Pavel Tsatsouline is a former physical training instructor for Spetsnaz, the Soviet Special Forces, and he is hugely popular with the martial arts community all over the world. Pavel is the main reason for the kettlebell workout phenomenon that is hitting us hard right now.
A lot of Pavel’s ideology leans more towards functionality, but it must be noted that many of his may be applied to bodybuilding and powerlifting as well.
Pavel has an interesting observation on American in the gym. He is especially against the “high intensity training”. To Pavel, there is one common denominator of the training of the strongest people in the world like weightlifters or powerlifters. They keep the repetition low and lift heavier weight. They don’t train to failure.
While it is true that intensity important for weight training, the mainstream definition of intensity on the other hand is the “percentage of momentary ability” — is meaningless. The only way you can measure intensity is through the percentage of your one rep max.
Studies have shown that there is only one variable that matters – the absolute value of tension. What matters is the absolute tension, the force that muscle exerts and the time the muscle spends under tension. Relative tension, which pretty much means “how hard it feels”, is not significant. Failure, fatigue and exhaustion do not factor in. In fact, when you train to failure, because of the Hebbian mechanisms, you will fail you nervous system and train yourself to fail.
Low repetition is also much safer, even if you’re using a heavy weight. The tension of the supporting muscles will protect you.
It is unfathomable to some how muscles can be built with low repetition training. Pavel however, beg to differ. He says that if you get a pump with heavy weights you shall grow. Volume will deplete the muscle, but its the tension that increases the amino acid uptake. A powerlifter lift really heavy and rest for five minutes in between sets, that’s tension with less fatigue. A high intensity training requires you to a hundred reps, so what you have is the opposite. You have the fatigue and the pump, but not the tension.
Instead, Pavel suggests that you use a heavy weight and do reps of five (not taken to failure) with only one or two minutes of rest for up to twenty sets, you’re going to be able to use a heavy weight and get a great pump. Many bodybuilders who have tried this approach have reported impressive gains.
In Pavel’s book and video, “Power to the People!”, he talks a lot about the deadlift and the bent press, or side press. To Pavel, the deadlift is the working class answer to the squat.
Check out Pavel Tsatsouline books and DVD here.