Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training

FATMAN’S GUIDE TO CABLE TRAINING

A brief overview of cable training history,exercises and regimens

Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why Train With Cables?.........................................................................................................3

How Cables Work the Muscles................................................................................................8

Cable Training / Strandpulling Personages.........................................................................11

Cable Training Exercises.......................................................................................................17

Combining Cables with Other Forms of Training...............................................................41

Some Cable Training Workout Templates...........................................................................46

Cable Training Methods.........................................................................................................51

Nutrition 101............................................................................................................................59

Closing Notes...........................................................................................................................63

Fatman’s Guide to Cable Training

Why Train With Cables?

Cable (expander) training, a popular training method and strength stunt of old-timestrongmen, is experiencing a major revival at the beginning of the 21

century. Manyof the modern-time strength and conditioning gurus – Matt Furey, John Brookfield,Budd Jeffries and the brains behind Ironmind and Oldtime Strongman websites, toname a few – are promoting cable training as an excellent addition to your training, oreven a stand-alone training method in itself. Looking back, it can be noted that manyof the old-time strongmen who published strength-training books in the early 1900sdevoted parts of those books, or entire publications, to cable training or“strandpulling”. The names of Sandow, Bonomo, Danks, Noe and others spring tomind. Given the recent resurrection of old-time lifts and training methods, theincreased 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 hundredyears 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 elasticstrands/bands, usually rubber tubing or steel springs, to a certain length in certainpositions. Strandpulling can either be used to enhance an existing weight-liftingprogram, 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 tobarbells when training for acceleration and power, or for stretching purposes, or forstrengthening, rehab and prehab of weaker muscle groups that do not receivesufficient work from the usual weightlifting movements. Wrestlers and otherparticipants in grappling sports combine them with sandbags and calisthenics fordeveloping functional, sport-specific strength. Even sprinters, runners and swimmerscan 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 thismethod of exercising, provide a list of some of the most beneficial cable exercises inmy 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;