Customer Reviews
Simply Excellent 
2008-11-04
This is a great book. It provides very good insights into strength physiology and gives practical advice on how to build strength safely. I also have "Relax into Stretch" and "The Naked Warrior". These too are quite good (although I can't do the Naked Warrior excersizes yet) Once you understand the concepts of training the nervous system; muscle synergy, neuromuscular coordination, and how these work together to generate muscle tension and/or relaxation it opens up a whole new world for you.
good principles 
2008-10-27
I dont lift barbells, tried it years ago; and at 57 I probably wont be lifting them anytime soon. I do swing kettlebells, these are getting me in much better shape. But Pavel's book about using heavy weights applies to kettlebells as well. Weightlifting is weightlifting, and his advice is applicable for any kind of resistance training. Deliberatly using very heavy weights really does work. Be careful when you first do resistance training this way...but his principles do work.
This may be the book for you 2008-04-13
So you went to the "Health Club" signed up and the "instructor" put you through your paces. Cardio on the bike and a trip around the nautilus circuit. Maybe a spell in the suana afterwards, or perhaps you tested your tolerance for breathing chlorine gas in the communal whirlpool.
You felt great at first, but after about six to eight weeks the whole experience felt toxic and drove you back to your couch with the remote and some serious comfort/junk food.
If that's you, this may be your book. A new way to look at strength training and improving the quality of life. Not a book for those wanting to get huge (bodybuilders) or seriously buff.
If you want to be stronger, enjoy life more, and do it with minimal expense in dollars and time this book is worth a look. At age 44 my first cycle added an inch to my upper arms and I only gained eight pounds with careful dieting (weighing every gram). Normally most experts will tell you twenty pounds of muscle for an inch on your bicep measurements. That means I lost twelve pounds of fat on average.
If you are happy with your bodybuilding routine or other conventional strength training, it is still an interesting read. A bit pricey, but I will buy more books by this outside the box thinker.
Not for the Faint of Heart 2007-12-09
Pavel has done it again. The information in this edition is spot on. His ability to explain movements,although old school,makes much of the prevelant philosphy to strength & conditioning pale in comparison. I do recommend that you work with a RKC trainer when embarking on this path as proper coaching and instruction will enable you to more quickly achieve goals and ensure technique is done in a manner as to protect from injury.
Good info on form for two exercises 2007-08-10
This book gives good descriptions of how to perform the deadlift and the side press. I learned how to deadlift from this book, and a competitive powerlifter in my gym complimented me on my form. (That made my day.) The sections on "hyperirradiation" and breathing techniques are also helpful, and the side press is a good exercise with which to practice them. I find that I can side press an Olympic bar only if I use these techniques.
I can't give this book five stars because the writing style is obnoxious. Tsatsouline is often trying to sell you his other books and products, not only with ads at the back of the book, but in the text of the book itself. An example, on page 62: "Check out 'Beyond Crunches.' In the back of the book, you can order my books and videos. Or else." Also, the "evil Russian" gimmick sometimes pushes the boundaries of good taste. For instance, on p. 28, Tsatsouline writes, "To get strong and hard without getting big--train heavy but do not do many sets. Thus spake Comrade Stalin." I do not want to take strength training advice from one of the greatest villains of the 20th century.
As many of the reviews here have pointed out, the program described in this book is primarily for people who want to gain strength without gaining size. If your primary goal is strength but you're not opposed to getting bigger muscles, you might be happier with Starting Strength. It has some features in common with PTTP: emphasis on compound movements, preference for five-rep sets, and detailed instructions on proper form. It covers five lifts, not just two. It recommends somewhat less frequency (3x / week) and somewhat higher volume (three exercises per session, three work sets on most exercises, thorough warm-up). And the writing style is much better.
very little factual information 
2007-07-27
How to get super strong without training to muscle failure or exhaustionHow to hack into your 'muscle software' and magnify your power and muscle definition How to get super strong without putting on an ounce of weightOr how to build massive muscles with a classified Soviet Special Forces workout Why high rep training to the 'burn' is like a form of rigor mortisand what it really takes to develop spectacular muscle toneHow to mold your whole body into an off-planet rock with only two exercisesHow to increase your bench press by ten pounds overnightHow to get a tremendous workout on the road without any equipmentHow to design a world class body in your basementwith $150 worth of basic weights and in twenty minutes a dayHow futuristic techniques can squeeze more horsepower out of your body-engine How to maximize muscular tension for traffic-stopping muscular definition How to minimize fatigue and get the most out of your strength trainingHow to ensure high energy after your workoutHow to get stronger and harder without getting biggerWhy its safer to use free weights than machinesHow to achieve massive muscles and awesome strengthif thats what you want What, how and when to eat for maximum gainsHow to master the magic of effective exercise variationThe ultimate formula for strengthHow to gain beyond your wildest dreamswith less chance of injuryA high intensity, immediate gratification technique for massive strength gainsThe eight most effective breathing habits for lifting weights The secret that separates elite athletes from 'also-rans'How to become super strong and live to tell about it
A great book 2007-07-25
Whether you are an experienced weight lifter or not. His advice on the types of lifts you should perform, and those you should avoid, is dead on. His concepts of the use of tension in lifts is something I had never read about until I read this book. He gives good advice on how to use cycling to make gains. Simple workout, easy to follow, and the concepts can be applied to other excercises. The only real downside is that it is very difficult to learn how to do the lifts properly from the book. If you're an experienced weight-lifter you may already know how to deadlift and may be able to figure out the lifts on your own, but if you're new or inexperienced, you'll need to get someone to show you or buy the companion DVD. He has a very entertaining writing style, even if he has the tendency to exagerate. Most of the "Russian Secrets" aren't either. Cycling is not a new concept, used only be eastern bloc supermen, nor is heavy weights at low reps ground breaking. Both have been used by western and eastern lifters alike for who know's how long. The tension stuff is new though, at least to me.
Amusing and refreshing 2007-07-03
I liked Pavel's book - humorous at times, plenty of anecdotes, and yet a straightforward approach to training that makes the complicated "Men's Health"-type workouts seem even sillier than they already are. It's not the only book you'll ever need to get strong, but in my opinion it's a must-read for those interested in effectively training towards greater strength.
yawn 2007-02-10
same old pavel..too much advertising hype for his own books, too much laboured Russian humour(?), and not enough meat.There are no strength secrets. Just lift heavier and heavier weights, you will get stronger. Some secret. Is this man built?
Surely This is a Russian Plot? 
2006-11-15
After reading this book and seeing the incredible price tag for so little useful information, surely this must be a Russian plot to bilk hard-working Americans out of their money and send them on a mission of useless training programs?
As so many other reviewers have stated, it appears that Pavel's books are written in serial fashion to either 1) get you to buy more expensive books or 2)get you to buy expensive DVD's.
"Take down that wall Gorby"...so those wacky Russians can experience the American dream by selling over-hyped books supposedly containing valuable Russian training "secrets".
Comrades - save your money and your time! Search Amazon for some of the common sense, practical weight-training books, preferably by Stuart McRobert, Bill Starr and some of the old-timers who built massive physiques and strength without Russian "secrets", steroids, or other nonsense.
