a new level by having two independent weight stacks.  Cabinet Style Functional Trainers do not take up much floor space when they are not in use, but they do require a lot of space around them for maneuvering the arms and doing certain motions.
• Dual Adjustable Cable Column – Most of the functional trainers on the market now are this style.  These are the ones that resemble a shrunken down cable crossover with the two adjustable pulleys with weight stacks that face each other and are connected by cross-bars.  Most of these systems now have very unique sub-sets such as the Cybex Bravo Functional Trainer that has the patented Progressive Stability Pad and the Advanced Cable Adjustment System, the Batca Fitness LD-9 Free Trainer that has a Total Body Stretching Station and a Weight Assisted Chin-Up Station, the York Barbell 55017 Functional Cable Crossover that has a Modular Design allowing for up to 8 total stations, the Matrix G3-MFST3P Functional Trainer that has Rock Climbing Pull-Up Grips and a Swiveling Accessory Station, and the Life Fitness CMDAP with Console that has a Video Screen with over 60 exercise videos.

What is the Best Dual Adjustable Cable Column Exercise Equipment?

This comes down to two factors, your needs and your space.  A small club or a home will be better off with a functional trainer or functional trainers.  You can fit two functional trainers into the same space as one cable crossover.  This would make the functional trainer ideal for personal training studios, sports performance facilities, or clubs that rely heavily on personal training revenues.  In a home setting, since a functional trainer does the same motions as a cable crossover it only makes sense to go the route of the functional trainer and free up space for other home fitness equipment.

In conclusion, it is up to the end user’s needs as to which Dual Adjustable Cable Column unit is the best.  They are all constructed of the same high-quality raw materials and basically do the same motions with some individual variations.  Take a look at your usable floor space, the people who will be working out on the equipment, and your budget since many times a functional trainer can be less money than a cable crossover.

If you have enjoyed this article, please check out:

Cybex FT-325 Functional Trainer

Cybex Bravo Functional Trainer Increases Core Activity

- The Staff at EverythingFitnessEquipment.com

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