A few Pavel questions

[Stranger]

What is "the Bear" and what tape is it on?

What martial arts have Pavel studied?

What is Pavel's take on abdominal workouts?

How many people here are on his programs?

Which programs are you on?

Thanks in advance

I don't get mad.
I get stabby.

[This message was edited by Stranger on 08-13-01 at 06:05 PM.]

[Lost_Disciple]

I'll answer what I can.

Q#1. The Bear: I dunno. I'm too broke to afford any of his stuff.

Q#2. What martial arts has he studied?
He was a trainer for Spetsnaz, the Russian Special Forces. I suppose he studied Sambo and did Draka. Probably did other martial arts as well.

Q#3. What is his take on ab workouts?
He promotes a particular kind of crunch, which is supposed to be very hard to do. It isolates the abs real well and only requires a few reps per workout. He sells a product that helps people perform this type of ab crunch. Overall, he thinks hi-rep ab workouts are stupid. He thinks residual tension caused by high rep workouts is similar to rigormortis in dead people and doesn't like it.

Q#4. How many are on his program?
I'm influenced by him, but not really on a particular program.

Q#5. Which program are you on?
Well, I'm not officially on his program. I don't have enough money from the books. I did, however, read 2 of his interviews off of www.t-mag.com (http://www.t-mag.com) and have picked up hints from other people on his programs. I'm always willing to learn more of his stuff, cuz the small amount of his stuff that I've tried has worked out really well for me. I was dubious in the beginning though.

Wish someone would just start posting crazy excerpts from his books. Please, help the poor! :p
ehhehehe

Just some thoughts from an ignoramus.

[IronFist]

a similiar effect on crunches can be found by holding a heavy book (think math textbook) inbetween your knees while doing situps.

Basically, the type of situp he promotes keeps the hamstrings constantly flexed, which in turn causes the hip flexors to be complete relaxed, which in turn forces you to use entirely AB strength to perform the situp motion.

Doing old school situps involves the hip flexor, and even crunches, which were designed to remedy this, do as well. Don't believe me? Go do some and touch your hip flexors. Feel the contract? Yeah.

I need to go to bed. It's 3:20am.

Iron

[Water Dragon]

a similiar effect on crunches can be found by holding a heavy book (think math textbook) inbetween your knees while doing situps.

What about using a 10 lb plate and adding weight?

Most actions of men can be explained by observing a pack of dogs. Not wild dogs, just neighborhood dogs who all scurry under the fence on the same night and set off together to reclaim a glimmer of the glory their species possessed before domestication.

[IronFist]

A 10lb weight would work, if it's comfortable. You don't need to add weight, because you're just using it to keep your legs flexed, not to provide resistance.

Also, try to push down and into the ground with your heels and toes. If your toes come up, the effect of the situp is lost.

Iron

[Stranger]

Oh yeah, one more: What is a side press?

I don't get mad.
I get stabby.

[shaolin_knight]

I bought both his "Power to the People" book and "Beyond Stretching". Both are great. You really have to see a side press and have a good description of it. Seriously, people, I'm pretty **** poor myself, as an 18 year old father. If you really want to get strong, put away $5 or so every week and in 7-8 weeks you can afford his book. I'm currently doing his push up program "Hit the Deck" which I'm not real fond of at this point, put I will stick with it and go back to PTP next week. His bear workout is also explained in PTP, you'd be surprised how simple it is. His stretching stuff is pretty much the same stuff you learn in Kung Fu, with a few added things to really get you flexible and strong in that range so you don't hurt yourself at the limit of your flexibility. I'm not sure what martial arts he's studied, he talks about Karate a lot and Chi Kung too. I also do those "ladders" with pull ups. I like those. There is an article at T-Mag online that shows a "Janda sit-up" that really hard sit-up. The article also shows other Pavel ab excersises. I'll post the link later if no one else does. Basically, I think Pavel will change the way people look at fitness. If you can only buy one book, buy PTP. His videos don't have as much information, or so I'm told. But they do demonstrate everything. You should be able to learn from the pictures and descriptions in the book though.

[IronFist]

Shaolin_knight, did you see the other pushup program i posted a while ago? it's a bit longer than pavels, but you only do pushups 4-5 times a week and not every hour. I'm had excellent success with it.

Iron

[shaolin_knight]

Ironfist, it's an interesting program, but I'd rather keep it short and focus more of my time on building strength with PTP. Thanks though. :)

[shaolin_knight]

Oh yeah, for those of you strength and size guys, check out Pavel's new article in Muscle Media on pg. 52. It's a workout kind of like the bear. He also has an article on pg. 100 called "Drills that rule, drills that drool". It shows "drills" as Pavel calls them, for each muscle, one that sucks (that many people do usually) and one that is good. Check it out.

[SevenStar]

I got a copy today. Pretty good stuff.

-ShortySeven©
Step right up and get it -- whoever wants [defeat]

Come not between the dragon and his wrath...

[IronFist]

uh, does someone wanna scan the mm article?

[Lost_Disciple]

I was hoping more people would be helpful to those of us who have no incomes at the moment and actually posting some of the workouts- or at least some of the lifting theories detailed in the books so that we could create our own workouts.

Not trying to deny the devil his due, and I'll buy those Pavel books when I can; but I'd appreciate a hook up.
.

Just some thoughts from an ignoramus.

[Ford Prefect]

Lost D,

His books are pretty much all theory with no set routines, and thus it is hard to sum up an entire book in one post. I wouldn't do his method justice, so if I write down what the key points are for me and maybe inadvertantly leave out some things that I don't think are important, then you try it without all the info and have bad results now you'll be convinced that his methods are hogwash. If you have any specific questions, I'll do my best answer them.

[Ford Prefect]

Oh, and you can glean a lot from his discussion forum at dragondoor.com. I'm sure you could put a lot of the info together that's there.

[shaolin_knight]

Yeah, I agree with Ford. You can't really sum these things up and expect someone to do it right. It seems like a lot of people pick up things about Pavel here and there and don't get the same results as if they had the whole picture. What you can do though, go to a store that sells muscle media magazine and read Pavel's Question of Strength column. He also writes an article in every issue usually geared towards body building though. Like I said, the newest issue has an article about a program similar to the bear, you should gain both size and strength. I have the kind of scanner that is a printer and fax too so it only takes single sheets of paper, and I don't want to tear the pages from my book. If you really want, I can go to the school where my mom teaches and copy every page, for a small fee. E-mail me. :)