Abstract: A weight training apparatus, which normally includes a pair of cables and a bar interconnecting the cables. The cables are wound preferably on a reel, and a brake device controls the reel to regulate the force required to unwind the cables from the reel. A mechanism responsive to the initial pull on one of the cables sets the brake mechanism for the force desired. This force can be easily changed at any point in the training exercise by merely momentarily releasing the pull on the control cable so that the brake device will be reset at another selected force requirement for unwinding the reel. The control mechanism responsive to the initial pull of the cable may be either of a mechanical or electrical type.