Fatman's Guide To Cable Training
Fatman's Guide To Cable Training
Fatman's Guide To Cable Training
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
Cable (expander) training, a popular training method and strength stunt of old-time
strongmen, is experiencing a major revival at the beginning of the 21st century. Many
of the modern-time strength and conditioning gurus – Matt Furey, John Brookfield,
Budd Jeffries and the brains behind Ironmind and Oldtime Strongman websites, to
name a few – are promoting cable training as an excellent addition to your training, or
even a stand-alone training method in itself. Looking back, it can be noted that many
of the old-time strongmen who published strength-training books in the early 1900s
devoted parts of those books, or entire publications, to cable training or
“strandpulling”. The names of Sandow, Bonomo, Danks, Noe and others spring to
mind. Given the recent resurrection of old-time lifts and training methods, the
increased interest in cables comes is hardly surprising. It seems as if the strength-
training world is forced to revert to training philosophies from almost one hundred
years ago, which gives one a good notion of the actual progress (or rather lack
thereof) made in this field.
Cable training/strandpulling can be defined as the activity of stretching out elastic
strands/bands, usually rubber tubing or steel springs, to a certain length in certain
positions. Strandpulling can either be used to enhance an existing weight-lifting
program, or put the finishing “touches” on a physique forged through diligent use of
iron, or as a strength and flexibility program unto itself, or combined with non-
apparatus and bodyweight exercises. Powerlifters use rubber bands attached to
barbells when training for acceleration and power, or for stretching purposes, or for
strengthening, rehab and prehab of weaker muscle groups that do not receive
sufficient work from the usual weightlifting movements. Wrestlers and other
participants in grappling sports combine them with sandbags and calisthenics for
developing functional, sport-specific strength. Even sprinters, runners and swimmers
can benefit from resistance band training, again for conditioning and strengthening of
specific areas.
The basic idea of this instructional is to offer some insight into the history of this
method of exercising, provide a list of some of the most beneficial cable exercises in
my view and share some of the experiences I have had with cable training. A brief
disclaimer: I am by no means a strength training expert or professional athlete/coach;
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
I do not have the expertise of the established exercise gurus, and my educational
background is in finance rather than physical training or medicine. Many of the
thoughts and opinions presented here are not my own; where this is the case, I will
clearly indicate the original author. Make sure to follow up on these references and
read a bit more about cable training from experienced professionals. Also, always
consult a qualified physician before starting an exercise program – I’m not going
to be held liable if you drop dead from being dumb enough to start training despite a
potentially lethal medical condition. Stupidity claims more lives per year than cancer
and AIDS combined – don’t become a statistic.
In order to fulfill, or even come close to fulfilling, your maximum strength, size or
performance potential, you cannot rely solely on what some guy will tell you in a
book. An advanced athlete should be in touch with his/her body to an extent that
allows him/her to know how to train, rest and gauge performance on the basis of
his/her individual needs. However, some guidance is always useful. Get acquainted
with as many ideas as possible, try them out and retain only the stuff that you find
useful. Remember: it’s always better to learn from someone else’s mistakes than from
your own. This applies not only to cable training, but strength training in general. I
have frequently stuck with routines that had ceased to bring results out of a mental
dependency – for example, if you enjoy benching heavy weights and see good gains
from it for a while, you become kind of reluctant to drop bench presses from your
routine altogether once you stop seeing improvements. If you’re not a competitive
weightlifter or bodybuilder, what have you got to lose if you switch to a routine that
proves to be ineffective? Don’t fear to try out new stuff. On the other hand, don’t
change routines every now and then, as this is highly counterproductive. Find a good
training routine that is in line with your goals, abilities and available time/space, and
stick with it for a while until the gains stop coming. Then find another routine and
start using it. It really is as easy as that.
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
If cables are that great, why aren’t they more present in the “muscle media”, i.e. why
don’t we see Ronnie Coleman or the other pros “pumping rubber”? It is true that,
recent revival notwithstanding, you won’t see cables featured in Flex magazine and
similar publications. The reason for this is simple: cables aren’t a great sell. A set of
Lifeline TNT cables (two handles, door attachment and three R4 cables) will set you
back around $30; throw in an additional set of “reds” – which is more or less all you’ll
need for a long, long time, even if you’re pretty strong – and the sum total comes out
to around $50. After deducting production, marketing and shipping costs, there isn’t
really that much net profit left for the supplier. Once you buy a set of cables, you
don’t need a gym membership either (you can train with them just as effectively at
home), so you’re not deriving any income from this source either. Conversely, there
isn’t much incentive for cable manufacturing companies to pay exorbitant marketing
fees to pro bodybuilders to oil themselves up, smile those megawatt-smiles and
perform front pulls in front of the camera. They cater to a different clientele anyway.
The driving forces behind muscle magazines are large commercial gyms and
supplement manufacturers. They pay substantial amounts of cash for advertising. This
is how the people working for muscle mags earn their daily bread. Therefore, the
messages they send out through their publications are twofold:
a) you can only get huge and ripped training in a commercial gym: note the
exercises presented in the training plans of some of the physique champions –
they will often call for something like “3 sets of 12 reps on the latest Biceps
Optimizer 3000 machine, supersetted by one burn-out set on the Inclined Pec
Blaster”. Good luck fitting those two into your garage or living room, let alone
your budget. The only solution is to join a gym equipped with all this Star-
Trek equipment.
b) you need supplements in order to gain strength and size: I won’t even start on
why this is untrue. Muscle magazines have been pushing ridiculous ideas like
“one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day” for almost half a
century – is it really surprising that so many people buy into the supplement
hype? The supplement business is extremely profitable. A bottle of “metabolic
mega-booster” or a can of “micro-filtrated-isolated pre-digested whey protein”
costs as much as the entire cable setup described above. These firms can
afford Ronnie Coleman in ads for their product. Cable companies just don’t
find it profitable.
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
Between the gyms and the supplements, very little advertising space can be found for
the relatively inexpensive cables. I have absolutely no doubt that, if Jon Hinds of
Lifeline USA decided to dish out more cash to the muscle rags, the very next issue of
Flex or Iron Man would feature a pro bodybuilder’s cable-training routine “which he
used to prepare himself for the crown-winning performance at the Mr. Whatnot
competition held in California this July”.
Digression aside, we move back to the subject of cable training. What follows is an
(abbreviated) list of reasons why one should train with cables:
Cables provide a different type of resistance to weights and “hit” the muscles
in a different way, plus they develop muscles that are difficult to “get to” with
regular barbell/dumbbell exercises;
Cable exercises are very effective at “pumping” individual muscles, which is
beneficial as it provides the necessary flushing of the muscle with blood (and
removal of metabolic waste);
Cables are light and take up very little space, so they’re very portable, great
for trainees who are frequently on the road for longer periods and want to get
some training done (like myself);
Cables are extremely versatile – they can be used to replicate virtually all
weight-lifting exercises, plus a vast number of others that have no weighted
equivalent. They also provide unlimited options regarding muscles worked,
range of motion, etc.;
Cables do not stress the joints and tendons the way heavy weights do
(although they do provide excellent joint/tendon loading), and hence lend
themselves better to speed or explosive work at lower risk of injury (e.g. cable
ballistic squats vs. barbell ballistic squats);
Cables allow you to train with limit or near-limit resistance without the risk of
life-threatening injury: getting whacked by a poorly secured cable or handle is
very, very painful, but highly unlikely to permanently cripple you;
Cables enable you to exercise against resistance coming from all angles,
unlike weights, where the resistance is provided by gravity (always
downward);
Cables allow you to increase/decrease resistance easily and safely during the
exercise, simply by adjusting the length pulled (by adjusting the grip or, if a
door attachment is used, by stepping further/closer to the door);
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
Cables are very useful for grapplers, as the resistance provided is similar to
that provided by an opponent;
Many traditional cable movements develop flexibility along with strength, an
important aspect of physical development often neglected by weightlifters
(indeed, excessive flexibility can be detrimental to certain categories of
strength athletes, so this is something that is seldom, if ever, trained);
Cables can be used for isolation exercises that target only the muscle worked,
or for compound, full-body exercises that require all the muscles to work in
unison; they cover the entire spectrum.
What a list! Are cables, then, superior to weightlifting? Well, the answer is no.
Neither method is “superior” to the other, they are very different. Granted, there is
some carryover between the two activities; a strong barbell-trained man will be able to
work against a greater elastic resistance than someone new to physical training, and a
cable trainee will have a distinct advantage when attempting to lift a barbell over a
strength-training novice. However, it must be understood that cable deadlifts
performed on their own will not make a person better at barbell deadlifts, just like a
guy who benches 500 lbs. will bomb on a back press with equivalent cable resistance,
or even fail to get the cable set into the starting position. Weightlifting, like all sports,
is movement-specific. I can’t even count the times I’ve read or heard questions like
“are pushups/close grip pushups/one-armed pushups going to help me increase my
bench press maximum?” Many don’t realize that this question is just as dumb as
asking “am I going to become a better basketball player by training for American
football?” Bench-press specific exercises are going to help you increase your bench
press maximum. One-armed pushups are going to increase your one-arm pushup
maximum.
Okay, so why train with cables? Because, in order to become truly strong, you should
challenge your body in as many ways and directions as possible. I sincerely believe
that this is the only way to all-round strength, power and health. Why train for
impressive powerlifting totals, OR muscular endurance that enables you to crank out
hundreds of reps of bodyweight exercises, OR tremendous static strength, OR the
ability to perform cable exercises with resistances that most other guys couldn’t even
budge – when you can train for ALL these goals at the same time?
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
This should give you a good explanation of why and how cables place more load on
the muscles than barbells. Say you can bicep curl 100 lbs. over the full range of
motion, i.e. your muscles are capable of handling a load of this magnitude in this
particular movement. In the top portion of the curl (the part between having your
forearms at 90 degrees to the upper arms and the fully contracted position), your
muscles work at a more favorable leverage as the weight is supported by the bones of
the arm. Were you just to perform this part of the motion, you could probably lift 120
lbs. or more. However, the maximum poundage in a given lift is determined by your
weakest point in the lift, just like the old saying goes: “a chain is only as strong as its
weakest link”. Using the example of the curl, you can only get 100 lbs. past the
starting point (arms fully extended – weakest position), therefore this is your limit
poundage on the lift. However, you could lift 120 lbs. in the top portion. You’re
essentially robbing your muscles of the extra growth stimulus that could be derived
from the bicep curl exercise.
The same goes for other lifts. Perhaps you can perform a partial deadlift (from the
knees to lockout) with 400 lbs. Too bad you can only break 300 off the floor. Or you
can bench press 350 lbs. over the last 10 inches of the motion, but the sticking point
half-way off your chest limits you to 250. Full-ROM lifting is important for a
competitive powerlifter, but for those among us on a quest for muscular size, shape
and real, raw strength, overloading certain portions of the lift could be far more
beneficial. Strength over the full range of motion is still important, but heavy partials
have a lot of carry-over to full-ROM lifts.
If full-ROM lifting is flawed in this respect, what is the solution? Heavy partials are
one of the most common and effective methods. John Grimek, a weight-lifter and
bodybuilder from the pre-steroid era, performed partial overhead presses to strengthen
his overhead press (which was a competitive lift back in the day) and eventually
pushed one thousand pounds in this lift. Compare that to the average modern-day
trainee in an age in which overhead pressing has all but disappeared from the gyms.
He would struggle with a standing overhead press with one hundred pounds, or ONE-
TENTH of the same amount. Budd Jeffries, a modern-day strength wonder and the
author of the Twisted Conditioning series, has quarter-squatted almost two thousand
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
pounds. Think about that, then think about the fact that a quarter-squat is what passes
for a “squat” in most gyms. From what I’ve seen in commercial gyms, the one or two
guys who actually perform the squat on a regular basis employ the “double
progression” method: as the weight goes up, so does their butt at the bottom of the
“squat”, so they’re essentially upping the weight and shortening the ROM. And
thinking they’re making progress. I have long ago sworn never to make fun of these
people, so I don’t even bother explaining to them why what they’re doing is pointless.
Or perhaps I’m just an evil bastard who enjoys seeing other people stagnate and/or get
weaker and frustrated while I make slow and steady progress, in which case I need
assistance of the psychological variety. Enough about me, back to the topic of cable
training:
One guy actually set out to make an entire training “philosophy” based on partial
training. His name is Peter Sisco and he advocates using nothing but partials and
heavy lockouts on all exercises, reasoning that a) this overloads the muscles harder,
and b) minimizes the chance of injury due to limiting the exercise to the “safe” part of
the motion. Now I’m not an advocate of partial-only training, as full-range exercise is
still the best for overall strength development, but you can gain a ton of strength and
size from partials. They help your body get accustomed to handling heavy weights
and trigger your central nervous system into muscle-building overdrive. Just
remember that partials are a tool in getting your full-range lifts up, not a substitute for
full-ROM training. Many get seduced by the fact that they’re lifting so much weight
and become mentally dependant on the poundages.
How do you combine the best of both worlds – get the benefits of full-range lifting
and also enjoy the overload in the strongest part of the motion? You got it – cables!
Using cables you can add resistance to the top part of the motion while keeping the
resistance in the initial part of the lift low enough for you to be able to “break out” of
the weak portion. There are two ways you can achieve this:
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
The first method is pretty straightforward – just use cables as a substitute for barbell
and dumbbell exercises. The Lifeline TNT cables are great for this, as they have all
the necessary features:
1. They can go up to Goliath resistances;
2. They are long enough for exercises like standing presses, up-right rows or
curls, where you stand on the cable and hold the two handles to perform
the exercise, as well as door attachment exercises, like presses, pulls and
sled-dragging exercises;
3. They have solid handles, which allows for proper “weight” distribution
(you need a solid handle to stretch “heavy” cables).
I’m sure other cables work just as well, it’s just that I have experience with the
TNT model.
The second method is even better – combine the best of both worlds. In other words,
combine barbell/dumbbell movements with cables. I must note here that the TNT
cable set is not the best instrument of achieving this, as it consists of straight lengths
of plugged rubber tubing – the flat, looped bands sold by Ironmind or Elite Fitness are
much more useful for this purpose. The Westside Barbell Club uses the cable +
barbell method in their training to break through sticking points in the powerlifts: they
teach their lifters to lift at high speed through the combined use of bands and barbells,
in other words develop acceleration to blast through the sticking points.
Although I train regularly with weights and perform the three powerlifts, I have not
implemented this speed-training portion of the Westside Barbell Template into my
sessions. What I have in mind is the combination of barbells and cables for increasing
muscular tension during an exercise for the purposes of building muscle mass. The
cables would provide extra tension in the “strong” portion of the exercise – not just
the bench, squat and deadlift, but also rows, curls, dips, pull-ups/chin-ups, etc.
Hopefully I’ll be able to implement this training method in the future; until then, if
anyone has experience with this type of training, I’d be interested in hearing about it.
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
Who invented the expander? That’s as tricky a question to answer as “who invented
weights?” It is impossible to determine the origin of cable training, but they have been
around for a good while. The concept of training with elastic resistance dates back to
the invention of the bow. Here is a quote from an excellent strandpulling article1:
“(...) Expanders. Strands, Cables, call them what you will ... they are not as modern
an idea as you may think.
Their actual origin (as far as my own research goes), are from the Sumerians of about
3,000 BC (No that's NOT before cables).
There are many records of their Archers using Bows to practice pulls. They would use
bows of increasingly stronger pulling power, as they became stronger themselves.
Often they would tie two or even three Bows together, simply to increase the
resistance in their training.
Practicing the 'Archers Pull', wasn't the only exercise they did, which shows how
much they understood physical training.
Interestingly enough, they would use BOTH HANDS to do the pulls. Now as an
Archer, would always use the same hand to hold the Bow and the other to draw with,
using both hands during training showed they were thinking beyond just improving
the Archer's Pull.
In fact one inscription on an old Vase, mentioned that it was advised that ALL
Warriors should practice the bow for better performance.”
I would only add that other cultures that relied on the bow also used bows of
progressively heavier resistance to train their bodies for combat. The exact training
methods are largely unknown, although the archer pull and a variation of the up-right
row have made it onto ancient pottery. The Sumerians appear to have adhered to a
comprehensive system of training, but making up your own exercises on the go is
always a possibility with cables (and one of the reasons why they’re so great).
With the advent of rubber into Europe, the rubber cable expander was devised, first as
a curative device for the medical profession, later as a strength training tool. The steel
spring expander also became popular in more or less the same period.
1
Turton, Dave: On The Pull, courtesy of SFUK Articles and Interviews
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
Steel springs might have been somewhat more expensive, but this too was an
affordable piece of equipment. So the chest expander business grew.
One of the more famous chest expander courses from the early 1900s was written by
the great Eugen Sandow, considered by many to be “the man who started it all” in
physical culture. He engineered a bizarre expander device with two light dumbbells
for handles; the dumbbells themselves were halved lengthwise and connected by steel
springs, so one had to squeeze the dumbbells in order to obtain a good grip on the
expander and use it for the various exercises. Albeit an inspired method of training the
grip, using weights and cables simultaneously, the device was most likely a gimmick;
the dumbbells were light, and in my opinion using weights as chest expander handles
allows the force of gravity to help the user in stretching the cables in certain positions
or pulls, hence defeating the purpose. However, I have no experience with the
“Sandow Developer” and cannot vouch for its effectiveness, or lack thereof. It has
been reported that a number of users of the Developer in fact did develop decent
physiques, and even had contests for best built physical culturist. In conclusion, it can
be said that this device was different.
There appears to be one household name in cable training, and that is of Fred Rollon,
also known as “the Human Anatomy Chart”. The data that can be gleaned on this
early 20th century strongman and performer is unreliable to say the least, and there
seems to be no mention of him in any of the old-time exercise and lifestyle books. The
only actual image of him can be seen on any internet website promoting strandpulling
and cables and pictures him doing a back pose, like in a bodybuilding contest.
So what does the legend say on old Fred? He was a German turn-of-the-century
strongman who trained exclusively with cables (none of the old-timers trained
exclusively with anything, but we’ll let that one pass). He was immensely strong and
his cables could resist the pull of horses. He was also an accomplished weight-lifter –
he could lift heavy barbells when challenged, but again, trained only with cables.
I have been unable to find any additional information on Fred Rollon, therefore would
appreciate any input immensely.
Another strongman and physical culturist who trained exclusively with cables was a
gentleman named Alfred Danks. His work, the Danks System, is a very good book on
cable training; it was based around a regular expander-type device.
Earle Liederman, another weight-lifting and physical culture legend, also ran a very
successful mail-order course based on chest expander exercises. It was a follow-up
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
regarding a book he had written: some of this material will be presented in the
following chapters.
Modern-day cable trainees of note include grip master John Brookfield, who
published an excellent book titled Training with Cables for Strength, available
through Ironmind Enterprises, in which he provides descriptions for over fifty
exercises using an Ironmind chest expander. Some criticize the book for poor quality
of photographs; if it’s large color photos you’re after, buy Sports Illustrated or
Playboy, for crying out loud. Other “intelligent” comments on the book include “not
enough exercise routines” (you’re supposed to create your own – if you don’t know
how to do that by now, then perhaps strength training is not for you) and “he didn’t
offer anything new”. The idiocy never ceases to amaze me. The same people who
won’t buy Brookfield’s book because it’s “not innovative” are quite ready to dish out
hundreds of dollars to a certain internet guru who sells books that teach you how to do
squats and pushups. That said, the price could be lower and the quality of print better
(the same can be said for all Ironmind books), but nothing can be taken away from the
quality of training information. I own the book and recommend it heartily.
Dennis Rogers, “Pound-for-Pound the World’s Strongest Man”, also uses cables in
his training. He seems to avoid conventional training methods and performs strength
stunts like crumpling up frying pans like they’re made of paper, resisting the pull of
two motorcycles moving in opposite directions, etc.
Budd Jeffries, the author of Twisted Conditioning and one hell of a strong guy
(quarter squat of around two thousand pounds), also includes training with chest
expanders into his mixed exercise regimen. I have not had the pleasure of reading the
work of Mr. Jeffries, but I enjoy his website and featured articles. He uses all sorts of
exercises – high-rep calisthenics, bodyweight strength moves, agility exercises, heavy
weights, heavy partials, cable training, plyometrics, etc., and has attained an
unbelievable level of strength and conditioning. When you see a 300-lb. guy doing
flips and cartwheels, you tend to think that you’ve seen everything. And then he does
some handstand pushups. Great strength, great approach to training. Make sure you
check out his website, Strongerman Productions.
Cable training is experiencing a revival today, and is mostly used by athletes from the
grappling arts, mostly wrestlers, armwrestlers and MMA fighters. However, it is
becoming increasingly popular among athletes from other sports, most notably
bodybuilders and weightlifters. The training methods espoused by Westside Barbell
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
include a lot of work with elastic resistance. The main part of their resistance band
training relates to the development of lifting speed (speed squats, benches and
deadlifts performed with rubber bands attached to a relatively light barbell), but a
significant portion of time is dedicated to rehab and prehab band movements. These
exercises are quite dissimilar to the cable pulls and presses employed in classic cable
training, but the principle (exerting force against a variable resistance and developing
what they term “compensatory acceleration”) is the same. While these exercises could
not be classified as “strandpulling”, they still fall into the broad category of cable
training.
As opposed to weightlifting and training with bodyweight exercises, where everyone
seems to have discovered “the ultimate way to train”, little cable training information
is available through the internet. Apart from the books offered for free on the Sandow
Museum website (www.sandowplus.co.uk) and some excellent articles posted on the
(now sadly defunct) Strandpulling Message Board, most of this material is pretty hard
to come by through the internet. The following chapter will detail training information
I have compiled from several sources. Please take note that the material presented
therein was obtained free of charge on the Web, and sources will be referenced as
appropriate.
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This chapter will include descriptions of a number of cable exercises. I felt that
detailed descriptions should be provided, as the average trainee is rather unfamiliar
with this type of exercise. Most people who have set foot in a gym know how to
perform a bench press or a barbell squat; in comparison, the number of trainees who
are familiar with the back press or front pull is relatively low. Having said that, cable
exercises are simple and easy to master – then it’s just a question of adding resistance.
Important note: although cables are generally safer than weights, i.e. it’s unlikely that your cable set
will crush you to death in case of muscular failure, injuries are still possible. The common causes of
injury are twofold:
- Improper securement of cables: some exercises require one end of the cable set to be attached to a
fixed object, or secured underfoot. A stretched cable is like a cocked bow, so there is always the danger
of a handle slipping and hitting random bodyparts at full velocity. A more extreme variant would be
attaching the cable to an unstable anchor and bringing the entire structure down on your head. Use
common sense on this one.
- Using too much resistance: remember, the positive portion of a cable exercise begins at low
resistance which increases as the cable is stretched further. The negative portion, however, begins with
the cables at maximum resistance. Using too much resistance can cause quite a “snap” back, and
sprains can easily occur. With exercises like cable sled dragging, the kick-back could easily throw you
off your feet. It is important to stay focused on the exercise throughout the workout.
a) Classic strandpulling exercises (i.e. the old competition pulls): these are
primarily what one would term “chest expander” exercises, as this was the
cable device used in competition pulls;
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Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training
d) Everything else: given the versatility of cables, this latter category can contain
hundreds upon hundreds of exercises. I will try to include as many as possible,
but the only real limit is your imagination.
The competition pulls/exercises are all excellent upper-body developers.
Unfortunately, none of these exercises seem to target the lower body. Therefore, if
you’re embarking on a training routine consisting of competition pulls, I would
suggest performing a few heavy lower body exercises with weights in addition to the
cable exercises, perhaps one session per week, to attain solid overall development.
Suggestions will be presented later in this text. Due to the versatility of the Lifeline
TNT cables, you could also add some lower-body work from my list of other cable
exercises. However, I am a firm believer in the superiority of weights for lower body
training. Heavy barbell squats cannot be replaced by any other exercise, and you
should be performing them once or twice per week unless you suffer from a medical
condition that makes squatting dangerous or impossible.
This is a list of the competition pulls sanctioned by BASPA (British Amateur Strand-
Pulling Association)2:
No. Exercise Name
1 Overhead Downward Pull (knuckles inwards)
2 Overhead Downward Pull (knuckles outwards)
3 Two arms lateral raise (back and front)
4 Two Arms Front Chest Pull at attention
5 Two Arms Front Chest Pull (Anyhow)
6 Right and Left arm front chest pull (anyhow)
7 Right and left arm Military Press
8 Two Arms Back Press at Attention
9 Two Arms Back Press (anyhow)
10 Dislocation at the attention position
11 Dislocation (anyhow)
12 Two Arms Press from Behind Neck
13 Two Arms Upward Front Chest Pull (feet apart)
14 Right and left arm Front chest Pull (in erect position)
15 Right and left Arm Upward Push Anyhow
For those familiar with cable exercises, the names of the pulls will be more or less
self-explanatory. It is important to define certain terms used:
2
Devis, Syd: All About Strandpulling, provided courtesy of the Strandpulling Message Board. Original
book published cca. 1940, quoted information from reprint from 1950.
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3
Reid, Brad: A Primer on Cable Training, courtesy of Fred Crivello’s website
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4 and 5: Two Arms Front Chest Pull –At Attention and Anyhow:
Hold a cable set directly out in front, arm placement as on 9
and 3 o’clock on an imaginary clock face. Keeping the
arms straight or slightly bent, pull the strands straight back
to shoulder plane height but extend slightly further back,
snapping and stretching the cables across the upper chest
for increased range. At attention – keep the “military
position” and pull without contorting the body. “Anyhow”
allows for the use of a less strict body position; I usually
dip the knees and bend the torso slightly to start the pull
when performing the “anyhow” variant. Either way, this
exercise is an awesome deltoid and upper back developer, probably better than either
weights or bodyweight exercises.
Same as the other chest pull variants, only in this version you start from the position
of the completed pull and perform the exercise with one arm. In other words, if you’re
working the right arm, stretch the cable set to full extension, then keep the left arm
outstretched and perform repetitions with the right arm. Switch arms and perform
another set.
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14: Right and Left Arm Front Chest Pull (in erect position):
As the Two Arms Upward
Front Chest Pull, only keep
the non-working arm
extended (in the bottom
position) and pull upward
with the working arm.
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and support purposes (which is always present with barbell exercises), cable exercises
can be performed for higher repetitions with good results. I have provided a table of
repetitions and training goals in the next chapter; this is based on personal experience
with both weights and cables, and you should adapt it to your own needs after some
experimentation.
Supplementary exercises are those practiced by strand-pullers and cable trainees for
the development of strength for the competition pulls, but also increases in muscular
size and shape. They can be summarized in the following table:
No. Exercise Name
16 Archer Pull
17 One-Hand Curl
18 Reverse Curl
19 One-Hand Front Raise
20 One-Hand Tricep Press With Trunk Slightly Bent
21 Prone Front Chest Pull
22 Prone Front Chest Pull With Sit-Up
23 Prone Chest Pull With Leg Raise
24 Bent-Over Front Chest Pull with Trunk Raise
25 Wrist Curls From Front Chest Pull, Half-Way Position
26 Front Chest Pull With Squat
27 Neck Press-Out
28 The Whippet
29 The Shoulder Shimmy
30 Front Downward Pull, One-Armed
31 Front Tricep Pressdown, One-Armed
32 Pull-Over Exercise
33 One-Hand High Pull
34 Cable Front Squat
35 Front Press
36 Behind-the-Head Tricep Extension
37 One-Hand Behind-the-Back Lateral Raise
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hands in level with the shoulders, pull with the other hand (like drawing a bow-string)
as far back as possible. Return slowly to starting position and repeat. This is a great
exercise for the upper back and biceps, and the triceps get a solid workout too (from
holding the static tension).
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as you’re going up into the seated position, lower as you’re returning to the prone
position. The leg raise is introduced in the same way: stretch the cable as you raise the
feet (legs straight!), lower as you return them to the floor. These two exercises
activate the abdominal muscles.
The Bent-Over Front Chest Pull with Trunk Raise begins with the trainee bent over at
the waist, cables held in the FCP4 position. Then the cables are stretched as in a FCP
and the trunk simultaneously raised to erect position. This variation stresses the lower
back muscles.
For the Wrist Curl variation, stretch the cables to the midpoint of a FCP and perform
wrist curls in this position with both arms simultaneously. Muscles worked – flexors
and extensors of the forearm. You can also
perform this exercise with the expander stretched
as for a lateral raise.
Front Chest Pull With Squat: a method of
engaging the leg muscles and a popular exercise
of old-time wrestlers. Stretch the cables when
coming up from the squat, lower when lowering
yourself into the bottom position. If you’re really
strong, you can do these on one leg at a time (“pistols”)
4
FCP = Front Chest Pull
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When bringing the cables forward (i.e. to the point where they touch the upper back),
you can continue the motion and pull them slightly forward, as in a chest fly motion.
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potent developer of the pressing muscles, although you’ll be able of much less
resistance than in the back press.
That covers exercises with a chest expander. The list is by no means comprehensive –
I’m sure that there are plenty other cable pulls that I’ve failed to include here. Again,
strive to build on the knowledge contained here and share the information. On the
other hand, practicing the abovementioned 37 exercises on a regular basis will bring
about great changes in strength and development. In reality you won’t need more than
10 or so. Try to get as strong as possible in the “big” pulls and gains will follow.
Some of you will note that I have not included any of the standard chest expander leg
exercises in the list. To be honest, I find these rather ineffective for leg development;
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they also tend to work the grip/arms more than the legs, as they usually rely on the
arms anchoring the handles while the legs perform stretching movements. Given that
your arm muscles are smaller and weaker than the leg muscles, it is only obvious that
they fatigue more quickly and that the legs can press far more than the arms can
support. In this manner the legs are somewhat “short-changed” by the performance of
these exercises.
The length of Lifeline’s TNT cables can be altered to allow for different uses. I loop
the plugged cables in a single handle (i.e. both ends of a single cable into the same
handle) and perform chest expander exercises. However, I sometimes use them for
their intended purpose as well. This would bring us to the topic of simulations of
barbell and dumbbell exercises with cables. I told you these cables can do anything!
What follows is a list of cable exercises that can be used to simulate weightlifting
movements, for diversified strength. No, doing these without practicing actual
weightlifting won’t make you stronger in the barbell/dumbbell exercises, but there
will be some carryover. Perform them as part of a cable routine that also uses
competition pulls, or on their own. They will add a unique “twist” to regular
weightlifting exercises. Descriptions are less detailed, as the trainee will probably be
more or less familiar with the associated barbell/dumbbell exercises.
Some of the exercises require a door attachment – this comes included in the TNT
cable set. If using a different cable set, you’ll need to make your own. This can be
done in a few simple steps:
2. Tie a knot in the belt/rope, the way you would tie a neck-tie. Don’t tighten the
“noose” part all the way; leave a loop in the belt/rope. This type of knot is
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adjustable, i.e. by drawing one of the ends of the rope you can increase /
decrease the loop.
4. Place the knot over the other side of the door (practically, in the other room).
The loop should be hanging towards you from above or the side (depending on
placement). Close the door and lock it to make sure it won’t open under the
pressure.
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Hammer curl: As biceps curl, only thread a short towel or rope through the handles
and grip it in a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Curl to arms-flexed position,
lower and repeat. This exercise has a shorter ROM as the hands are not on the
handles, but on the extensions.
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Given that the thickness of the handles forces you on your toes and hence makes
balancing harder (especially when maintaining speed of the movement), it is advised
to hold onto a fixed object with your hands for balance. This enables you to perform
the movement with speed. At the top of the movement the resistance in the cables is
very high and produces an excellent "burn" effect. High-rep sets, as in 15 and above,
work great. They condition the lungs as well as the legs. Another most important
exercise for grapplers.
58: Deadlift:
Take two looped cables and place them on the floor, the opposite ends of each cable
on the same side (e.g. handle of cable 1 and bend of cable 2 on the right, handle of
cable 2 and bend of cable 1 on the left). Step onto the cables, making sure the free
section of the cables on each end (between the foot and the handle) is of equal length.
Bend down, grasp the handles and bends on either side and pull.
One-armed variety: Double up a shortened cable. Step onto the two newly formed
bends with the foot of the working side. Squat down and grab the handle with the
working hand. The starting position is a semi-squatting pose with the working arm
extended fully, cables relaxed. Now straighten up, maintaining the extension of the
arm (so you're pulling with your legs and back mostly). Stand up straight, then repeat.
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That would cover the exercises with long cables (i.e. not chest expanders). For some
of these exercises the Lifeline TNT product reigns supreme, as the tubing is pretty
long and stretches to a length of 6 ft., and the handles are solid plastic, which allows
for better force distribution and bigger pulls. For the leg work variations, the flat
bands made and promoted by Dick “The Band Man” Hartzell would be much more
appropriate. I think these are available through Ironmind. Hartzell also markets a
special platform that enables you to loop several strong bands and perform squats and
deadlifts / hip lifts, so this would certainly be a valuable addition to your home band
gym. I have read that the tension at the locked-out position of a band squat performed
with this setup can go up to 600 lbs., so you can only imagine the developmental
effect of a hard set of 20 breathing squats done on this platform.
Finally, there is the “everything else” category. Here you can invent exercises of your
own: just think about how a particular muscle works, then consider how to resist that
motion with cables. If you’re not feeling creative, here’s a brief list of exercises that
I’ve come up with:
No. Exercise Name
60 Judo Throw
61 Isolation Latissimus Pulldown
62 Prone Bicep Curl
63 Sled Dragging, Arms Extended
64 Sled Dragging, Arms Crossed
65 Cable Crunch
66 Cable-Resisted Push-Up
67 Chest Press
68 Floor Press
69 Bridge and Press
70 Cable Pull-Apart
71 Knee Extension
72 Face Pull
73 Cable Punching
74 Cuban Press
75 Cable-Resisted Crawl
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upward, then turn to the left side and press forward; hip action (simultaneous with the
arm work) - twist the right hip toward the left (pivoting around the left hip) until
facing in the throwing direction (left side, looking backward), body tilted forward at
the lower back; legs - right leg crosses in (about half distance from the cables) and
serves as a pivot for the twisting motion, at the end of the movement toes face in the
throwing direction (left and back), left leg moves toward the right leg and finishes the
"driving" motion, or extends up toward the area between the handles and serves as a
lever to move the imaginary opponent up and over the left hip.
This is a great conditioning exercise; it develops not only the muscles per se, but also
coordination and agility (as the resistance of the cables is similar to the resistance
provided by an opponent). Stability and balance are also developed. For grapplers, the
importance of this exercise need not be emphasized. Perform the standard or towel
variations (by placing a towel through the handles and pulling on that instead). It is
important to coordinate the movements described into one fluid motion, retaining
balance throughout. End with the arms, back and legs powerfully contracted against
the resistance of the cables. This is one throw. It will take most people (even
experienced grapplers) some getting used to, as the pull of the cables in the contracted
position is enormous.
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forearm of the working arm remains at right-angles to the body throughout the
movement.
The seventy-two exercises listed above are more than enough to develop every muscle
in your body. Naturally, you won’t be performing all of them as a regular training
routine, or even on different days. I provided them for variety purposes. In my
opinion, practicing the competition pulls (not all of them!) and 5 - 8 supplementary
strandpulling exercises, along with a few barbell exercises targeting the lower body,
would provide the best overall development. Alternatively, lower-body cable
exercises can be substituted if one does not have the inclination or the possibility to
train with weights.
Bodyweight exercises can and should be practiced as part of any balanced routine,
and the same goes for cable training. The following chapter will provide more
information on combining cables with other forms of exercise.
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Cables are a great strength and size development tool. They will also tone existing
muscle mass and help you obtain the “shredded” look. However, cables will not help
you lift heavier weights, or be more proficient with difficult bodyweight exercise
progressions. It is my opinion that, for greatest diversified strength, you need to
include all these training methods into your exercise schedule.
Cables fit into a weight-training schedule easily. The resistance they provide is quite
different than that of heavy weights for three reasons. One, cables offer resistance in
all planes of motion, while a barbell is subject to gravity, i.e. the resistance is always
acting vertically downward. Two, cable resistance increases the further the cable is
stretched, while the weight of the barbell remains the same and in fact offers less
resistance toward the lockout part of the motion due to more favorable leverages.
Three, cable pulls don’t stress the entire body the way heavy barbell exercises do, as
they do not require hard work on behalf of a myriad of stabilizer muscles just to keep
the body in the lifting groove.
Due to these considerations, it is quite possible to train with cables and weights on
alternating days, or even on the same day, or even in the same session. This does not
mean that you should go all out and perform random exercises; exercise selection will
depend on the specific goals of the trainee. These goals can include:
a) Focus on strand-pulling exercises;
b) Focus on weight training, supplemented with some cable exercises;
c) Bodybuilding-type training with cable exercises thrown in for muscularity.
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Again, there is no need to do all of these exercises; just pick ones that compliment the
cable pulls you’ve selected. The most logical choice would be a version of the squat
(back or front), power clean or power clean & press, deadlift and bicep curl, but any
other combination also works well. Adding some heavy leg work is essential.
As for the training session distributions, there are two basic templates: either do the
weight two to three times a week (two if you’re using heavy weights), then add two to
three strand-pulling sessions in the same week, allowing one to three rest days, or do
combined weights and cable pulling sessions.
The exact parameters of the weight-lifting part program would be up to the strand-
puller. Again, I turn to the Syd Devis material (who knows better than a strand-pulling
champion?); his book suggests the following routines5:
Course A
1. Overhead Downward Pull, knuckles inwards
2. Overhead Downward Pull, knuckles outwards
3. Two Arms Lateral Raise (back and front)
4. Right and Left Arm Front Chest Pull (anyhow)
5. Two Arms Front Chest Pull, At Attention
6. Two Hand Press with Barbell (a.k.a. barbell overhead press)
7. Two Hands Snatch with Barbell (if you’re not familiar with the snatch, replace
with Dumbbell Swing – less technical and just as beneficial)
8. Two Hands Curl with Barbell
9. Right and Left Arm Military Press
10. Two Arms Back Press At Attention
11. Dislocation At Attention Position
5
Devis, Syd: All About Strandpulling, provided courtesy of the Strandpulling Message Board. Original
book published cca. 1940, quoted information from reprint from 1950.
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cable-training days you use less resistance and focus more on range of movement and
strengthening of particular muscles. All chest expander-type exercises are good for
this purpose – there is no need to perform exercises that simulate weight-training
movements. Give this a try; if you’re a weight-lifter, you’ll find that your strength will
increase and that you’re more injury-free than before; if you’re just interested in
getting strong, you’ll find that cables and weights develop muscles capable of
exertions in any direction.
The exact training template is up to you. Good weight-training programs can be found
throughout the internet, and they’re not the focus of this instructional. Sample cable
workouts will be presented in the following chapter. Experiment with different ideas
and find what works best for you.
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As for bodyweight, I won’t present exercises or routines. Cables are a great addition
to your current bodyweight training regimen: use them on their own, or to add
resistance to basic bodyweight movements, like pushups, squats, dips and even
pullups. Such training sessions will work your body as a unit. If you’re a beginner,
you can also use bands and cables to assist you in the performance of difficult
exercises. E.g. if pullups are too difficult, loop a rubber band around the pullup bar
and place your feet on the bottom bend. The elastic nature of the cable will provide a
lot of assistance at the bottom (the further it’s stretched), while at the top of the
movement the assistance will be minimal. Conversely, if you’re a stud that cranks out
pullups in the 20s, throw a cable loop around your shoulders and attach the other end
to a fixed object; the band will provide more resistance as you progress toward the top
of the motion. Again, chest expander cables are not the best option for this – use flat
looped bands instead.
Always try to combine as many different forms of strength training into your routine
as possible. Depending on your schedule, you might or might not be able to do ALL
the desired exercises when you want, or as often as you want. This is understandable;
just make sure you find some time for them, this week or a week from now.
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Yes, I know... you’re too lazy to design your own workout, or new to exercise and
need some guidance. I’ve read this complaint often enough in various strength book
reviews. People are always searching for the “ultimate fool-proof workout” that’ll
turn them into supermen/women overnight. Well, there is no such thing... but that
doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to come up with some pretty great workouts.
I will present several different training methods in the following chapter. This one
will contain the wisdom of old-time cable training authorities. Feel free to mix and
match the two – cable training is a versatile tool.
So for the novice to cable training here is more Syd Devis6:
First Month Course:
1. Overhead Downward Pull, knuckles inwards
2. Right and Left Arm Front Chest Pull, anyhow
3. Two Arms Back Press, at attention
4. One-Arm Curl
5. Prone Front Chest Pull with Sit-Up
6. Overhead Downward Pull, knuckles outwards
7. Two Arms Front Chest Pull, at attention
8. Right and Left Arm Military Press
9. Two Arms Back Press, anyhow
10. Prone Chest Pull with Leg Raise
Do one set per exercise. Start at a resistance that allows for 5 repetitions to be
performed, try to increase the number of repetitions by one per training session. When
you work up to 10, add resistance and lower the reps back to 5, etc. This is called the
“double progression method”.
Bear in mind that the Devis courses were designed for the competitive strand-puller.
The idea behind the preliminary courses is to prepare the puller for the heavier work
to come in the future. For general development, one or two sets in the 8-15 repetition
range would work just fine. See next chapter on “Cable Training Methods” for more
ideas.
6
Devis, Syd: All About Strandpulling, provided courtesy of the Strandpulling Message Board. Original
book published cca. 1940, quoted information from reprint from 1950.
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you keep them. Either find a way to include them into the regular training sessions, or
do them on their own, as a “light” day.
If you’re not after becoming a champion strand-puller (I doubt that they still have
competitions going), and for strictly developmental purposes, here is a suggestion by
Jack Reid, a physical culturist of note who used cables exclusively in his training. For
the advanced trainee, he suggested limiting the number of exercises to eight, but not
just any eight... the ones he found most effective for development7:
1. Overhead Downward Pull (grip not specified – knuckles in or out)
2. One-Arm Curl
3. Front Press
4. Front Chest Pull
5. Neck Press-Out
6. Back Press, Two Arms (either at attention or anyhow)
7. Reverse Curl
8. Forearm Exercise (hold elbow to hip and perform wrist curls)
9. One Arm Press (military variant)
10. Archer Pull
The general set / rep guidelines are two sets, 10 reps per set. Exceptions are Exercise
1, repeated for 15 counts, and Exercise 8, for 20 counts. Both Jack and later his son,
Brad, an accomplished all-round lifter and athlete, seem to recommend high-rep
training routines, or at least the use of higher reps than normally prescribed by weight-
training courses.
As a continuation of the previous chapter, here is the Syd Devis combined weights &
cable course No. 2 (to be started after performing the first course for a month):
1. One Arm Curl (cable)
2. Reverse Curl (cable)
3. One Arm Front Raise (cable)
4. Two Arms Upward Front Chest Pull (anyhow)
5. Two Arms Back Press (anyhow)
6. Dislocation (anyhow)
7. Right and Left Arm Upward Push Anyhow
8. Right and Left Arm Front Chest Pull
7
Reid, Jack: The Function and Use of Chest Expanders, courtesy of the Strandpulling Message Board
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8
Reid, Brad: A Primer on Cable Training, courtesy of Fred Crivello’s website
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So, how many reps? As with weights, bodyweight and any other form of training, this
is a tough one to answer and depends primarily on the abilities and physical pre-
disposition of the athlete. Of course, if you already have some training experience
below your belt and have attained a decent strength and development level, I have
nothing to say – you should already know what works best for you. The only input I
can offer is that cable training lends itself to slightly higher repetitions than weights,
probably due to resistance distribution and the lack of stabilizing effort in most
exercises. So the rep chart for different goals in cable training as compared to
weightlifting would be as follows:
The above table is based completely upon personal observation and experience, and
your actual numbers may vary (although each training goal has a pretty comfortable
rep range to accommodate different needs). For example, some guys just don’t see
any progress from heavy singles with weights, while others thrive on this sort of
program. The last row gives it pretty straight – if you can lift it for more than 20 reps,
it’s generally not worth the effort. Do bodyweight exercises instead, they integrate all
the muscles and condition the entire body when performed for high reps. 20 bicep
curls or bench presses are a waste of time; 20 or 30 pushups, squats, etc. are excellent
conditioning exercises, especially when combined with adequate breathing. Same
goes for cables – if you can stretch it for 25 reps, you better put another strand into the
set.
But there are exceptions, you’ll say. What about 20-rep squats, or 20-rep deadlift
training? Are they not a valuable addition to any weight-lifting/body-building
program? Yes, they are. But read the text: to perform the old “Squats & Milk”
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program, you use a weight that you can lift for TEN repetitions and squat/deadlift it
for TWENTY. One set, some auxiliary work, and that’s it. Squatting 20 reps with
your 20-rep maximum isn’t much of a challenge, to be perfectly honest. Yet this is
how most wannabes interpret the time-tested 20-rep program.
Not reading carefully seems to be people’s problem in general. I once opined an
answer to a forum question; the issue was the quintessential “How do I get real big
and strong, fast?” My idea was simple and well-known – use multiple sets of low reps
with heavy weights or difficult exercise progressions, keeping in the 5-6 rep range.
Simple, huh? The reply I got flabbergasted me: some time later, that same guy wrote
that my advice wasn’t working. He said had been performing pushups in the 5-6 rep
range and wasn’t seeing ANY strength or size gains. The thing was, he was
performing NORMAL pushups, which he could probably crank out in sets of 20, for
low reps! Obviously the “heavy resistance” bit that should go together with “low
reps” somehow got lost in his interpretation. So, to re-iterate the point: LOW reps of
HEAVY resistance. Low reps are a function of the heavy resistance – after all, if you
can perform ten reps with 80-90% of you one-rep max, something is seriously wrong
with your estimates.
Most articles/books I’ve read on cable training recommend using 8-12 repetitions,
even 20 if maximal muscular development is the goal. As stated above, cables lend
themselves better to high-rep work than weights, as far less effort is expended in
supporting the weight of the implement itself. Therefore a better contraction of the
muscle worked is possible, and the tendons and joints are exposed to greater stress the
further the cable stretches. The supporting muscles don’t get as fatigued and hence
more work is provided to the muscle actually being worked.
The set and rep ranges that have worked best for me were as follows:
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6-8 sets of 2-3 “heavy” repetitions. Cables are good for “grinding” strength
work, as you can pause under tension, regroup your effort and try again. Try
this with weights and you’ll find yourself crushed under a limit-poundage
bench press.
5 sets of 5 “heavy” repetitions. Use less resistance than on sets in the 1-3 rep
range (obviously). A good rule of thumb is using the maximum resistance you
can stretch for eight reps (as an all-out effort), then performing five sets of
five. Bear in mind you’re NOT using the resistance you can stretch for five
sets of eight! Keep the resistance high and the reps low.
2-4 sets of 6-8 reps. For cables, this is still considered strength-dominant
training. This version is a substitute for 5x5 if you’re not feeling up to training
hard on a given day, or if you’re doing a full-body routine (as 5x5 on all
exercises in a full-body routine would be exhausting and time-consuming,
neither of which is conducive to strength training).
3 sets of 8-12 reps. An excellent hypertrophy method – plenty of volume for
the muscles to get a tremendous “pump” from. Combine this method with one
of the strength-hypertrophy methods above, alternating them every 2-3 weeks,
and I can almost guarantee great development.
1 or 2 sets at 15-20 reps. This is very useful to bodybuilders trying to “muscle
out” added bulk. Perform one or two exercises for each muscle group (in other
words, total body training) and pump the muscles to a maximum with one or
two sets, using a light resistance. This is also an efficient method to use on
your “light” day, if you’re following the heavy/medium/light training protocol.
On to the topic of training modalities. I have found cables to work best when
combined with the following training methods:
“Slow Cooking”: this is analogous to the power rack training method used in weight
training. It is a method than enables you to use more resistance over a shortened range
of motion. In weightlifting, you can quarter-squat far more weight than you can squat
to parallel position. The progressive power rack training method goes as follows: use
weights well over your one-rep maximum and perform short-range partial squats,
dipping your knees a few inches for a number of reps, say 4 inches for 15 reps. During
your next squat training session, keep the weight the same but increase the range of
motion (from 4 to 7 inches) and lower the reps (from 15 to 12-10 reps). Keep applying
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this method until you work your way down for a single repetition in the full range of
motion, and you’ll have set a new personal best. Even if you don’t manage to do a
full-ROM single with the weight you were using for the “slow cooking” method, your
one-rep maximum will have increased by a solid amount. The same principle can be
applied to the bench press, deadlift and overhead press. This type of training
progressively adapts your body to handling heavier loads, and gains in strength are
rapid; many experienced powerlifters have broken through agonizing plateaus by
using this system.
Similar, or even greater, gains are possible with cable pulls. Fred Hutchinson, one of
the foremost authorities on cable training, comments on the “slow cooking” method9:
“The absolute best method for increasing cable pulling ability is “slow cooking”.
How good is it? Using the system simultaneously for the front chest pull anyhow,
overhead pulldown, single-arm front pulldown and back press, I doubled my strength
on all four exercises in just eleven weeks. This was with just one set of each
movement, once a week. Believe me, this is a significant gain with cables (especially
for an experienced cable puller – Note F.), one that you can see in the mirror and feel
in your body”.
How do you decrease the range of motion? First, find your strongest range in each of
the lifts you wish to increase. Then attach loops of rope or belt onto the cable handles,
or perhaps even an additional handle (rope/belt is cheaper, but also more painful on
the hands initially).
As for resistance used, Hutchinson mentions going for “two-and-a-half to three times
the usual resistance used”. This would not be a smart thing to do with barbell
exercises in the power rack, but for short-range cable pulls it carries no added danger
of injury. Bear in mind that, unlike with weights, lengthening the pull increases the
actual resistance, not just the range of motion (ROM).
The progression? Start with the dramatically increased resistance and pull over the
last few inches of the movement. You should be able to work in a relatively high
repetition range; if not, decrease the resistance. In each subsequent “slow cooking”
workout, keep the resistance the same but shorten the handle extensions, thus
9
Hutchinson, Fred: How to Gain With Cables, published in MILO magazine, provided courtesy of the
Strandpulling Message Board.
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lengthening the ROM. Naturally, your rep numbers will decrease with each shortening
of the extensions.
Eventually you’ll hit a sticking point where it’s nearly impossible to complete the pull
at 250%-300% of your maximal cable resistance. At this point remove some cables
(or use “lighter” cables), bringing the resistance down to “only” double the maximum.
The reps should be pretty high again. Keep shortening the cable handles until you’re
doing full-ROM movements with double the original maximal resistance.
As with weights, even if you don’t hit double your old max at the end of the program,
you’ll still have increased your maximum pull by a lot.
Make sure you work your way down gradually – don’t make jumps of 2 or 3
inches at a time, rather go for ½ inch increments if needed;
You can also do an abbreviated “slow cooking” program for a smaller increase
of your personal best: just add one cable to your set and extend the handles a
couple of inches, then work your way down in a few sessions; you will be
pulling the increased resistance in no time;
Alternatively, you could go for the long-term approach and use triple the
original resistance throughout the progression: use smaller length increments
(as low as ¼ inch at a time), it will take you longer to get to the full-ROM
movement but you’ll have tripled your original maximum instead of doubling
it. Patience is a must.
Rest-Pause Method (also: 50-Rep Total Method): This one is simple. Pick a
resistance that limits you to 15 or 25 repetitions, perform a set to failure, rest a few
seconds and do a few more reps, rest again and repeat until you complete 50
repetitions. This compresses the workload into a shorter period of time, which
according to many strength authorities leads to gains in size and strength.
“Negatives” and Combination Negatives: This method relies on the fact that you
can perform the negative portion of an exercise with much more resistance than the
positive portion. Therefore you would add enough cables to create a resistance
slightly higher than the one you can pull, obtain some assistance in completing the
pull (usually done with one-handed exercises, with the non-working hand helping in
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getting the cables into position), and lower the cables back into the starting position
slowly and under control (without assistance). The one-handed curl is a perfect
candidate for this type of training. With two-handed exercises, you would need a
training partner to complete the positive portion of the exercise.
Combination negatives are great if you train alone – here the positive part of the
exercise is completed using a similar exercise that allows for better leverage, hence
more resistance is used. A good example would be the front chest pull / lateral raise
combination: perform the positive portion of a front chest pull, then lower the cables
to starting position using the front lateral raise. Or do a back press to dislocation
(anyhow) to front press negative. Creativity is the key here.
Isometrics: Cables are great for isometric exercises. Use more cables than you can
press/pull, then exert maximal force against them. You'll probably be able to budge
the cables slightly over the first inch or so, therefore you're easing into the movement
(rather than combating solid resistance from the very start, as in yielding isometrics
with weights). An additional benefit is that cable iso’s are safer - there is no danger of
getting squashed by a heavy weight in case you fail to support it. Work them in the
usual isometric training patterns - max efforts for 3-7 second exertions, or 20-60
seconds at lower resistances (60-70% of your one-rep maximum) for hypertrophy.
Ballistic: Cables are also superior to weights for ballistic, or exercises performed at
high speed. A set of speed squats with a barbell will take its toll on your joints as the
inert weight stresses the lower back and knees (rapid rebounding at the bottom, quick
lockout at the top) no matter how light the total poundage is. High-rep ballistic squats
are much easier on the joints, which is especially important for lifters who wish to
perform these fundamental exercises but suffer from lower back or knee pain. Other
cable exercises also lend themselves well to this type of training. A couple of sets of
high-velocity high repetitions are excellent for conditioning. Low-rep explosive sets at
high resistances are great for speed and power. Dennis Weis, The Yukon Hercules,
had the following to say in an article from (don’t laugh) www.bodybuilding.com
covering training with expanders (cables)10:
“...Expander cable training builds tendon and ligament strength - flushes the muscle
area - gives added muscle tone and gives sharpness to the muscle which cannot be
10
Weis, Dennis: Expander Cable Training, courtesy of bodybuilding.com
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obtained by weights alone... During this 30 minutes to 1 hour program (four days per
week), use SPEED with smooth movement in each of your exercises.... Strive for
shorter rest periods between each set of exercise. In this way, you will be able to add
more and more sets in the allowed 30 to 60 minute program...”
Isometronic: I first saw this term used in Charles Poliquin's The Poliquin Principles,
but the training method has been around for much longer. This excellent method
combines the best of both worlds - an isotonic movement combined with an isometric
effort. Cables are far better suited for this than weights, as the resistance increases as
you progress through the movement. Basically you load a cable set to a resistance
slightly higher than your maximum, then stretch the cable until further movement
becomes impossible, then hold an isometric contraction for 3-5 seconds. Return to
starting position slowly and repeat. The reason why cables work so well is that you
are usually able to stretch the cable a certain length to begin with as the resistance in
the beginning position is lower, hence movement is possible. As the resistance
increases you'll find it impossible to stretch the cable further and here a maximal
contraction is possible. Worked for sets of 4-7 reps this is a great strength and size
building tool.
Peak Contraction: Let me state this clearly - I am, and never will be, an advocate of
slow-motion training. This type of training is unnatural. Real life situations demand
real-life explosiveness and a powerful contraction throughout the range of motion,
and by doing slow-motion training you're essentially coaching your body to forego its
natural tendency toward lifting heavy weights in an explosive manner. However,
adding a brief 2-3 second squeeze at the top of the motion will greatly increase the
tension in the muscle and contribute to better shape and size gains. Yes, all the hard-
core “functional training” fanatics out there (who seem to focus less on functional
training and more on flaming bodybuilders by means of custom-made internet forums
with every passing day) will say that it’s “muscle pumping” and that it belongs in the
training arsenal of some spandex-wearing, fake-tanning “boobybuilder”. We can
ignore that group – they jump on and off the bandwagon whenever a new training
“philosophy” rears its head, and anyway it’s much more impressive to be big and
weak than small and weak. End of story.
“21” Training: This was a favorite of bodybuilding guru Vince Gironda (if you stick
around strength training long enough, you’ll learn to hate two words: “guru” and
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Basically, if you think it’s a good idea and it works for you – neglect everything
written above and do your own thing. You set the goals and hold the ultimate
responsibility. Remember, if you place 100% effort into an exercise it will produce
results, regardless whether you’re lifting a barbell, stretching a cable or simply
contracting the muscle isometrically.
It has been said before, but focus on proper form and muscular activation throughout
the performance of a repetition. The mind-to-muscle connection is of utmost
importance in exercising – this is the element of training that takes you to the next
level, or that’s responsible for stagnating progress in size and strength. Mechanic
performance of exercises and movements is acceptable for beginners, but progressing
to heavy weights and / or resistance is impossible without focusing the mind on the
task at hand.
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Nutrition 101
Is there anything left to be said on nutrition? All this information is floating around
us. Eat high carbs and low fat. Eat high fat and no carbs. Eat high protein, but without
carbs and/or fat. Don’t mix carbs and fats in the same meal. Eat six small meals a day.
Eat one huge meal a day. Eat at night. Don’t eat after six pm. Eat nothing but meat on
one day, nothing but starches on another. What should a guy / gal do, with all this
conflicting information?
The most frustrating thing is, all these diets work! People drop dozens of pounds
following each and every one of these feeding regimens. Certain body-types find
certain diets more suitable, but there’s something out there for everyone. Still, for
every person who follows a diet successfully there are two or three who cross over the
obesity line. Even worse, many dieters who lose pounds following their diet of choice
soon get weary of it and drop off, regaining lost pounds rapidly and with “accrued
interest”. It is therefore not surprising that the diet industry is one of the most
profitable industries around – you sell your high-priced products to overweight
people, they lose weight and buy them like crazy for a while, then get tired of the
monotonous feeding patterns and foodstuffs and stop buying them (which is not a
problem, as for every portly customer that you lose you find one or two new ones),
then they get fat again, only to return to your diet as a “tried and tested” solution. It’s
an ever-expanding market, with unlimited potential for growth (both in terms of
financial opportunities and body-mass).
Why do diets fail? There is a plethora of reasons, but here are the ones I consider key:
1. The only reason a diet works initially is because it limits your food options. If
you’re not allowed to eat certain foods, you’ll tend to eat less; e.g. if the
Atkins diet calls for a steak meal, but all you’ve got is cereal and you have
neither the time nor the inclination to go buy a steak, you’ll probably miss that
meal. In addition to this, if a steak is required and you’ve been eating steak for
the past 6 days, you won’t really feel like eating steak again. End result – you
give it a miss, or you eat less than you normally would. From here onwards, it
is all mathematical: less calories in plus same calories out equals calorie
deficit, which in turn equals weight loss. Once your food options are not as
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limited, you’ll usually find a new (heightened) appetite for certain things...
what happens after that is pretty straightforward.
2. Totally eliminating certain foods or beverages results in cravings. Then you
“break down” and end up face-planted in a gallon of ice-cream. I’ve even read
about people craving things that they don’t normally eat at all – the
psychological effect of “forbidden fruit” is lethal to one’s diet.
3. Many people also tend to take up exercise during their dieting periods.
Misguided as their routines might be, the health effects of a regular exercise
regimen on sedentary folks are enormous. This also ties in with the ‘less
calories in – more calories out’ equation, equaling weight loss. The end of a
diet is usually the end of the exercising. Ah, back to where we started.
So are weight-reduction diets bad? No. Some people, the really obese part of the
population, do need radical procedures to lose weight. I firmly believe that any type of
exercise, except for perhaps light walking, could kill truly obese people. This is the
only instance where I would advise dieting without exercise; however, once their
bodyweight reaches normal limits, exercise should be introduced, very light at first,
building up to higher intensities. This is not impossible, but it takes determination.
What, then, would be an appropriate eating regimen for a dedicated cable puller or
weight-lifter? In my opinion, the answer is simple. An active person should follow
these general guidelines:
• Increased protein uptake – preferably through food (milk, red meat, chicken,
fish, cheese, nuts). You can consume 2-3 servings of meat / chicken per day
without adverse effects, contrary to popular superstition. Fish is great – eat all
you can.
• However, if one does not have the time to prepare high-protein meals, or the
funds to purchase quality protein foods (busy folks in the former, or college
students in the latter instance come to mind), a good protein supplement is
required. I recommend whey protein isolates (“mass gainers” are full of insane
junk). Try to get a decent brand – a lousy protein supplement produces gas, not
muscle.
• Simple carb intake should be limited to the morning and / or the post-workout
meal (the first thing you eat after a workout). Even then, simple carbs should
come from natural sources like fruit and honey, not sugar, candy, cakes and
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other refined sugar foodstuffs. Refined sugar is a poison that causes a number of
health issues.
• Eating 5 – 7 servings of fruit and vegetables a day is very beneficial. However,
those of us who live in the real world might have a problem with this sort of
feeding frequency. Three servings is a minimum, with a serving being equal to
one cup, or one medium-sized fruit (or a large small fruit, such as a kiwi, or a
half of a large fruit, such as a grapefruit), or 20 grapes, cherries and similar
fruits. Aim for several servings in one sitting – eating two medium apples at
once as a snack would see you well on the way towards the recommended 7
servings.
• Water is important – aim to drink around 2 liters per day (slightly over half a
gallon), and make sure you don’t gulp it all down at once. Try to keep the body
hydrated. Getting enough liquid and proper nutrition will increase your strength
by 10-15% - many trainees would gladly pay big bucks for a supplement or
miracle solution that produces the same effect.
• Reduce starchy carb intake. Breads, pasta, rice and potatoes are something most
people in the developed world could stand to reduce from their diets. That said,
whole-wheat versions are OK (but practice moderation).
• Avoid these modern-day plagues: refined sugar and carbonated drinks. CO2 is
toxic – this is something that your body releases through metabolic processes, a
waste product. People in their right mind wouldn’t drink their own urine, would
they? Refined sugar causes B-vitamin depletion, destroys the teeth both from the
inside and the outside, weakens the bones and is probably the leading cause of
obesity. Plus I probably don’t need to delve into the perils of diabetes.
• Alcohol is a nerve stimulant and should be avoided. Some moderate
consumption is beneficial. Limit yourself to a couple of glasses of wine, or a
couple of beers a day. Sometimes this will be impossible, but strive to eliminate
alcohol as much as you can. Beer also has the disadvantage of being high in
simple carbs and a carbonated drink. Choose other options whenever possible.
• You can’t maintain a tight diet 100% of the time – this is unhealthy both from a
physical and mental point of view. Sometimes you have to give in to cravings,
but make certain this is not done too often. If you can stay on target 80% of the
time, you’ll do OK.
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• Here are some foods you can eliminate without much pain: candy and soda. This
is pure poison without any nutritional value. The good side is, even if you
consume these on a regular basis, 2-4 days after eliminating them from your diet
your soda / candy cravings cease.
That would be about it as far as nutrition is concerned. Mix and match what you know
for optimal results. Bear in mind that an active person can live off a less-than-optimal
diet without getting fat, so training gives you some leeway in this direction.
For trainees looking to gain weight, I would stress two nutritional points:
• Eat lots of calorie dense food, like red meat and nuts. Add a liter of two of milk
per day on top of the other food you consume.
• Eat right before going to bed, making sure carbs are limited to a minimum in this
meal. Good choices: tuna, meat, cheese, peanut butter. You can add a small
protein shake too, but whey is digested quickly, so make sure you include a
slow-releasing protein too (cheese works very well).
As for supplements, the following is advised:
1. Protein powder,
2. Multi-vitamin and multi-mineral tablet,
3. Additional vitamin supplementation: vitamins C and B,
4. Fish oil capsules,
5. Glucosamine supplement (protects the joints).
With supplements, less is more. Don’t take vitamins on a daily basis, introduce mini
recovery cycles for the body. When you feel like a cold is coming on, increase
vitamin C supplementation, it is truly a “wonder drug”.
Stick to a reasonable diet and train hard, and results must come. The old-time
strongmen gained mountains of muscle following a natural diet. More importantly,
most of them were paragons of good health, a quality lost in today’s body-builders.
Remember, physical culture goes beyond an impressive pair of shoulders and arms.
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Closing Notes
What you have just read is a compilation of articles and personal thoughts on cable
training. This is by no means a comprehensive instructional, but I feel it covers most
bases. The difficulty in finding information on cable training is the fact that the
competitive version of the sport has all but disappeared off the face of the Earth (I
haven’t been able to find a single reference to a modern-day strand-pulling
competition), and years of abuse of the public image of cables through various types
of “yoga stretch bands” and similar gimmicks has hardly helped the chest expander
establish itself as a strength and conditioning tool.
Fortunately, several strength specialists have correctly identified the enormous
strength and size-building potential of cables, leading to a revival of interest in this
type of training. The cable is a training tool suited for everyone, from the middle-aged
exercise novice to the elite strength athlete.
Instead of turning this into a repeat of the introductory chapter which explains why
cables are great, I’ll close off here. Allow me to reference some sources:
Please note that I do not endorse internet piracy. All the information presented in this
instructional is either my own, or available free of charge through different websites.
Do not reproduce portions of books for public viewing unless you obtain the
permission of the author.
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On the other hand, make sure you distribute this instructional to as many individuals
as possible. Training information is difficult to come by, especially information on
cable training. Finding the few articles I quoted above took me several months of
searching. While every other “strength expert” has a thing or five to say about weight
training and bodyweight training, cable training info is difficult to come by.
So take the information from this instructional, dissect it, find the useful gems and
toss the junk aside and train. If you find one useful exercise among the seventy-two
outlined above, your time has not been wasted. Plus the price can’t really be beaten,
can it?
Again, should you chance across new and exciting information on cable training that
hasn’t been included here, please share. I can be contacted through the
Bodyweightculture forum (www.bodyweightculture.com), screen name Fatman.
Fatman
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