I guess you'll just have to lift the entire cable machine /s
this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2026
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Not sure there are any good or direct cable alternatives for a deadlift, mostly because cable machine stacks aren't big enough for deadlifting.
There was a video of Jeff Nippard doing deadlifts on a cable row machine. If you're interested in testing it out. https://youtube.com/shorts/mYROrXBWfKA
But otherwise you'd probably have to separate out this movement into multiple different movements rather than single one.
This youtube comment is gold! 😂
Tried this and the guys at the gym told me I'm rowing wrong lmao
If they have the two-column/gantry style cable machine and you’re willing to BYO bar, you could add removable cable attachment points to each end with common pipe and cable hardware.
For example, on each end of your bar, you could slide on a shaft collar like this
But replace the set screw with a shallow eyebolt like this
Then attach cables of lower-inside pulleys to the eyebolts at each end of your bar, and test.
It won’t replicate the dynamics of plates but should let you find the correct angle of resistance into the floor and maintain your form while training with cables.
I'm fascinated by your knowledge of various fastening/affixing hardware (such as a shaft collar, which I didn't know exists but can see its immense usefulness). Did you learn about all these devices from your job? If so, where does someone like me learn about all these various cheap metal apparatuses since I enjoy building my own stuff as it relates to my various hobbies, including but not limited to, climbing/fishing/beekeeping? This type of knowledge would be extremely useful if I can find out where to attain such knowledge! Just looking to be pointed in the right direction so I can get started more easily, such as maybe a couple keywords or search terms to lead me down a deep-dive rabbit hole.
This is chatGPT's recommendations, if I don't hear back I'll just start with this list. 😁
In my case, I learned by making stuff I wanted or needed that ~~didn’t exist yet~~ I couldn’t find. Once you start doing that you inevitably start running into problems that require slightly more specialized knowledge to solve correctly. But you don’t have to learn everything at once.
So I imagine any “maker” category of content would be a good start, since they often start with the same premise and talk through their techniques, resources, and tools in the process.
Here’s a maker from the old mythbusters TV show talking about making things: https://www.ted.com/talks/simone_giertz_why_you_should_make_useless_things
GLHF
You can find a stone and lift it.
We can argue it's way better than deadlift for overall strength and costs nothing.
Get yourself a Beyond Power Voltra (or two 🤔) with a platform and take it back and forth to the apartment gym with you. Would fill in for the exercises you might want.
Plus it does the opposite of the ego lift. People will be intrigued, give it a go, be humbled and realise how much you're lifting and then think you're pushing and pulling huge numbers from then on when you're only doing a 6 RPE day.
What the hell is that thing. It looks cool, but $2100?
It's pricey but you can do a surprisingly large amount with it. Of all the "digital resistance" ideas out there, it's the most practical as you can move it about and take it with you. Have a look on YT, at channels like Garage Gyms or something and you'll see how it's used. It's quality kit. If I didn't have my own gym setup and functional trainer, I'd consider it over the FT.
Beyond Power Voltra https://youtu.be/6iaeTJzXBV8?t=100
That 70 pound concentric with 200 pound eccentric combo setting was hilarious!