The 4-Hour Body - Tim Ferriss

I've been looking forward to receiving the autographed copy of Tim Ferriss' book "The 4-Hour Body" that I pre-ordered a few weeks back. I'm keen to "compare notes" - so to speak - with Tim. Many of the topics addressed are near and dear to me. I have a lot of my own research, as well - and my MO is very similar to Tim's.


Anyway, yesterday, I received an emailed PDF copy of the book. I can't really tell who it's from and it was addressed to my public email. I haven't been able to contact Tim to find out whether his crew sent it, but I will assume it is. So, I want to get a review out before the release date. Who knows.... this may be the the straw that breaks the Guiness camel's back.

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/12/09/the-land-rush-4-hour-body-book-promotion/

Before I get down to the book, I want to explain Tim's work for those who haven't seen it and to explain why his modus operandi is so appealing to me. I had heard that BJJ champ Dave Camarillo was to be discussed in "The 4-Hour Work Week", so I picked it up. I liked what I read. Aside from Dave's story on how he reduced his in-office hours, there were plenty of hints and tips about improving your revenue streams and reducing the time you spend working, as well as making the most of the dollars you have. Even if four hours a week might seem a stretch, the spirit is there.

There was more information packed into this book than a dozen others on the topic put together - and it was all pretty unique. This is relevant to the review of this book because it's the same. There is no filler. No long-winded paragraphs, no extraneous discussions. Just a discussion on what works, why it works and a few examples.

In the 90's I read tirelessly the work of Dan Duchaine. Diet-wise, I did what he recommended and did well. I also used his methods of self-experimentation and found little bits and pieces that worked especially well for me and for my clients. Tim seems to be from the same school. He's tried just about everything that has some basis and gives an assessment on whether it works or not.

Ferriss establishes the tone of the book early. Right from the chapter "Fundamentals" he begins quashing myths and generalisations about caloric expenditure, yo-yo dieting, genes and effective exercise. In my personal favourite part, he addresses the causation vs correlation issue I frequently encounter around the traps.

The next few chapters cover what most of the people who read this blog will want to know. The "Getting Started..." chapter will talk some philosphy before giving some home-truths about body fat before getting into motivation and setting yourself up for success.

The next chapter on "Subtracting Fat" will take you through Tim's "Slow-carb" diet and a few bits and pieces around why it works. It's kind of like a conventional diet book, except for two things. Firstly, it's just over 40 pages - not 400. Secondly, it's full of useable tips and tricks - not lectures on unreasonable long-term restriction and planning. I think the tips on binge preparation and recovery are gold.

The next chapter is the advanced fat loss chapter and delves deeper into fat loss and covers temperature and glucose manipulation and the tricks pro bodybuilders use to get super-lean - including a little on drugs.

The muscle building chapter also starts fairly conventionally and discusses Ferriss' approach to muscle gain. Tim has leaned heavily on his 34lb of muscle in 28 days transformation and Arthur Jones' work with Casey Viator in the past and continues to do so here. However, he doesn't restrict himself to Jones' protocols. He maintains his belief in simple, easy to follw routines, though. There is no doubt this method works.

This really isn't the place for discussion about different methods of training. What I can say is, for the target market, Tim's methods are spot on.

The next chapter is on sex and contains the much heralded section on the 15 minute female orgasm. This part of the book is kind of beyond my scope here, and I haven't read it fully. I will say this, though. There are some details in there you've never heard of before. I don't care who you are. Ferriss has really done his reasearch. Lucky bugger.....

The book is huge. I'm not going to continue through it. It's over 570 pages. And each of the 11 sections would make for a 300 page book themselves if Ferriss' writing wasn't so succinct and to the point. There's a whole section on sleep that is a must-read. There's a section on reversing injuries that will give you as many "Holy Crap!" moments as it does fantastic ideas for your own rehab (and prehab).

The sections on getting stronger and running faster bring together some of the best hacks you can find on the web, in text books and out of the brains of experts. And, a tried and tested viewpoint as to whether they work.

Swimming effortlessly, vaccines and medications, vegetarianism.... You name it. If it has to do with changing the human body, Tim Ferriss covers it in this book. If I was to go through the book in detail, the review would be 100 pages. There is just no fluff.

Does it all work? Who knows? Some of it surely does. Some of it probably doesn't. Here's what I can tell you. Never has there been a book with so much info about the human body been available at this price. You may never gain 34lb in 28 days or produce a 15 minute orgasm. However, for the little effort that most of the "hacks" take, there's no value lost in trying.

I've never met Ferriss. Nor have I met any of his associates (except maybe in BJJ circles). I have paid for a signed copy of the book and I bought his last one. I have no ties or allegiances her but I can say this.....

For twenty-something dollars, this book is honestly a steal.



Post Script: I've already copped some criticism over posting this review. And it's been up about an hour. The fact is, I don't do he said she said. I read a book and tell you whether it's worth it. This one is worth the purchase price.

I don't really care where Tim came by his information. That's for people with more time on their hands than me to sort out. Please don't email me or fill the comments with discussions irrelevant to the content of the book.

This site is popular because it leaves that out of the equation.

Functional Strength Coach DVD Set - Mike Boyle

I've had a couple of strength and conditioning video series to review for a while, now. This one I only got very recently, though. And frankly, I'm glad I put off reviewing the others until I'd first seen this one.

Why?

Because I think this one sets the standard for content - though not so much for production.....

Basically, this ten DVD set represents a little over twelve hours of seminar footage from a couple of years ago and covers the full spectrum of Mike's thinking in terms of strength and conditioning.

Mike has become somewhat famous in internet circles for his writings on T-Nation but for some, his influence goes back further. For my own part, I read (and largely didn't understand) his book 'Functional Training for Sports' a few years ago. Fortunately, I've matured a lot since then.

The ten DVD set opens up with Boyle's interpretation of the Functional Movement Screen popularised by Gray Cook. He explains the movements that go into the screen ad makes a good fist of explaining the key areas of concern with the screen. As with all the DVDs, this isn't just a how-to, but also a why-to volume.

The next three DVDs are titled 'Core Training Concepts', 'Core Training' and 'Rotary Training'. These three volumes cover the training of the hip, abdominal and lower back. Mike has some fantastic insights as well as some that you might disagree with. All of his insights are well thought through and worth considering. I, myself, am currently reconsidering some of my training (and that of my clients) based on these volumes - especially in the area of rotary training.

Volume five is on foam rollers. This one has single-handedly changed my views on rolling. I have had rollers for a long time and have tried laboriously to implement them into my training. No matter how I tried, though, I never really knew how to implement them correctly. Mike managed to explain the whys of foam rolling (and tennis balls) in a way I understood, rather than just telling me what to do. Already, this has made a difference to me. When I really have it sorted out, it will also make a big difference to those I train.

Volume eight is titled 'How to Design Functional Strength Programs' and is just that. Boyle lists the essential elements of his programs and explains how he puts them together for group and individual settings. He shows a number of templates and explains the virtues of the system.

I believe volume nine (Single Leg Training and Eccentric Training Hands-On) should have probably come before volume eight. This volume explains Mike's penchant for single leg training and a number of changes he's made recently with tempo prescriptions. I would have liked to have seen it discussed before the previous volume so as to give a better understanding of where it fits into the program. The volume has some good exercises and illustrates Mike's thought process when it comes to exercise development (yes- he develops them as much as he uses others') and selection.

The last volume is as clear and concise lecture on conditioning as I've seen. Boyle explains his ideas on interval training and how it is incorporated into the program well, but it left me a wanting a little for some specific examples.

So, what happened to volumes six and seven? I'm glad you asked. These volumes were on 'Functional Isometric Training' and were presented by Jeff Oliver and Brijesh Patel. Volume six is a presentation on the use of isometrics and the second a hands-on session for the program. Unfortunately, these videos would probably have been better left out of the set. The presentation was disjointed and under-researched. In fact, the presentation seemed to revolve around the work of Jay Schroeder and it was plain (and admitted) that the knoledge of his program is poor.

That's not to say functional isometrics are a waste. Far from it. I think they are an important part of where the strength and conditioning world is going. However, I think two guys as smart as Jeff and Brijesh could have put together a better presentation with a lot less of the uncertainty, self-deprecation and unresearched material. It's a shame because I think they're onto something.

That brings me to the criticisms of the set. Not that I have anything against the content. My problems are purely to do with production. I know that the seminar "feel" is a nice thing to have in a video presentation, but I feel some editing wouldn't have gone astray in this series. Repeatedly, there are discussions about the amount of tape remaining on the camera. There are discussions about timing of sessions that are unimportant to the viewer. Little technical presentation issues could have also been cleared in post-production.

That's not to detract from the overall product, though. Boyle has been around a long, long time and this series gives you the benefit of those decades of experience. I like the way Mike admits he's been wrong in the past and probably will be again. To me, that alone tells me the information on this set is light years beyond the guys who believe they know it all.

Edit: I'm not sure Functional Strength Coach is available anymore. But you get the updated FSC 3.0 here

'One Minute Solutions to Your One Hour Problems' - JC Santana

Anyone who has seen Intocombat's SAID range of DVD videos will know the basic philosophy Juan Carlos Santana uses to train fighters for competition. The DVDs are an excellent resource for fighters of all disciplines who are looking for a modern approach to conditioning for combat sports. It seems, though, that JC is dissatisfied with simply providing you a how-to. In the 'One Minute Solutions to Your One Hour Problems' DVD, he lays out the whys and wherefores of Intocombat's methodology.

JC has confidence enough in this product to make it available to me for an independent review. His confidence is well founded. I was very impressed with the content and format of the video. It appealed to me as both a coach and as a largely self-trained athlete. The video provides an in depth look at where training science is taking the combat sports.

Firstly, before I get to the content, I want to make a point of the attention to detail and quality of Intocombat's products. The DVD's cover is professionally designed and printed and the case is a high quality one. Now, there's nothing wrong with home production in this fledgling industry - content trumps flashy production every time. However, when JC talks about quality and attention to detail, you know that he speaks with authority before you even open the case.

The video is well produced and shows JC and Rhadi Ferguson delivering a seminar at Intocombat's headquarters. The sound and video quality is excellent and you don't miss anything. All the slides shown in the seminar are cut into the video, as well, rather than just having a camera pointed at them. The presentation is clear and animated and it is easy to see (and enjoy) the presenters' enthusiasm. The one problem I have with the DVD production is the video border. The picture is cropped with a white border top and bottom and an Intocombat logo in the corner. At times, I found this distracting. It's a ridiculously minor criticism, I know, but I'm a small man in many ways. A small, petty man. (There's a Simpsons reference for everything, isn't there.....)

Content-wise, the video is divided over two disks. The first is the seminar presentation and the second shows the seminar participants demonstrating the protocols discussed earlier. The first disk is where the bulk of the information is and covers needs analysis of the "Gladiator", nutrition, the SAID principle and a Q&A.

The needs analysis section discusses the roles of technique, power and tactics and gives a broad description of how this applies to the conditioning of fighters. There are a couple of eye-openers, here, and some very good explanations for facts you may already know. The discussion includes topics of technical efficiency, speed and power development and the fact that most fighters are already strong enough. They simply require more metabolic conditioning and power. The explanations that illustrate this point are easy to follow and are delivered with enthusiasm. This section will help you understand the basic philosophy of Intocombat and broadly describes how to put your training together.

From here, the seminar moves to nutrition. The Intocombat nutrition philosophy is simple. It's all about quality, quantity and frequency. There's a little discussion on what makes for a good diet here, but the real gold in this section is the weight-cutting discussion. Here, you'll be presented with a strategy for cutting weight which doesn't involve extremes of dehydration or sweating and suits same day weighins.

The next segment of the seminar is the nuts and bolts of the presentation and covers SAID - Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. Here, the reasoning behind the Intocombat methodology is broken down. In short, interval training designed around sport specific movements not only improves your strength and conditioning for your sport, but decreases the amount of sparring time you need to be in shape for your competition. This, in turn reduces your exposure to injury. For me, realisation of this point alone is worth the investment.

In this segment, you'll also find out the way the guys at Intocombat build circuits through analysis of your sport and your individual game. They'll explain how to break down the phases of a fight into individual sport specific drills. One quote I really like here is "You don't need to be a biomechanist to do a biomechanical analysis". Once the process of analysis is explained, it's really a very simple task.

Following this is a Q&A session with the seminar participants. Nutrition is covered in more detail here and you'll get answers to questions you have and some you didn't think of (ever wondered why the toilet paper always runs out before a tournament? You'll find out here). Some real pearls of wisdom are discussed here. Of particular interest to me were the subjects of practicing to your competition schedule, aligning work in the gym with your technical training and controlling your practices.

I won't go into too much detail with the second disk except to explain that these are a set of one-minute (or thereabouts) protocols you can use in a modular fashion to address specific areas of your preparation. The title of the DVD is 'One Minute Solutions to Your One Hour Problems' and an Intocombat motto is "Minute by minute - That's how we win it'. This section shows the seminar participants demonstrating these pre-arranged sequences. Some will be familiar from the SAID series and others will be new. They're right there to add to your game now, or you can use the knowledge you gained from disk one to create your own modular one minute protocols.

It should be pretty obvious that I like this DVD set. JC's aim seems to be to bring the combats sports training world into the same modern environment that other professional sports enjoy. I really believe this product is a great investment. Not just for strength and conditioning, but for career longevity, as well.

Intocombat Website

Intu-Flow - Scott Sonnon / RMax

I don't really know why I stopped doing Scott Sonnon's Warrior Wellness program. It was twenty some-odd minutes out of my life each morning and seemed to do the job for me.

What job? You might ask.....

The job of helping me wake up and get the early morning stiffness, aches and pains out of my body. As I progressed into the intermediate phase of training, I found myself able to move more freely throughout the day. It was especially helpful at the time because I was playing football and powerlifting. This was one of the several breaks in my martial arts 'career'. It had been a gift from a friend who had picked up the first two tapes in the US and thought I might be interested. I even broke out it again a couple of years ago and began using it from the beginner level.

What does this have to do with 'Intu-Flow'? You sure ask a lot of questions.

'Intu-Flow' is kind of an updated version of 'Warrior Wellness'. It targets the same market space and has the same mandate insofar as goals for the program. It is even structured the same way. It's a follow-me style workout where a close-cropped and bespectacled Sonnon leads you on a series of moblity exercises. It is meant to be performed in the morning, but can be broken up and performed throughout the day, according to Sonnon's introduction.

I checked the new video out while visiting with a friend in Sydney. Consequently, the first disk was the only one got a thorough look at. It contains the beginner and intermediate classes for the program. The second disk contains another two more advanced classes.

As I stated before, 'Intu-Flow' is an updated version of 'Warrior Wellness'. The production seems much better (although I've not seen the DVD version of 'Warrior Wellness') and the backdrop is clearly more pleasant. The tape is also clearly marketed to appeal to a wider audience, as well. While 'Warrior Wellness' appealed largely to martial artists, due to Sonnon's association with the Russian martial arts (as well as the obvious connotations of the word "Warrior"), 'Intu-Flow' will appeal to anyone who would consider a Pilates class.

The exercises are largely the same as those found in the WW series. There are some additions, though. The workout is longer and more comprehensive, covering some work on the mat, as well. Sonnon works most of the body's joints in most of their ranges of motion. But more than that, he encourages you how to "shave off" the movement in those ranges and move the joint in three dimensions.

Going through the beginner workout, I was reminded of the need to perform this kind of work when my neck felt stiff and my shoulder cracked and popped when I tried to move it through it's range of motion. Sonnon knows the trouble areas and this is where the "shave it off" encouragement comes in.

Anyone who knows Scott's work from the early days will attest to the complex verbiage and, in his own words, "manufactured terminology". If you've seen Scott's excellent "Immovable Object Unstoppable Force" you know that it can sometimes be difficult to cut through the words to get to the meat and potatoes of the video.That's not completely absent on this production, but it's not onerous as some R-Max productions can be.

I've heard this set compared to 'Magnificent Mobility' from Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson (an excellent product in its own right - look out for a review soon), but it's really not in the same category. The only production I've seen that competes is Pavel Tsatouline's 'Super Joints'. 'Super Joints' is also a good production. However, 'Intu-Flow's' progression and higher movement complexity win that competition for me.

As an update on 'Warrior Wellness", it certainly does the job well. However, I'm uncertain whether the release warrants updating your existing collection if you already own that set. I'm sure there are arguments to do so. Scott makes himself available on his forum, along with some other experienced RMax coaches, on his forum at RMAX.TV. If you're uncertain, as I am, I'd suggest talking to them there to answer your questions.

All in all, whether this DVD series is worth the money to you depends on what you're after. The product would compare very favourably with any Pilates or Yoga sets marketed at a similar audience. This set appeals to me over those, though. The routine leaves no stone unturned or joint un-articulated. Also, the incremental progression of the routines fixes a problem I've always had with yoga tapes. The price is reasonably competitive, in this space. There are cheaper sets and more expensive ones, but this one certainly competes very well.

Get it from Amazon right here.

The Essence of Program Design by Juan Carlos Santana

As some readers would remember, I'm a bit of a strength and conditioning nut. I've actually made a useful (if undistinguished) part-time career from coaching in this area. I love working with athletes in all sports - especially combat sports. And this is how I came upon JC Santana's book.

I've always known who JC Santana is and enjoyed his articles, but my military approach dictated I look elsewhere for advice. Then, I saw one of his SAID series DVDs made with Rhadi Ferguson. I became far more interested in his philosophy at that time. Since then, JC has become someone I've become quite familiar with. He's a nice guy and answers a lot of questions for a lot of people, despite being a furiously busy guy. I have no idea how he stays upbeat and maintains such good customer service.

I bought the book from Intocombat.com, which, at the time, was run by JC with Rhadi, who is now on his own. Honestly, I was disappointed with the shipping costs. It was US$20 for shipping to Australia. Added up, that's probably a few dollars more than I would have paid if the book was available through, say, Amazon.

The thing with JC is that he's all about quality. Quality training, quality service, even quality shipping. 36 hours after ordering the book, it arrived at my PO Box. Mail within Australia doesn't get to me that quickly. In fact, around here, mail from across town isn't likely to get here that quickly. So, that fixes that. I'm prepared to pay a little more for that kind of service.

The book is a very interesting read, but I was initially disappointed with the content. Because I bought the book from Intocombat, I thought I was purchasing a manual on combat sports preparation. While the book does address this, it is clearly not the focus. When I looked into it, I realised this was my mistake. I only mention it to make sure readers don't make the same assumption.

Looking at the book in a slightly different light, though, I found it to be an absolute gold mine! To start with, Santana has a slightly different take on periodisation than I'm used to. There's nothing right or wrong about that, but I am impressed with how his philosophy fits such a multitude of situations.

He even provides a stack of workouts in the book to get you started. He splits them up by training phase, population of interest, goals and fitness levels. The book is a veritable "mentor-in-a-box" for the personal trainer with a varied clientele.

The book opens with some tidbits about JC, the Institute of Human Performance (JC's facility) and the philosophy of training there. It continues with a discussion of the nuts and bolts of program design, simplifying many complicated topics.

I like terms like microcyle, macrocycle, periodisation and training season. PT clients generally don't. They want to hear words they know. They like words like day, week and session. They understand the term block, where they might struggle with macrocycle. The terminology goes on.

JC explains how to put together a plan for a client based on their particular needs. The book has a number of blank and example planning tools, forms and even a very informative and thought-provoking testing guide. It really breaks testing down and reminds you of what's really important and what the client needs.

The IHP Hybrid Training System is the next section and describes various hybrid, complex and circuit exercises and how they fit together. It needs no real description except to say that the FITMOVES section and the section on team circuits have been very valuable with clients I had previously struggled with.

Then comes the meat of the book - the programs. Here, Santana provides sample workout plans right down to exercises, sets and reps. There are about ten for each phase of training. There are routines for just about about everyone, here. The section also recommends supplemental routines for cardio, core and mobility that fit well with the program. There are also excellent reference cards for these mini-routines in the book.

Want more routines? Make 'em up. Santana teaches you how throughout the book.

From there, JC provides more tools for charting and monitoring progression, some exercise descriptions and a neat collection of some articles that he's had published. These articles really do give you some insight into training for different goals.

There are a couple of cons for the book. I found that some of the exercises required more description than what was given in the book. Of course, IHP and JC's other businesses sell products that can help you out there. There is also some emphasis on equipment that may not be easy to come by. You should have little trouble substituting, however.

All in all, this is the best book I've seen at its price for the emerging personal trainer. You could easily sit down with a client and get them on the way to achieving their goals in a step by step fashion and in a short period of time.

For those PTs and S&C coaches looking for a philosophy to follow that yields results in a wide variety of people, this is also a great book for you.

As I alluded, there are other books that equal "Essence of Program Design", but they are either very dry or very expensive. Sometimes they're both. All in all, this book is well worth the read.

Kettlestack Adjustable Kettlebell

Those who know me know I'm a bit of a strength and conditioning nut. I have a garage and a gym full of all sorts of fitness and exercise equipment. I've used it all, as well. The one thing I've always wanted to try but never really could is the kettlebell.

There's been a lot of publicity about kettlebells all over the net in the past few years about kettlebells and I've been intrigued. However, shipping is a killer, along with the price per unit and the fact you have to buy separate ones for different loads.

Enter the Kettlestack. I first discovered the Kettlestack when someone asked about them on the MMA.TV forum. I found the company selling the devices on Ebay. I was desperate to try working with a kettlebell, so I ordered one.

The total, including shipping to Australia, was under US$65. When the unit arrived, the package had been significantly damaged and a bolt and an allen key had fallen out (More on that later). Nonetheless, I could set it up in the single bolt configuration.

I began working out with twelve kilograms (25lb) on the device and used the exercises from Pavel Tsatsouline's book. Meanwhile, I reported the missing parts to the guys at Kettlestack, who offered to send the replacement gear at their cost. However, I had decided I wanted another one by now. I ordered on through the Kettlestack website and sent an email to the guys, who sent the new one with a couple of extra bolts and keys.

Now, I'm using the units with sixteen kilograms (34lb) and have tried twenty for some exercises on occassion. Not that this is the point of this article.

The Kettlebell is a hard, high density plastic handle with two spring steel stays for weight attachment. I believe the two stays are actually one piece of steel. The device comes with two allen keyed bolts and an axle of sorts. The weights sit between the stays and some can be bolted to the outside of the stays, as well. Weights of up to and above forty kilograms (88lb) are aparently possible.

At first, you may not think the spring steel stays will hold much weigh, but the device will surprise you.

I've heard that adjustable devices don't quite have the same mechanical function as a conventional kettlebell. I have no frame of reference for that, but I do like the Kettlestack a lot and I've enjoyed working with them. The Kettlestack is now a big part of my weekly routine.

Kettlestack Website

Training for Warriors - September, 2005

I love this book. Eighteen months later and I've got the videos and am using the knowledge from both at my club every day.

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One of the Top Trainers in the Field


Rooney is just about the most qualified strength/conditioning/speed coach in the martial arts. His work at the Parisi Speed School is well known, as his his work at the Elite Fitness Systems website. He is quite the sought-after coach, having worked with various Olympic athletes, as well as pro sports athletes and teams.

This book gives you a look at some of the most advanced training methodics you're likely to find. Not hundreds of knuckle pushups and the like.

Rooney is big on mobility and shows his 'Dynamic Warmup for MMA.' This, alone, is worth the price of the book. He also shows how to fit your other training modalities into your training regimen (Weights, conditioning, explosive exercise).

As mentioned in earlier reviews, Rooney doesn't give you precise descriptions of what Renzo's crew do from day to day. That would be asking a little much, as most athletes at this level are on individualised programs to work on deficiencies and maintain sport specificity (Renzo's school has competitors in several streams of combat sports).

He doesn't leave you high and dry, though. He helps you identify the weaknesses and strengths of an athlete to correct or highlight them, respectively. He also discusses strategy and mindset.

Probably more helpful to the coach, but fantastically helpful to the athlete, as well. As both, I get value from it daily.

Other martial arts conditioning books have a lot of catchup to play.....

Naked Warrior - July, 2005

I read Pavel's books and enjoyed them. I got some good stuff out of them. These reviews still reflect what I think.

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Overhyped, but Sound

Pavel is pretty hyped up in the Strength & Conditioning world. He's got good credentials and, more importantly, a great gimmick. The whole Evil Russian thing gets them in by the truckload. I, for one, am happy enough to see Pavel enjoying the fruits of capitalism.

Aside from all the marketing drivel, Pavel's onto something with this book. It's all about the one armed pushup and one legged squat. Two great exercises which are very hard to master, but fantastically useful in your program.

What I like most about this book is the details on how to progress to the point where you can perform the exercises. This is a subject that I haven't seen adequately covered before.

From here, Pavel shows variations which he contends make for a whole body workout. I don't know about the WHOLE body, but he comes close. He also makes good points about the use of tension and how relatively ineffective calithenic exercises with high reps are.

This is a good book, but loses points due to high price and incessant marketing drivel.

Relax Into Stretch - July, 2005

I didn't like "Relax Into Stretch" nearly as much as Pavel's other books. That's obvious from the review. I really do like Tom Kurz' "Stretching Scientifically" at a much lower price.

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Not Enough Substance to Outweigh the Hype

Pavel clearly knows some good drills for improving flexibility. However, it's clear that with this more complicated topic, he can't produce anything remotely as innovative as 'Naked Warrior' or 'Power to the People'.

As I said, Pavel knows some good drills and what he does would probably work. However, there are better books on the subject. Tom Kurz' 'Stretching Scientifically' comes to mind.

Unfortunately, Pavel's charisma doesn't really shine through and the hype doesn't save the book from being relegated to also-ran status in the flexibilty manual stakes.

I will say, however, his flexibilty video does better in terms of motivation and this book would work reasonably well with that video. The same can be said of Kurz' video and book, too, though.

Power to the People - July, 2005

I read Pavel's books and enjoyed them. I got some good stuff out of them. These reviews still reflect what I think.

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Lots of Hype. Good Program, though

Pavel has some good stuff in this book. The book revolves around a simple, high tension, low volume, high frequency program involving two exercises and their variations.

It's good, but it can be pretty much descibed in one page and detailed in five. What we get is a book chock full of marketing hype with a bent towards hyping the Iron Curtain angle.

Pavel is pretty hyped up in the Strength & Conditioning world. He's got good credentials and, more importantly, a great gimmick. The whole Evil Russian thing gets them in by the truckload. I, for one, am happy enough to see Pavel enjoying the fruits of capitalism.

The book covers the side press and deadlift and their variations and a couple of training programs. It is, in a lot of ways the weighted version of his 'Naked Warrior' book.

Insofar as the programs, they work. The logic Pavel presents is great and he doesn't stoop to pseudo-scientific malarky. He recommends what he's found to work, albeit in a very gimmicky fashion.

Great book for just about anyone who wants to get stronger without getting obsessive.

This is a good book, but loses points due to high price and incessant marketing drivel.