Pavel Tsatsouline Kettlebell Strength Training Weight Lifting Workouts Exercise and Flexibility Questions & Answers.

Greetings all, first time poster, occasional reader here. I've had a copy of PTP for around 10 months now, but only started actually following it seriously about 2 months ago. Until then, I just tried to integrate some of its teachings into my existing routine. About 2 months ago my summer vacation started and I decided I would give PTP a serious look to see whether I wanted to stick with it. So, for the last two months I've been lifting 5 times a week doing 2x5 inclined BP followed by 2x5 behind the back DL; both on a simple linear cycle. After two months I'm not quite satisfied so I thought I'd post and see if there were some comments. I apologize if any of this stuff has been answered elsewhere. I tried to search around in the forums a bit but couldn't find anything. Also, a few of them are kinda overlapping/related but I tried to break them up a bit so its a little easier to follow. Problem areas: 1. General Muscle tone I'm happy with my forearms and legs. Shoulders and back are so-so. Pecs/bis/tris aren't quite what I expected. Is this a result of poor recruitment, possibly not lifting slower enough, or is 2 months just not long enough for the weights to go up enough to see an improvement? 2. Pecs? I'm really not that interested in pecs, but chose the inclined bench because I wanted to tone the tissue I already have there. I should probably mention that I kind of dislike my pecs as I seem to have retained a fair amount of tissue from my previous high-rep routine that never really went away so I feel a bit like I have breasts. Anyway, it seemed that I used my pecs relatively little relying primarily on my shoulders because even after 2 months my pecs have improved little. I followed the advice in (Beyond Bodybuilding) (BB) of trying to compress the bar to recruit the pecs which works pretty well, but does it compromise the strength-without-mass principle of PTP, or does it detract from the arms? 3. Some mass Despite my 2x5 routine I still feel like I'm building bulk. So, I've decided to give 2x4 a try to see how that goes. Is there any way to get rid of "residual tissue" (for lack of a better word) gained from a previous workout? In some sense I'd like to return to my previous, pretty skinny self and start over. 4. Injuries I have two reoccurring injuries that predate my PTP era, but I figure they're still relevent here. First, my shoulders. I have to be *extremely* careful with the bench because I seem to be able to hurt myself pretty easily. Is keeping my shoulders towards my feet and pinching my shoulder blades the only trick, or should I go with my instinct and drop the lift? Next my back, this is within the last year, but pre-PTP I tore a muscle or something in my back during the BP. Its between the shoulder blades, near the spine. I didn't see a doctor, so to speak, but I spoke to one casually and he just advised me to let it heal but had no advise for prevention other than to stop working out. I took a month off to let it heal and figured it would be ok to start working out again (more carefully this time around). Then, I lifted about a month and half following PTP strictly and just recently the same thing happened again. It only occurs during the bench and being in my back makes me seriously question my form... or something. Not actually seeing me bench, does anything come to mind given your knowledge of anatomy/common mistakes? This post turned out more of a downer/pessimistic than I expected. Its not all bad news, honestly! I'm pretty happy with my legs and abs. I suppose thats the problem, my upper body is just underwhelming in comparison. heh BB mentions that the upper body does take more time, so I may just be unrealistic not to mention a bit hesitant given my injury record. Please post any questions/comments you might have. I'll try to keep my posts shorter. :) jake 

Greetings all, first time poster, occasional reader here. I've had a copy of PTP for around 10 months now, but only started actually following it seriously about 2 months ago. Until then, I just tried to integrate some of its teachings into my existing routine. About 2 months ago my summer vacation started and I decided I would give PTP a serious look to see whether I wanted to stick with it. So, for the last two months I've been lifting 5 times a week doing 2x5 inclined BP followed by 2x5 behind the back DL; both on a simple linear cycle. After two months I'm not quite satisfied so I thought I'd post and see if there were some comments. I apologize if any of this stuff has been answered elsewhere. I tried to search around in the forums a bit but couldn't find anything. Also, a few of them are kinda overlapping/related but I tried to break them up a bit so its a little easier to follow. Problem areas: 1. General Muscle tone I'm happy with my forearms and legs. Shoulders and back are so-so. Pecs/bis/tris aren't quite what I expected. Is this a result of poor recruitment, possibly not lifting slower enough, or is 2 months just not long enough for the weights to go up enough to see an improvement? 2. Pecs? I'm really not that interested in pecs, but chose the inclined bench because I wanted to tone the tissue I already have there. I should probably mention that I kind of dislike my pecs as I seem to have retained a fair amount of tissue from my previous high-rep routine that never really went away so I feel a bit like I have breasts. Anyway, it seemed that I used my pecs relatively little relying primarily on my shoulders because even after 2 months my pecs have improved little. I followed the advice in (Beyond Bodybuilding) (BB) of trying to compress the bar to recruit the pecs which works pretty well, but does it compromise the strength-without-mass principle of PTP, or does it detract from the arms? 3. Some mass Despite my 2x5 routine I still feel like I'm building bulk. So, I've decided to give 2x4 a try to see how that goes. Is there any way to get rid of "residual tissue" (for lack of a better word) gained from a previous workout? In some sense I'd like to return to my previous, pretty skinny self and start over. 4. Injuries I have two reoccurring injuries that predate my PTP era, but I figure they're still relevent here. First, my shoulders. I have to be *extremely* careful with the bench because I seem to be able to hurt myself pretty easily. Is keeping my shoulders towards my feet and pinching my shoulder blades the only trick, or should I go with my instinct and drop the lift? Next my back, this is within the last year, but pre-PTP I tore a muscle or something in my back during the BP. Its between the shoulder blades, near the spine. I didn't see a doctor, so to speak, but I spoke to one casually and he just advised me to let it heal but had no advise for prevention other than to stop working out. I took a month off to let it heal and figured it would be ok to start working out again (more carefully this time around). Then, I lifted about a month and half following PTP strictly and just recently the same thing happened again. It only occurs during the bench and being in my back makes me seriously question my form... or something. Not actually seeing me bench, does anything come to mind given your knowledge of anatomy/common mistakes? This post turned out more of a downer/pessimistic than I expected. Its not all bad news, honestly! I'm pretty happy with my legs and abs. I suppose thats the problem, my upper body is just underwhelming in comparison. heh BB mentions that the upper body does take more time, so I may just be unrealistic not to mention a bit hesitant given my injury record. Please post any questions/comments you might have. I'll try to keep my posts shorter. :) jake 

...I am having a discussion elsewhere on the choice of kettlebell sizes appropriate to various athletes of different sizes and strengths. We all agree that kettlebells are an excellent choice, but some people feel that a 24kg kettlebell is all you will ever need for a combination of strength, power and endurance. While I think this is a good start, I have argued that a heavyweight athlete, well over 200lbs. and familiar with kettlebells, might want to use a 32kg (or pair). In my experience as a heavyweight, 24kgs builds excellent endurance but not much strength. I'm curious what the informed members of the board here might think about this. Aloha!  

I have an injury to my lower buttocks I sustained about five months ago running bleachers. I have gone to PT for messaging but I would like to know any advice on how long an injury like these take to heal up? It has gotten better but I still have intense pain daily mosty when I sit and then stand the pain starts on the action of standing. Any tips appreciated. The muscles involved I'm not sure what names but touch the bony part of butt that touches chair when sitting. 

Got a meniscus tear repaired 3 weeks ago. I am just able to do bodyweight leg raises sitting on the floor. The last week or so, I took a page from hit and did as mamy raises as i could to failure, then did 5, 10 second negatives to failure. It is starting to feel better and better since I started doing these. My next work out, I will try some rest pause training. I plan on doing 20 reps. Then I will rest 5 seconds and do sets of 3 till 60. 

I have been trying to contact you or your staff to this web sites dc@stevemaxwell.com DCmaxercise.aol.com info@stevemaxwell.com I bougth from your company a Joint Mobility and Recharge DVD on April 21th 2005,until now no DVD, and no Explanation. Would you be kind to contact me. Manuel Cabrera Garcia manuelcabrera@hotmail.com Queretaro,Qro Mexico P.S The order was to Ma Lourdes Cabrera G. Thanks. 

A few months ago I twisted my knee. The doc has cheack and ruled out tendon and ligament damage. I went to a PT today and he would agree... I'm still waiting for the MRI results... I am expecting that they will need to take out a peice to get rid of the pain. anyway, has anybody here gone through this stuff? Did you have the surgery? What are your long term after effects (do you stil have pain?) What do you do to keep your knee healthy? Thanx for any answers in advance.. Chris 

Steve I've read a lot of your posts and I know you have a lot of experience with DMSO. I was especially interested in your post explaining your recovery from a torn meniscus using DMSO orally. I have a s.l.a.p. lesion in my right shoulder which is basically a cartlidge tear. Do you think DMSO taken orally would help this at all? I've used it topically for 4 to 6 weeks at a time and it did help relieve the pain but this sucker just doesn't seem to want to heal. If you think it would be worth trying do you have a brand recomendation? (I'm concerned with purity issues). I've used Jacobs Lab DUSA SAL gel in the past for the topical application. I respect your advice and appreciate any information you have on the subject. Thanks  

I was just thinking, pushing in one direction doesn't necessarily translate into pushing in another direction, in other words, military presses won't help my ring dips. So then how much transfer do pullups have to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Most of the pulling I do is from the opposite direction, like a bent over row or renegade row. I'm just thinking out loud here, but this occurred to me last night and it's been bugging me. Anyone have any ideas? I'm prob not going to give up pullups anytime soon anyway, but should I have a bigger focus on bent over rowing? Josh Hillis RKC + CrossFit yourfirst90days.com 

Steve, I had an MRI done on my back and found that I have three herniated discs, the exact wording from my MRI Report is; "There is moderate broad based herniation of the nucleus pulposis with slight inferior extrusion at L5-S1, with ventral dural sac compression. There is mild central herniation of the nucleus pulposis at L2-L3 with mild dural sac compression." I have made an appointment with a Neuro-Surgeron on November 15th. In the mean time, the doctor told me not to workout at all. But could you recommended some joint drills or anything I could do to help ease the pain of my back? Maybe I should pick up some DMSO? Thank you, Dave  

Hi Everybody, I'm interested in starting KB training but can't decide how to proceed on my budget. My goals are to increase strength and self-defense capabilities. I have about ten years of experience in various martial arts and am fairly active but really want to take my strength training to the next level. Which KB program should I start out with? I want to keep it as cheap as possible with an emphasis on practical self-defense training. I'm in San Diego but don't think I would be able to afford sessions with Steve Cotter in El Cajon or the upcoming seminar down the street from my apartment (although I wish I could!). Should I purchase Cotter's DVD, the DVD, book, and KB package from the DD store, or take an entirely different route? I know very little about KB training, so any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jonathan 

Today I do 10 deadhang pullups, and got the advice to PTP my pullups. How do I do the cycling with weights? I canīt add 5pounds a day:) johan 

I'm not old (just turned 35), but I am already experiencing some of the upside of getting older, and in the training arena in particular it mostly seems beneficial (so far anyway). Relative to when I started lifting seriously about five years ago, I cannot do as many workouts, and I am rarely fresh. This is due not just to being five years older, but also to having more responsibilities. However, I've found that I've gotten better at (a) focusing, (b) differentiating between pain that must be heeded and pain that can be safely ignored, (c) gritting out sessions when I don't feel like it, (d) setting PRs out of the blue through sheer grouchy-old-man determination. I also remember from Kyokushin what it feels like to hit a grizzled 45-year-old man (in brief, like hitting a brick). I am looking forward to being that guy rather than being the springy 25-year-old who bounces off him. Call it a preference of temperament. Rob  

I just read in an interview that UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski does weight training for the first six weeks after a fight and then, with four weeks left before his next fight, he cuts out weight lifting altogether and only does boxing/grappling and cardio, so as to avoid any injuries that may stop him from fighting. My question is, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of lifting for the first six weeks? It seems to me that all the gains he made would be gone by the time he stepped into the cage. Also, is there a better way to cycle your workouts so that you can avoid injury and still be superstrong when you climb into the cage or ring? Thanks Brandon 

"Celebrity Overhaul" Not sure if you guys have this in other countries, Most likly something very similar, But it is basically a bunch of overweight celebrities go through a 'fitness' [Cough] program and 'detox' [Double Cough], in a last-ditch effort to loose weight. Slight Aus backround here: In Austrlia to be a Personal Trainer you HAVE to have a "certificate IV in Personal training", which also happens to be one of the most gimmicy, out-dated, 'toning'-style training avaliable - This is turns means that there is everything we hate out of training, everywhere. This show is a personification of this. I was flicking channels and saw the last half-hour. This show is so damn scary. You would have laughed so hard until you realised that there are people out there who will take this advise seriously. Some gems: "For cardio, you really shouldn't train more than 60% of your max, any more is going over board" "Do lunges with 5kg in each hand increases the workout by 15%" [Increases the workout? WTH?] "So whats your goal for the next 4 weeks?" "Abs" "Ok, Lets do some serious work then" *Insert falling to floor and /trying/ to crank out 100s of reps* "1 hour of and Intense aquatic [pool] workout = 1/2 hour boxing + 1 hour jogging" And many, MANY more. Another item that scares me was thier "Detox program". The one guy on the show who spoke up saying "This is No where near enough food for the amount of work we do!" [4 hours + a day], was portrayed as a whinger, and some who cant hack it. I feel for him - Breakfast was 1 1/2 servings of fruit, 2 pieces of Boc-choy [Sp?], and 1 piece of toast. Lunch a [small] bowl of seaweed soup. And i never saw dinner. I might post some other items i saw, maybe if this thread gets interest. I also noted some really, really poor deadlift form by one of the Trainers, But lucky for her she was only hold 2x 5kg weights. Argh. Any comments? Or Experiences similar to this? Will S 

Has anyone tried separate mulitiple ladders spread across the day? Example: MORNING Pullup ladders 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 1 Then the same in the evening. Is this more effective than doing only one set of ladders?  

Steve and others as well . . . I was told that your big on tiger pushups and Im curious if you have any tips on these and also what is a good number to shoot for? Just to make sure Im talking about the right exercise, The one Im interested in is what Pavel wrote about in Muscle media awhile back. Your in a regular pushup position and you lower yourself down on to your forearms which are bent at 90 degrees and this places all the stress on the triceps. For anyone else who does them, what is your impression of them? Thanks in advance Steve and others. . . 

"At first, although enormously strong, my strength was of little avail, and a good wrestler would be sure to throw me, but later, when I understood the science of wrestling, I became invulnerable to the attacks of the best wrestlers that could be found to compete with me; and after this date I was never defeated, either in wrestling or weight-lifting." -Arthur Saxon The Development of Physical Power (circa 1906) Have any of you checked out the scientific wrestling site? What's the opinion of Com. Com. Steve Cotter and Steve Maxwell on www.scientificwrestling.com? They are talked about on some mma sites, I think it looks very good. 

"At first, although enormously strong, my strength was of little avail, and a good wrestler would be sure to throw me, but later, when I understood the science of wrestling, I became invulnerable to the attacks of the best wrestlers that could be found to compete with me; and after this date I was never defeated, either in wrestling or weight-lifting." -Arthur Saxon The Development of Physical Power (circa 1906) Have any of you checked out the scientific wrestling site? What's the opinion of Com. Com. Steve Cotter and Steve Maxwell on www.scientificwrestling.com? They are talked about on some mma sites, I think it looks very good. 

I'm trying to increase upper body mass, so which press has more potential for upper body growth, BP or MP, I do both, but would like opinions on which one would be more effective.ANy inquiry's are appreciated! 

First, let me preface by saying that you're a veritable fountain of useful knowledge and I appreciate you taking the time to help me. Now, I read your past post on DMSO use and especially the oral DMSO book. Where could I get literature on the use of DMSO for promoting the healing of connective tissue injuries? And also, if you are not injured, can you build super strong joints by supplementing DMSO on a regular basis along with MSM/Glucosamine or something similar? It would stand to reason that it causes a surge in connective tissue growth, if it can promote the healing of tears that are thought to be surgical. Can it help with muscle tears too? Will it help rebuild an area of muscle that suffered a tear in the past? I dont' have any experience with DMSO, I have used Glucosamine and MSM only (and am almost out of them). Is DMSO non toxic and non carcinogenic? Is it as safe to use as MSM? Please tell me all I need to know to get started with it, and if you can't post it for some reason, please email me SWW1200@hotmail.com Thanks!  

I'm looking for a takedown that doesn't strain the knees. Do you have any suggestions? After one day of drilling single and double-leg takedowns my knees feel like crap and I was hoping you might have an alternative. Thanks! 

I'm starting a cycle doing heavy Bench and Deads PTP style to increase my strength. I also want to do Bodyflow to increase my range of motion, and improve my movement. Is this a good idea considering the former is all about creating as much tension as possible and the latter about releasing tension? With all the knowledgable people on this forum, I figure someone could help ease my confusion. Thanks, Demond 

I am following the eating plan from the book The ABS Diet. It seem like a very sensible way of eating. I am also working out with kettlebells for about 20-25 min every other day. I only rest about 60-90 sec between sets and exercises. I am focusing on snatches, cleans, swings, and chin ups. Does this seem like a good plan for maximizing fat loss? any advice is appreciated. Jim