Tsatsouline - Beyond bodybuilding: muscle and strength training secrets for the renaissance man

MUSCLE AND STRENGTH TRAINING SECRETS FOR THE RENAISSANCE MAN

BY PAVEL

BEYOND
BODYBUILDING

MUSCLE AND STRENGTH
TRAINING SECRETS
FOR THE RENAISSANCE MAN

BY PAVEL

Copyright 2005 Power by Pavel, Inc.
All rights under International and Pan-American Copyright conventions.

Published in the United States by:
Dragon Door Publications, Inc
P.O. Box 4381, St. Paul, MN 55104
Tel: (651) 487-2180 Fax: (651) 487-3954
Credit card orders: 1-800-899-5111
Email: support@dragondoor.com Website: www.dragondoor.com

ISBN10: 0-938045-26-1 ISBN10: 978-0-938045-26-7

First edition published in January, 2005. This edition published in April, 2011

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

Printed in China

Book design, Illustrations and cover by Derek Brigham
Website http//www.dbrigham.com (763)208-3069 Email: bigd@dbrigham.comPhotographs unless otherwise credited by Ralph DeHaan Gym, courtesy World Gym, Lake Forest, CA.

DISCLAIMER

The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.

TO CLARENCE BASS

Photo courtesy CBass.com

I have the privilege of acquaintance with men like Clarence Bass, Dave Draper, Larry Scott, and Dennis Weis. Bodybuilders of the golden age. I have great respect for these men. Not for their physiques because, to be blunt, I have no interest in that sort of thing. I respect them for everything todays bodybuilders are not.

The old-timers are mens men. They kept their pursuit of bodybuilding in perspective, unlike the modern generation of catty beauty queens. They despised muscles that were for show only. The golden age knew true renaissance men like Tommy Kono and Bill March who went to the top in both strength and physique competition. With the exception of Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates, I am hard pressed to name todays bodybuilders who are as strong as they look.

We go to a bodybuilding expo every year. Last few years we ran a challenge at our booth. A one-arm military press with an eighty-eight pound kettlebell. The rules are simple: the fist must be lower then the chin at the start of the press and the knees must remain locked. You dont even have to clean the bell because I do not want any of the this is all technique whining. Well hand it to you if you insist.

Let us face it, pressing eighty-eight pounds overhead is not a feat of strength. Definitely not for a two hundred-fifty pound man. Yet the overwhelming majority of the big sissies just cant do it. And that is the ones who at least try. Most are plain scared. I call out to the passing muscleheads: Do we have a man here? Most flinch and keep walking. One year there was a Jazzercise booth across the isle. Whenever my challenge was ignored I would smile sweetly and say, Sir, I understand. Not all forms of exercise are right for all people. Perhaps you would like to check out Jazzercise over there?

Clark Bartram of ClarkBartram.com. As strong as he looks.

The purpose of this collection of articles is to make todays bodybuilder ashamed of his weakness and narcissism and get him as strong as he looks. Appropriately, I asked Clark Bartram to model for the photos. Not just because he is a friend but because this Marine vet is as strong as he looks. And because he used to write and model for Muscle Media, a great magazine.

Most of the articles in this anthology first appeared in MM. My friend and colleague Steve Maxwell used to cut them out and put them in a binder for his trainers at Maxercise in Philly. It was Steve who suggested that I publish them in one volume.

These articles made many bodybuilders catch the strength bug. If you are a musclehead unfamiliar with the Party methods I hope this volume will do the same for you. If you are with the choir, ignore my strength preaching and pay attention to the training advice. A ton of work and research went into this volume. Think of it as a sequel to Power to the People! You will get the answers to many questions you may have had. For instance:

What are the top Russian set and rep schemes for power?

How to use the High-Tension Techniques outside the gym?

What is the best way to build strength with singles?

How to peak strength in two weeks?

How to make the most out of the classic countdown to power method?

Powerlifters lift the weight. Bodybuilders feel the muscle. What is the PTP way?

Are there other simple and effective power cycles to be used with PTP?

Are there other simple and effective set and rep schemes to be used with PTP?

What if I want to squat rather than deadlift?

Under what circumstances should I explode rather than grind my deadlifts?

Are there benefits to lowering my deadlifts slowly?

I live in an apartment. I cant deadlift heavy and I cant drop my deadlifts. What should I do?

Are lay-offs any good?

Is twice-a-day training worth the trouble?

How to convert accidental overtraining into great strength gains?

Does being a training minimalist have exercise variety?

What is the best neck strength routine of all time?

Plus a lot more.

Power to you!

Pavel

December 2004

Santa Monica, California where it all began

CONTENTS

Contrary to the bodybuilding mythology, true strength training is not about your muscles but about your mind.

In any endeavor mental focus delivers more than any physical transformation, a concept clearly understood by martial arts masters. Focus is the ability to control the muscles of the body in a coordinated effort and then contract them to their maximum degree explains Jack Hibbard, a Green Beret vet and expert in tameshiwari, the ancient art of breaking boards and bricks barehanded, The deeper the concentration, the tenser the contraction of the muscle; and the tenser the contraction, the stronger the muscle grows.

Like I said before, it all boils down to tension. Effective mind over muscle strength training can be summed up as honing your skill to contract your muscles harder. In Russian sports science there is even a term, skill-strength.

Some bodybuilders are quick to argue: But its all technique! So what if it is? The most important aspect one can learn to improve strength is to learn proper technique, bench press champion George Halbert sets the record straight. There is a mode of thinking out there that I describe as Hes not strong, hes just got good technique. This is just confused thinking Have you ever heard anyone say, he is not a good shooter, he just has good technique or hes not really fast, he just has good technique?