Ancore Pro Trainer Review

The Ancore Pro Trainer is quite impressive.

It’s a home gym cable machine with a retractable cable that doesn’t require pulleys or regular weight plates.

With a small footprint, it saves A LOT of space in a home gym.

And being able to move it up and down gives you different angles for a variety of exercises.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

The Ancore Pro Trainer came with two boxes.

The black box has the Ancore Pro trainer system, 6 resistance plates, carabiner, and a handle.

I got the standard Ancore Pro version which goes up to 55 lbs of resistance.

There’s another option called the Ancore Pro Plus that goes up to 65 lbs.

The small box has the strap mount which is included with the purchase.

Ancore Training has 3 other options for mounts: a rack mount, wall mount, and sliding track mount.

Specs

• Cable length: 8 ft

• Base resistance: 5 lbs (no resistance plates attached)

• Maximum resistance: 65 lbs

• Range of resistance: 5 lbs to 65 lbs

• Maximum number of plates per side: 3 plates

• Weight: Around 9 lbs (with all resistance plates on)

• Dimensions: 12 in x 4.75 in x 3 in (with all plates on)

• Cable: Made from a high-strength, synthetic Dyneema fiber (15X stronger than steel)

• Exterior: Machined-metal exterior

• Carabiner: Coated steel universal carabiner clip

Strap Mount

The strap mount has a 3 inch wide industrial grade velcro strap with a red loop at the end.

Having the red loop at the end makes it easy to pull the strap tightly around my uprights.

It can go on squat racks, beams, trees, or posts.

Once I open up the strap you can see how long it is.

Definitely longer than my 3″ x 3″ rack needs but they made it this way so it can used on different surfaces.

The optimal circumference of the mounting fixture is between 10 inches and 14 inches.

On the other end of the strap, there’s a rubber-lined aluminum plate that sits against the rack.

The front side of it has a square right in the middle with a hollow inside.

This is where the base of the Ancore system connects to the strap mount.

Right at the bottom of the mounting plate there’s a small bracket with a metal lanyard.

This is the safety steel lanyard.

I wrap it around my uprights and it’s just there as insurance.

I’ve never seen it happen but in case the velcro comes loose, the lanyard will prevent the whole unit from coming off the rack.

Ancore Rack Mount

I also picked up the Ancore rack mount.

This adds more stability to the whole unit since it has parts going through my rack’s uprights and it’s secured tightly with a knob in the back.

To add to the stability of the rack mount, it is also lined with anti-slip rubber where it comes in contact with the front of my rack.

I really like the quick-adjusting spring locking knob that Ancore designed.

The knob has a button on top that makes it easy and fast to remove it from the mount’s bolt.

You can see when the button is in the up position, the center hole is narrow.

When I press it down, the center hole is fully opened making it easy to remove from the mount by sliding it off.

Here’s what the rack mount looks when it’s on my upright.

And here’s what it looks like when I add the Ancore trainer to the rack mount.

It doesn’t move at all when doing exercises.

Check out the video above so you can see how easy it is to use the rack mount and move it up and down any upright.

Ancore Pro Trainer

Here’s the face of the Ancore Pro.

There’s an O-ring connected to the cable and the cable moves between two metal rollers.

Here’s a view from the side.

You can see there’s a triangular opening right in the middle and grooves that go in a circular pattern around the middle.

This is where the resistance plates attach.

The back side has a square cut out with a metal pin that goes through it.

This is where the strap mount connects to it.

And this is a top view of both the strap mount and the Ancore Pro unit.

You can see where the two pieces connect with the metal pin locking them in place.

When I pull the cord out, it rolls in between the two metal rollers.

This gives it a smooth motion and reduces the wear and tear on the cord.

The carabiner is made of solid steel and the spring on it is very strong.

Resistance Plates

Ancore Pro Standard vs Plus Resistance

The Standard resistance set comes with up to 55 lbs of resistance.

You can always purchase additional resistance plates later on.

The Plus resistance set comes with a pair of additional 10 lbs plates with a max resistance of 65 pounds.

You get the maximum resistance by attaching three 10 lbs plates per side with the base unit providing 5 lbs of resistance.

The Ancore Pro Standard comes with six resistance plates.

Three for the right side (labeled 5R, 10R, 10R).

And three for the left side (labeled 5L, 10L, 10L).

One side of each plate has female parts in the center.

And the other side has the male pieces.

The base unit has female parts on both the right and left sides.

To add resistance weights, I angle the weight so the male and female parts match.

Then turn the resistance plate towards the front and they lock in place.

Ancore Accessories

Handle

The Ancore system comes with a single handle attachment.

It has a rubber and strong strap so this should be able to handle any exercise.

And of course, I could attach any other handle like the Angles90 if I wanted to.

The handle connects to the base unit via the carabiner

Plate Dock

The Ancore plate dock is an optional accessory that helps to keep the resistance plates off the floor.

Here’s a view from the side and just like on the Ancore unit, the plates twist on to the dock.

This is a shot from the back where I’m showing you the rubber padding that goes against my weight rack.

It also uses the same thick strap as the unit.

Here’s what it looks like once I got the dock on my rack.

And here’s what it looks like when I have resistance plates on it.

I can put all plate ranges on it (2.5 lbs, 5 lbs, and 10 lbs).

Triceps Rope

For two handed exercises like tricep pushdowns, overhead triceps extension, or cable curls, I like using the triceps rope.

Ankle Strap

I use the Ancore Pro Trainer with my favorite ankle strap, the OmniStrap.

This is one of the best ankle straps for cable machines and isolation exercises with dumbbells.

The OmniStrap has two D-rings and a strap at the bottom, giving me three options to attach the carabiner.

I can use it for hip extensions, hip abductions, reverse squats, or even on my forearm for lateral shoulder raises.

Lat Pulldown / Seated Row Bar

I use my Ironmaster Ultimate Row Handle for lat pull downs or seated rows.

The beauty of the Ancore Pro Trainer strap mount is that I can easily move it up and down my rack to change angles and hit multiple exercises.

As you can see above, I lowered the unit down for seated cable rows.

D Handle Bar

A D handle bar is another accessory that can be used with the Ancore trainer.

This gives me the option to add different handles to the bar.

I can clip on handles with carabiners to it or use my Angles90 grips.

Ancore Pro Trainer Exercises

There’s no limit to the number of exercises you can do with the Ancore Pro trainer.

You can do any home gym cable machine or functional trainer exercise you can think of.

Here’s a few of the ones I do most frequently…

Cable Crossovers

For cable crossovers, I can place the Ancore trainer anywhere along my uprights.

I can move it high, at the middle, or low to hit my chest from different angles.

Bicep Curls

For bicep curls, I move the unit to the bottom of the rack.

I attach either a rope, short horizontal bar, or do each arm individually with the handle Ancore provides.

Tricep Pushdowns

Just like with bicep curls, I can use similar attachments for tricep pushdowns.

Rope, horizontal bar, or single handle.

Seated Rows

For seated rows I just lower the unit close to the floor and start rowing.

Since this is an exercise where I can use a lot of weight, I usually use two units at once (one on each upright).

This way each arm is working unilaterally so I’m getting more of a challenge.

Overhead Triceps Extension

Here I’m doing overhead triceps extensions.

I can either do them like this or move the Ancore unit lower to change the angle of the exercise.

Shoulder Lateral Raises

For lateral shoulder raises I can go several ways.

I can do one arm at a time with one unit.

Or stand between two units facing each other and raise both arms together with the cables making an “X” pattern.

Hip Abductions / Extensions

For all hip movements, I wrap the OmniStrap around my ankle.

If I want to do hip extensions, I face the Ancore unit with the D-ring in front of my foot.

For hip abductions, I stand beside the Ancore with the D-ring facing the inside of my foot.

I can easily twist the OmniStrap to any direction to hit different muscle groups.

What’s The Difference Between Ancore and Ancore Pro?

The original Ancore is made of a fiberglass housing and has a friction ring on the entrance of the cable.

The Ancore Pro is the second generation model that has a machined metal plate for increased durability.

Instead of a friction ring it has two metal rollers that give cable exercises a smooth feel.

Ancore Trainer vs Home Gym Cable Machine

Traditional cable machines are designed at 2:1 or 4:1 ratios using pulleys or levers to achieve a mechanical advantage.

For example, using a 2:1 pulley cable machine, the 130 lbs plate is approximately equivalent to 65 lbs of force required.

The Ancore trainer uses resistance measured in a 1:1 ratio, so the resistance on the plates is what you’re actually pulling.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Portable: Mounting strap can be wrapped around a rack, post, fence, and anything you can think of.

• Retractable Cable: No cables hanging everywhere when you’re done exercising

• Space Saving: Only takes up 12″ of space when fully loaded, making it way more compact than a full size cable machine

• Versatile: Exercise just like with any cable machine, move it up and down your rack to change angles

• Explosiveness: Can do power movements without plates crashing down

• Smooth Motion: Cable flows smoothly throughout the movements

Cons

• Max Resistance: At 65 lbs of resistance per unit you won’t be able to do heavy compound lifts but for isolation exercises it works great.

Ancore Pro Trainer Coupon Code

So here’s how to save $50 on any Ancore Trainer model.

I’ve been able to secure a discount code exclusive to my readers.

Click here and use coupon code SHREDDED at checkout.

And if you decide to get the Dual Ancore Pro (2 units), here’s how you can save $100.

If you buy 2 units together, Ancore knocks off $25 from each one ($1249 for 2 units vs $1300 buying each one individually).

So buying the Dual Ancore Pro saves you $50 off.

Then you can stack my $50 coupon code on top of that for a $100 discount (You pay $1199 vs $1249 without my coupon).

Ancore Pro Trainer Review

I like how compact, space saving, and smooth the Ancore Pro trainer is.

As far as quality goes, it’s built with heavy duty materials so I don’t see it breaking down any time soon.

It’s great for unilateral cable isolation exercises and can also work as a functional trainer if you get the Dual Ancore Pro (2 units).

If you’re looking for a compact home gym cable machine without the big foot print of a functional trainer, this one is premium quality.

Check Out The Ancore Pro Trainer Here