The BEST Cable Attachments For Powerlifters in 2025
In my pursuit of putting together a respectable powerlifting total while also LOOKING like I lift weights, I’ve followed a mostly “power-building” approach for the majority of my tenure in lifting. That pursuit has opened the doors to the idea that bodybuilders got a few things right, namely that well built machines, attachments, and accessories can dramatically change the end result of an exercise. This experience has manifested itself into a pursuit to find the BEST cable attachments for powerlifters. Let’s dig in!
Table of Contents
Key Notes
Almost every powerlifter today understands that building a big total is more than just consistently adding more plates to the bar. Cable Attachments and Cable Machines can unlock a LOT of opportunities to build muscle, fix imbalances, and keep us hitting PRs on the platform.
Transparency Note
Some of the items and links in this article might be affiliate links, or might be linked to a Sponsor of the Garage Gym Competition. These links and sponsorships help fund the website, the competition itself, the newsletter, non-profit donations, and everything else we do FOR FREE here at the GGC. I like to be transparent so you know what is up. I appreciate the support if you choose to use the links.
The BEST Cable Attachments For Powerlifters Shopping List
💲MAG Medium Supinate – The cable attachment that started my obsession, the greatest back attachment ever. Check it out here.
đź’˛Prime RO-T8 Handles – The perfect compliment to the MAGs Use code GGC to save 5% – Check them out here.
💲American Barbell V-Bar – A premium take on a basic cable attachment, from one of the biggest names in the gym equipment world. Check it out here.
đź’˛Gym Pin Ergo Handles– The best single cable attachments for triceps accessories. 10% off w/ Code: GRAYMATTERLIFTING – Check them out here.
💲IPR Fitness ISO Pro Handle – Ab crunches, face pulls, triceps options and more. Made in the US by a Veteran owned company. Use code GML to save 20%
💲Ankle Cuffs – Nothing fancy here. A good set of ankle cuffs can help unlock a lot of options in your gym. Grab any from Amazon with good ratings.
Background
I believe that cable attachments are one of the items in a garage gym we likely don’t have to sacrifice due to space constraints. I can’t have the best of the best of every machine. I have to make compromises in various nick nacks here and there to accomplish some accessories for the sake of space. But cable attachments? I can 100% have the BEST of the best in terms of fit and function as long as I have a solid storage solution. Even for those traveling to a commercial gym, we can pack up a few choice cable attachments in our gym bag and skip the frayed triceps rope your local gym tosses your way.
Because of that, I think it is a good idea to spend some extra time picking a few cable attachments that do their jobs exceptionally well, instead of a couple jack-of-all trades, master of none attachments. They look great on paper, doing 25 different things, but they pale in their ability to get the job done like the attachments I’m going to throw at you today.
MAG Grips
If you told me tomorrow that I needed to get rid of EVERY cable attachment I owned, I’d find a way to smuggle one of my MAG Grip Cable Attachments into whatever terrible place you were taking me. MAG Grips started my journey into the world of bends, curves, and appreciation for what those can do. No not like that, I mean in gym equipment (well yeah, like that too).
MAG Grips were created when one day the owner realized that if he did pull-ups from the rafters with his hands wrapped AROUND the beams, he could get more reps compared to a traditional pull-up bar. On top of that, he felt it more in his back. This realization lent itself to creating the “paddle handle” design that the MAG Grips are famous for. A little more biomechanics research lent him down a path of designing handles that had different grip requirements such as supinated, pronated, and neutral. These change the orientation of your wrists, elbows, and shoulders, which changes the emphasis from your upper back to your lats.
The MAG Grips come in a Close, Medium, and Wide size as well, giving you a LOT of options depending on your goals with cable attachments and developing a big back.
Why Are MAG Grips Great For Powerlifters?
A big back is going to help you with Squats, Bench, and Deadlift. No other muscle group on the body outside of your core (some strength coaches consider the lats as part of the core) is going to have such a huge impact on your ability to stay healthy and lift big weights. Not to mention a big back looks cool. Nothing blocks out the sun like a huge set of lats. And being able to develop the entire upper back, focus on certain areas to limit weaknesses, and rotate exercises without having to completely change the exercise is a HUGE win for a home gym powerlifter.
What MAG Should I Buy?
Buy them all! Well, maybe not. My first recommendation is the MAG Medium Supinate. If you want more, I would dig into this article as I break down everything about MAGs and how to choose which ones whether you want 1, 2, 3, 4, or more.
Prime ROT-8 Handles
The MAGs are the GOAT for back, but the Prime ROT-8s are a close second. I prefer a locked in feeling with my cable attachments, which the MAGs provide. More stability means more weights, more reps, and more gains. But sometimes we want a little customization and fluidity to our movements. As powerlifters we spend a LOT of time locked in, tight, and using our entire body as one. The Prime ROT-8s give us an opportunity to remember that we have TWO arms instead of one. Two arms that work independently, that connect into the shoulder and upper back.
Use code GGC to save 5% on your Prime ROT-8 Handles.
Why Are Prime ROT-8 Handles Great For Powerlifters?
As a powerlifter, you can never get enough back work in. A bigger and stronger back equates to a bigger Squat, Bench, AND Deadlift. While the MAGs are fantastic at handling a ton of weight, the Prime ROT-8 Handles are going to allow us to tackle iso-lateral back work, meaning we can address imbalances from side to side more effectively. I can almost guarantee you if you have a dominate hand, use a cell phone regularly, or play any kind of instrument or sport, you have developed some lopsided tendencies.
Don’t Forget This!
You can combine the Prime ROT-8 handles with a Gym-Pin D-Handle Bar or Darko Longy Bar and REALLY get a lot of functionality depending on where you go with it. (10% off GymPin w/ Code: GRAYMATTERLIFTING)
American Barbell V-Bar
Big triceps are a crucial aspect for a big bench. Some powerlifters have even stated that big triceps might be more important than big pecs for skyrocketing your bench PR. I probably wouldn’t go that far, but triceps are definitely the piece to the puzzle that finishes that rep. Without them you often miss the transition from on the pecs to lockout, and are left with a bar on your chest.
Add in that biceps can be a big piece to keeping your arms healthy and happy, and you get a need for a good attachment that can handle a solid arm day. The American Barbell V-Bar is one of the few cable attachments I’ve used that handles BOTH sides of the upper arm without making any sacrifices. It has a basic design, but due to the strong angles is very elbow and wrist friendly (good for us aching powerlifters). The knurling is present but not crazy, and the rotation is SMOOTH. I’ve owned mine in my garage gym for over 5 years and never had to do any maintenance. This thing is a wonderful piece.
Why Is The American Barbell V-Bar Great For Powerlifters?
You get curls, reverse curls, triceps push downs, triceps extensions, and reverse grip extensions, giving you a LOT of bang for your buck. One attachment, whether it goes in your gym bag or on the wall, that can do that much and do it VERY well, is a worthy contender for one of the best cable attachments around. As mentioned, powerlifters can benefit from the strength gains of bigger triceps. Dave Tate has been a proponent for years and so is Mark Bell, of building the biceps for powerlifters as well. Their thought is that not only does it keep the elbow happy, but it “takes up space” when you lower the bar in the bench press.
Basically, having bigger biceps means that your arm runs into itself as you lower the bar to your chest. As you go to press, you have something to push off of, giving yourself more stability and the ability to eek out a few more pounds. So probably a good investment either way.
Gym-Pin Ergo Handles
If the American Barbell V-Bar is akin to the MAGs, the Gym Pin Ergo Handles are akin to the Prime ROT-8s. We unlock iso lateral triceps work in a ton of fashions. The cable attachment handles fit VERY well in my hands at 6ft and 250lbs as well as my wife’s at 5ft6in and 150lbs. Even my daughter uses them at 7 years old.
(10% off GymPin w/ Code: GRAYMATTERLIFTING)
They are labeled L and R because the grips only fit one hand, hence why you NEED a pair. If you add something like a daisy chain to these, you now have iso-lateral options, overhead options, dual options with a neutral grip, and more. The length is completely customizable so you get full extension in the elbow to maximize triceps gains.
They originally had a cable attachment that had both of these TOGETHER in one piece, which was my favorite triceps attachment until I got these in. Seriously, a ton of creative opportunities to really mix up your triceps training.
Why are the Gym-Pin Ergo Handles Great For Powerlifters?
These are ONLY triceps based, opposed to the AB V-Bar. But similar to the Prime ROT-8, they give us some insight into our left and right discrepancies. If you happen to bang out 10 reps on the left and 12 on the right, we might have an opportunity to fix that, avoid an injury, and move forward stronger and healthier. These also open the door to a number of exercise options you can’t get otherwise, which I think for a powerlifter, some novelty in accessories is a good thing. You are going to Squat, Bench, and Deadlift every week for the rest of your life, you might as well mix it up with your accessories.
IPR ISO Handle Pro
Your mid-section might be the most important piece to the puzzle in powerlifting. Connecting that upper body to the lower body with a rock solid core is how you go from “deadlifts hurt my back” to “deadlifts built my back”. There are a lot of strap options on the market, and the old school approach was to simply use a triceps rope. The problem with most is that they get in the way, aren’t long enough, and are hard to hold onto.
The IPR ISO Handle Pro takes care of all of that. The handles work fantastically even at heavier weights. The strap is smooth and easy to wrap around your body for a good full range of motion. And it is long and light and totally out of the way in everything from ab crunches to face pulls. You can use it for triceps extensions as well, curls, even rows. So this is a nice addition to a cable attachment collection for some novelty.
Why is the IPR ISO Handle Pro Great For Powerlifters?
Westside Barbell has been a HUGE proponent of heavy core work for decades. A number of their lifters have gone as far as stating that this is the ONE thing they know that most lifters aren’t doing in their training, or they simply leave it to the end and hap-hazardously perform a couple weak sets. Your midsection is a key function for transferring power between your lower body to your upper body. So the simply strength aspects are huge. Not to mention that a better and stronger core means you are less likely to fold over and get hurt, and I think we have an easy argument for why this simply strap should be in your repertoire.
Ankle Cuffs
The last cable attachment today is going to be for the lower body. Well, technically you can use this for more than just the lower body. But lets start with the basics. A big squat and deadlift has a LOT to do with some strong and happy hips. Those same hips help keep our knees and low back healthy, so spending some time on them might be worth it.
Ankle Cuffs give you the ability to turn into a booty-building machine like you see on Instagram, but without the need for the thirst trap camera angles. You’ll have the ability to target some of the often forgot muscles like the adductors, abductors, and various hip flexors and glute muscles to not only round out that butt but help bulletproof your body for the pursuit of bigger lifts.
But wait, there is more!
Ankle cuffs also give us an awesome opportunity to do shoulder lateral raises, front raises, and rear delt raises in various positions.
Why are Ankle Cuffs Great For Powerlifters?
I saved this one for last because I think it ranks last in terms of priorities for cable attachments for powerlifters. I think direct shoulder work as well as direct hip and glute work can have a big impact on your abilities, not mention your physique. But the big win here is that ankle cuffs are a cheap cable attachment that travels easily and takes up no space. They add a lot of options, and the ones I own have held up for close to a decade. If for some reason you bought these and never used them, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
That said, we use ours multiple times a week. They are my go-to for shoulder work, and between hip thrusts and back extensions I like adding in the cable abductor work to keep things interesting. I wouldn’t cry if you skipped these, but I do think they make sense to have.
Wrap Up
There is a HUGE assortment of cable attachments on the market. And over the years I’ve owned most of them. I think this is an area for home gym peeps that can be a lot of fun to own a wide assortment. But today we just focused on what might be the biggest impact items for your powerlifting pursuits. If you want to take a deep dive into cable attachments, you can check out the following article.
💲MAG Medium Supinate – The cable attachment that started my obsession, the greatest back attachment ever. Check it out here.
đź’˛Prime RO-T8 Handles – The perfect compliment to the MAGs Use code GGC to save 5% – Check them out here.
💲American Barbell V-Bar – A premium take on a basic cable attachment, from one of the biggest names in the gym equipment world. Check it out here.
đź’˛Gym Pin Ergo Handles– The best single cable attachments for triceps accessories. 10% off w/ Code: GRAYMATTERLIFTING – Check them out here.
💲IPR Fitness ISO Pro Handle – Ab crunches, face pulls, triceps options and more. Made in the US by a Veteran owned company. Use code GML to save 20%
💲Ankle Cuffs – Nothing fancy here. A good set of ankle cuffs can help unlock a lot of options in your gym. Grab any from Amazon with good ratings.
đź“ŚEnjoy Powerlifting? Want to enter a FREE competition with thousands of dollars in prizes and donations to non-profits? Check out our next event!
🏅 Own a home gym? Like to save money? Check out my full list of discount codes.
