Strand-Pulling
Book Review
by Jan Dellinger
It has been a few weeks now and we've sent copies of our new Strand-Pulling guide to
the four corners of the globe. One of those copies went to our good friend
Jan Dellinger. As you may recall, Jan worked for the York Barbell company for well
over two decades, was the Editor of Muscular Development Magazine back when
they still had training articles and shared an office with John Grimek - yes, THAT
John Grimek.
Anyhow, Jan wrote up a review of said strand-pulling guide, so if you're interested
in hearing what the new book is all about, read on:
BOOK REVIEW: All About Strand-Pulling
AUTHOR: Syd Devis
What unique slant or perspective about training with cables--"strands" or
"chest expanders", if you prefer those terms--does this book offer that cannot
be found in later releases on the subject matter, much less on the 21st Century
Internet? Devis penned this treatise 80 years or so ago.
Unmistakably, it would be his extensive interpretation of cable training as
an expression of pure strength, as opposed to the classic "bodybuilding"
treatment that this apparatus has traditionally received in print.
Not that his copy is completely devoid of aesthetic references to this
medium's ability to "polish" one's physique, or bring the human body to its
"height of physical perfection". However, this kind of talk is very scant, very
subdued and very secondary to Devis. central theme of strength acquisition
and demonstration with cables.
While his name may be virtually unknown in the strength community at-
large today, in his era and culture, Devis had amassed considerable "street
cred" thanks to his background as an amateur weightlifting champion and,
later, touring professional strength performer. And because exhibiting ones
prowess with stout strands was very much a part of the European strongman
scene at the time, Devis gained much expertise regarding this type of training,
as well as a deep abiding appreciation for it.
Nowhere is this zeal more evident than in his chronicling of the history,
perceived need and creation of the British Amateur Strand Pulling Association
(BASPA), the governing structure of the competitive sport of strand pulling in
Europe. Considering the pivotal role he played in its formation, Devis' passion
is understandable.
Just so there is no misunderstanding, this body had officially recognized
"pulls", and very detailed descriptions and judging criteria as to how these
various pulls were to be performed in competition. However, and here's the
punch line for latter day cable pullers, its overarching objective was
determining just how much competitors could pull in these various tests in a
one- rep contest format.
Clearly, resistance or "poundage" was a serious issue with these folks. In
fact, to genuinely legitimize their whole competitive structure and objectives,
Devis and BASPA organizers utilized standardized resistance-testing machines
of the day to precisely vet and guarantee the strength of the strands used in
public displays and contests.
The other major departure from traditional cable training Devis includes,
expertly in fact, is the successful simultaneous merging of cable training with
barbell/dumbbell training. Think about this for a minute. How many other
sources can you name where even an attempt is made to blueprint the
prosperous integration of these two contrasting strength-producing mediums?
To reiterate, because the touring strongman profession of the day in
Europe regularly featured both manners of strength expression, Devis was
well-versed as to the ins and outs of both implements. Suffice it to say that
concise, time-tested and productive training strategies to foster major
improvements in each area individually, as well as in an integrated fashion,
abound in this book.
In my opinion, the retro nature of Devis's book offers one more
outstanding feature: it oozes flashbacks of various merging histories. While
the Germans had their beer-garden strongman culture, the British had a music
hall/billiard club strand pulling culture. On another front, there is the evolving
history of the strand (cable) itself.
Of course, there is much about the personalities, philosophies and tastes of
Britain's weightlifting and general strength scene, much of which intertwines
with the strand pullers. Expectedly, the names of Eugen Sandow, Thomas
Inch, W.A. Pullum and Alfred Danks crop up in spots. By the way, the great
Sandow's affinity for cables is also established and documented quite
thoroughly by Devis.
As mentioned previously, the creation of the British Amateur Strand
Pulling Association, and all that it added to Britain's muscle mix, was also a
high point historically.
The inclusion of Devis' vintage ads for his cable/expander mail order
products, some of which were customized, offers insights as to styles and
progressions in cable design. For instance, one ad touts a "new and improved
stirrup" cable model which permitted, for the first time, "to perform two hands
overhead pressing, and single and alternate overhead pressing with suitably
graded rubber strand resistance." Interesting, too, is the direction to state
one's correct height when ordering as "appliance is also constructed to meet
different height requirements."
In another catchy ad, Devis "unveiled" a chest expander with a hand gripper
built into each handle.
Whether one is a cable aficionado, a general strength enthusiast, a genuine
Iron Game history buff--especially one wanting a better handle on the British
strength scene of the latter 19th and early 20th centuries--or someone who just
digs reviewing the state of the art relevant to training and equipment from
bygone days, Syd Devis' book will prove to be an entertaining and informative
experience.
Thanks to www.oldtimestrongman.com for reintroducing Syd Devis and his
wisdom to the strength training world.
Jan Dellinger |
|
All About Strand-Pulling
by Syd Devis
John grimek
Alfred Danks
Earle E. Liederman
Sandow's Expander
Professor Attila
Reg Park
|
I have to say that Jan hit the nail right on the head, so if you
want to start getting stronger using chest expanders, or just want to see a little
piece of strength history, you can get your copy right here:
All About Strand-Pulling
Train hard,
John Wood
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