Hello , and a question

[Cheese Dog]

Greetings to my fellow martial artists! I'm new to the forum and love to learn about the martial arts and training related subjects.
Has anyone here tried Pavel Tsatsouline's russian bear program? I just recently bought his book and think his ideas are very interesting.
Most of my lifting in the past has been just strength and power oriented (maybe that's why my arms are only 14 inches) and I thought it would be nice to gain a little mass, as long as I can maintain/gain strength.

[Sho]

Greetings Cheese Dog and welcome to the forums! I suppose you are interested in Chinese martial arts since you came here (or then not). Anyway, do you have any plans for future martial art studies?

[Ford Prefect]

Hey Dog,

The "Russian Bear" protocol is also known as "German Volume Training" as well as other things. There's nothing new under the sun, and bodybuilders have been using it for quite some time. Most prefer to use 10 sets of 10 using their 20rm with 30-90 seconds rest between sets.

[Cheese Dog]

Sho: yes, very interested. I started out in tkd and shotokan back around 1986 and started in ryukyu kempo (traditional okinawan kempo) in '94. While still studying kempo I've been getting into hung gar for the past couple of years. Also been trying to make my kempo more internal and relaxed, and learning some hsing-i has been very helpful. Anyway, in the future I plan on learning the rest of the hsing-i element forms (been working mostly on the metal form) and how to actually use them in sparring. Ford: Pavel recomends no more than 5 reps per set. Would 10 sets of 5 work?

[Ford Prefect]

It would work but I don't think it would work as well. If you are looking to gain mass and strength, there are a lot of better sources than Pavel.

[IronFist]

Actually, I think German Volume Training is a little different from Bear. Bear is X sets of 5, GVT is 10 sets of 10. Same basic principle. With GVT I think you use the same weight for all sets. With Bear, it's one weight, then 90% of that, then 80% of the first weight for the remainder of the sets, which are all 5 reps, until you can no longer go in good form.

Same basic idea.

Ford, who do you think is better? Westside? I've always wanted to try their stuff but I've never really seen their program written out or anything.

IronFist

[Cheese Dog]

I'd forgotten about that! I remember reading about gvt in Muscle Media 2000 several years ago but didn't really give it a try because it seemed to be mostly for mass, not strength training. I realize Pavel doesn't know it all but for me just realizing I didn't have to go to failure on all my work sets was almost like a revelation. I thought you always had to work to failure or you were pretty much wasting your time (read a little to much Mike Mentzer apparently.) In just the short time I started Pavel's program I gained strength better than ever before and I'm not to worn out and sore to practice kempo, just from not going to failure. And it's been much easier on my joints.