Modern Strandpulling, Part Seven -- David Webster

 

  

                                                                       Courtesy of Jan Dellinger 

                                                                       THE TOP TEN FOR LEGS

Observations lead me to believe that bodybuilders are rather "Tarzan eyed," their optics frequently flitting from limb to limb, and the legs, especially of the opposite sex, come in for much scrutiny. 

From the start I must say that men find strandpulling leg work rather a nuisance, but as we strandpullers are notoriously weak in this region specialization is very necessary. 

Try these movements. They are well worth the bother involved fitting hooks, eyes or straps where necessary. 

First of all, try two excellent warmers, well named the "Jack in the Box" (Ex. 38). Start in the squat position, knees bent and strands stretched sideways in line with the shoulders. Propel yourself in the air with a vigorous leg drive; get as high as you can and allow the strands to go overhead, arms still kept straight. The legs should be straight and toes pointed at the highest part of your jump. As you land lightly in the starting position, do a downward pull, finishing exactly as you started. 

Our second variation (Ex. 39) is slightly more advanced because it is exactly the same, but knees are raised high in the jump. Tuck them as close as possible and even the fittest enthusiast will find 10 reps have the breath coming in short pants. Ba-dump-bum! 

Another useful limbering up exercise is known as the Stag Leap (Ex. 40). Done with only a half knee bend, this time the strands are pulled across the chest and the legs stretched fore and aft alternately. Aim for height and split wider each time.

Now for some tougher stuff. The Quadriceps Stretch [leg extension] (Ex. 41) gives ample proof of its building qualities right from the first workout. Yes, sir, you'll feel it right away. Hooks, or better still, eyes, should be screwed to the foot of the wall or the floor. If this can't be done fasten the strands to the foot of some immovable object. Sit on a chair with the back towards the hooks, then pass the strands between the legs of the chair from the attachment to the foot where it is fixed by means of a stirrup or strap. 

The pull starts now and is performed by keeping the thigh in the starting position, horizontal, while the leg is straightened completely before returning to the original position. Definitely one of the best leg exercises with strands.

Adductor Pulls (Ex. 43) are done with the same gear, but this time you stand up bearing the weight first on the right leg with the strands attached to the left foot which is nearest the wall. At the start of the pull this left leg should be well away from the right, with toe rested very lightly on the ground. The pull is done by bringing the left leg in to touch the right. It should be a distinct effort to pull the strands this distance and a really complete contraction can be made by passing in front of the supporting leg. Hold a chair-back of similar object for balance, and remember to work both legs equally. 

Abductor Pulls (Ex. 43) are exactly the opposite. The pulling leg is furthest away from the strands and the exercise starts with feet together and finishes with the pulling leg as far sideways from the starting position as is possible. 

Forward Leg Raises (Ex. 44) affect the muscles right at the top and front of the thigh and should be done fairly close to the wall with back towards the strand fittings. Keep the leg straight during the pull and raise to the horizontal position. 

Leg Curls (Ex. 45) which are great for the hamstrings, the mighty mouthful -- semitendinosus sememimbranosus and biceps femoris -- are best done lying face down. Feet should be towards the strands which should have a little tension on right from the start and here you can work both legs simultaneously. Merely bend them as much as you can, endeavoring to touch the heels on the buttocks. 

This is a cramping exercise; no yelling now, please! 

This final thigh exercise is the "daddy" of them all -- the deep knee bend (Ex.46). Refugees from weight-lifting will moan in anticipation for the squat has been cursed and condemned in every language. 

However, most experts agree that it is probably the most valuable movement practiced in any schedule. To be perfectly honest I must confess that the strandpulling variation has not quite the startling effect on metabolism possible with the use of weights. 

A floor bar, as described in the section dealing with arm work, comes into play for our strand squats. It helps save wear and rear on the handles as well as adding numerous exercises to our repertoire. 

You stand on the bar with the strands coming from the bar to the handles which are held one at each shoulder as you stand erect. Bending the knees is oh, so easy! The hard part is stretching again! It's very simple, add some springs before going any further. Keep the back as upright and flat as you can throughout the movement. If you have been trying the exercises as we go along, have a good rest now, fellow. You deserve it. 

I can imagine some of you will be frantically wondering if you can do anything for your calves with the strands. Of course you can -- exercises are possible with expanders for every muscle group and you can find new movements for yourself with a little experimenting. 

Attach the strands to your fitting at one end and hold the other end in the hand in the hang position at the side of the thigh. Stand with toes of one foot on a block and do single heel raises (Ex. 47), as shown in our drawing above. Get the heel down to the ground every time and stretch the calf muscle as much as you can. 

Make the ankles as mobile as possible

if you want to get the most out of calf exercises.

Next, in Part Eight: Better Backs

Enjoy Your Lifting!