Get Stronger and More Powerful Immediately and From This Day On—Using Proven, yet Little-Known Training Secrets and Strategies From the Greatest of the Russian Strength Masters
Pavel Tsatsouline's landmark classic, Power to the People! has helped tens of thousands—be they world-class athletes or basement enthusiasts—achieve and maintain remarkable strength gains, by employing a set of radically effective lifting principles in a scientific manner. Pavel took the guesswork out of strength training and honed in with an elegant simplicity on what really worked to get stronger—and continue getting stronger.
The war on weakness is a war we wage our whole lives. There is no final victory in the quest for extra strength. Only hard-fought gains—born of skill, will, and right knowledge. Losses and set-backs are a constant in this see-saw struggle of adaptation and survival.
Pavel's great contribution has been to research and identify the proven "battle" strategies that give us the best chance to keep making those strength gains—whatever the odds. And in this, Pavel has succeeded admirably, thanks to his access to the best training secrets not only in the West but in Russia—justly famous for its history of achievement in the world of strength and powerlifting. And thanks to his ability to ground theory in the proof of hard experience and earned results.
In Power to the People Professional, Pavel broadens and deepens this knowledge base to encompass a vast range of little-known but highly effective methods to keep tricking our stubborn bodies into ever-greater strength gains. Some of the chapters are straightforward coverage of "how they do it in Russia", others represent Pavel's own original work based on years of research and experimentation.
While elite athletes and powerlifters are those most likely to benefit from the advanced training information contained within Power to the People Professional, there remains a wealth of cutting-edge tips and tactics that intermediate lifters, athletes from various power sports, and power bodybuilders can use to immediately enhance their strength and power.
Power to the People Professional is another excellent publication from Pavel. The book contains a wealth of information that will help lifters improve their Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Total. What is refreshing is the no frills approach: everything is written to the point and with no fluff. Advanced lifters must read this book."
—Andy Bolton, 6-time world powerlifting champion, official world record holder in the squat, deadlift and total
My thanks for Pavel's Power to the People Professional. Though I am not a powerlifter, I continually run across interesting power lifting tips I can use in my bodybuilding workouts. I was impressed with the article on Vladimir Volkov, the European bench press champion. Reading that he only does bench press in his workout was a stunner but what really caught my attention was his using moderately to heavy weights and never to failure yet he has done a 639 bench press. I'm going to rethink some of my workout routines. Thanks a gain for a great source of training knowledge."
—Larry Scott, author of Loaded Guns, World's First Mr. Olympia
A marvelous collection of thoughts ideas and theories by some of the top strength coaches in the world. The book is full of great information."
—Louie Simmons, Westside Barbell
I am thoroughly enthralled with Power to the People Professional. There is real passion in this book and it shines through in the characters that populate PPP: these men come alive as Pavel breathes life into their unique lives and diverse methods. Per usual, Pavel's impassioned pursuit of various strength methodologies is peerless; his gathering of tactical techniques makes this book a strength and power wellspring. There is enough substance and meat and grit between the covers of this book to keep the serious power man busy for the next five years.
Highest marks. Excellent on a multitude of levels. This book is a goldmine of tactics and techniques."
—Marty Gallagher, author of The Purposeful Primitive
"Wow. wow, wow, wow! One of Pavel's genius attributes is to take the very complex and state it so simply that anyone can grasp it. He showed us this perfectly in the original Power to the People!, distilling the essence of strength training into a slim manual that became my bible for teaching the basic principles of how to get strong and why they work.
Now, with Power to the People Professional, Pavel has written what is sure to become one of THE most revered books in the pantheon of powerlifting guides; right along with Ernie Franz's The Ten Commandments of Powerlifting, Hatfield's The Complete Guide to Powerlifting and the entire works of Louie Simmons. It is a masterpiece of powerlifting information, history, math, physics and biomechanics STILL written in a way that is ultimately understandable.
Ostensibly just about advanced Russian Powerlifting techniques Pavel still manages to weave all the concepts, principles and methods in the evolution of powerlifting into the text seamlessly covering the gamut from Paul Anderson to the newest advances in geared training and competition. Nothing is left uncovered!
From the smallest detail of wrist position in assistance exercises and weight distribution of the feet in the deadlift, to all the variations of force production choices for the advanced trainee.
Brilliant! An instant classic. ANYONE interested in powerlifting and competitive strength, or strength at ALL NEEDS to have this book. This will not just be read but STUDIED.
Bravo Sir, not only a homerun but a Grandslam."
—Mark Reifkind, Master RKC, former Coach IPF Powerlifting Women's Team USA
Do You Deserve this Book?
In the days before mail-order black belts and instant internet gurus, martial secrets were shared when the teacher considered the student capable and deserving of the new method. The dilettante, the glib seeker of endless new forms, the sly rip-off artist, the slow and the dim-witted—all were ruthlessly weeded away. One in a hundred of the students might have the fortitude and wherewithal to survive and prosper as a martial artist of skill and worth.
The fundamental insight behind this strategy is that success comes to those who practice the fundamentals of the art with a dedicated, protracted and consistent intensity. It is the idle amateur who chases the new shiny bauble only to find himself forever marking time on the treadmill of mediocrity.
So too in the world of the strength elite. Only the chosen few have the persistence, guts and iron-will focus to master the art of heavy lifting—and to reap the just rewards of that unrelenting labor. Pavel's Power to the People Professional—as the title suggests—contains "forbidden fruit", best served only to those who have earned the right to sample the wares. If you dare and belong—dig in and add hundreds of pounds to your lifts … otherwise, as Pavel warns in his introduction, please "burn before reading".
For Those Who Dare and For Those Who Deserve—Here's Just Some of What'll You Get When You Plunge In to Power to the People Professional:
- Do you deserve to know? The case for wise secrecy—and why the "special discipline' of advanced strength training can be dangerous in the wrong hands… Page V
- Avoid this surefire recipe for dead end experimentation… Page V
- The way of the wise strong man—how the elite handle "incoming", without being blown to pieces… Page VI
- How Valentin Dikul went from wheelchair cripple to master of strength …. Pages 2—3
- 1,014-pound deadlifter's favorite exercises for absolute strength development… Page 3
- Dikul's two mandatory requirements for the development of "impossible" strength… Page 4
- Dikul's simple—but amazingly effective—technique to spot systemic overtraining and nip it in the bud… Page 4
- Why light weights are more likely to injure you than heavy weights… Page 4
- What Dikul does reveal about his training is worth its weight in gold and can be applied by any intelligent and experienced powerlifter—see Page 5
- The little understood secret of building "reserve strength"—and why it can be a literal life-saver…Page 5
- Discover how to take advantage of the phenomenon of fatigue specificity… Page 5
- Same but different: the WSB approach to isolation exercises… Page 5
- Why Dikul is a big believer in cable exercises and how he makes them work… Page 6
- Why Dikul categorically refuses to "eat his way through the sticking point" and discourages other athletes from doing so… Page 6
- When Dikul was asked what was the secret of his strength, he offered two secrets… See Page 6 for the answer
- A unique drill that Paul Anderson invented and used with great success to build his deadlift… Page 7
- How to make your muscles jump to your commands… Page 9
- The two ways of getting stronger through training the nervous system—and the misconceptions about both… Page 9
- How to get stronger for longer—with less effort—using the phenomenon of synaptic facilitation… Page 9
- How to try no harder than usual—but "magically" beat your previous best… Page 10
- The 6 key secrets of dynamic correspondence you need to employ to guarantee a greater PR… Page 10
- How to engage different muscle groups while performing the SAME movement… Page 11
- Two ways to ensure you stay fresh while still making gains… Page 12
- Why are the Russian IPF champs SO strong?... Page 13
- What it took a Ukrainian lifter to break Kaz's twenty-three year old world record… Pages 13—26
- Should powerlifters employ jumps for greater leg strength?... Page 16
- Between the extremes: a system for extraordinary results from Ukraine's #1 coach… Page 26
- How Russian lifters quickly get back in shape after a layoff—or how to take a curveball and knock it out of the park… Page 27
- Eating your cake and having it too: How a Russian lifter modified Smolov's intro squat cycle to minimize abuse and maximize rapid gains… Page 28
- Discover a proven system for adding 50kg to already big benches—in just 4-5 months… Pages 30—32
- Could this be the #1 set and rep scheme for superior strength building?... Page 31
- The performance advantages of training the WPC Team Russia way… Page 39
- 'Specialized variety': getting stronger with foolproof assistance exercises… Pages 39—60
- Which assistance exercises are the only foolproof assistance exercises—if you are looking to be a champion lifter… Page 41
- How to provide a novel, yet specific training stimulus… Page 41
- How to reconcile the law of accommodation with the law of specific adaptations to imposed demands—so you still make magnificent strides in your elite strength training program… Page 41
- How to recruit the principle of variety and novelty and build phenomenal strength… Page 41
- How to recruit and build previously unused motor units and weak muscle groups… Page 42
- How to overcome the bottleneck effect when weakness in one of the links of the kinematic chain limits the chain's performance… Page 42
- Understanding the differences in skilled movement between invariances and surface features—for greater lifting success… Page 42
- How to counteract the mechanism of neuroplasticity—to avoid becoming even weaker in your weaknesses… Page 43
- It is doubtful there is a better leg builder for the deadlift than this… Page 44
- In what state is a muscle at its most active?... Page 46
- Warning: but why variety is fool's gold in the early stages of the power game… Page 46
- 4 strategies and 20 tactics for getting stronger with specialized variety exercises… Page 50
- An even simpler way to incorporate SV drills into your training… Page 51
- Firestorm your glutes with this great specialized variety exercise for the conventional puller… Page 51
- 12 little-known but foolproof drills for getting stronger with assistance exercises… Pages 53—60
- Here's a terrific drill for lifters who have a hard time getting tight before the pull… Page 56
- This drill trashes the quads, strengthens the start, and teaches the perfect back position for the deadlift… Page 57
- If you have a hard time "rooting' and using your legs in your pull, here's the drill for you… Page 58
- The Smolov nightmare, or how to add up to 100 pounds to your squat in 13 weeks… Pages 63—67
- How to earn your lunch the hard, hard, hard way—but jump up from the table a champion… Page 63
- Reach 90% of your peak condition in just three days… Page 64
- Extend Halloween to four weeks with the base mesocycle—expect a 10-30kg gain for big boys and 5-7,5kg for lighter lifters… Page 65
- Survive these four weeks—and your legs will turn into car jacks… Page 65
- The Ryabinnikov plan: another world class Russian squat cycle… Pages 68—73
- Champion squat plan for both powerlifters and athletes from other sports… Pages 74—76
- The squat and deadlift have won the day for this WPC champ thanks to this strategy… Page 77
- Why the "survival squat system" is perfect for a PLer who has gone stale on any type of a program… Page 86
- How to bench big the Russian way… Pages 89—101
- If gaining pounds on the bar drives you more than gaining pounds on your bones—or if you are an athlete who chooses to bench as a part of his S&C regimen, then you must study this… Page 89
- The best grip positions for your chosen goals… Page 90
- Why doesn't starting with the bar over the sternum feel natural?... Page 93
- A great tip for a precise descent… Page 93
- The importance of the leg drive for a powerful bench… Page 94
- How to drive off the chest with maximum power… Page 94
- How to gage the right amount of tension for your movement… Page 95
- The ideal competition BP technique in a nutshell… Page 95
- The correct and safer groove for non-powerlifters… Page 96
- The best groove for powerlifters… Page 97
- 'Collapsing the arch': for informed powerlifters only… Page 97
- If you don't get this, you don't get strong… Page 100
- How to achieve a 600 bench… Pages 102—105
- The single best formula for excelling at a lift… Page 102
- "If this methodology has led to victories in European and world championships, there is no need to change anything or look for something new."… Page 106
- Why these bench programs are the rage among the Russian power elite… Page107
- How to build insane starting strength… Page 107
- How to determine the optimal pressing frequency… Page 112
- Could THIS be the ultimate secret of Soviet lifting success?... Page114
- How to put up more weight overhead just for the sake of it... Page 115
- How to train your shoulders safer and better… Page 115
- How to press like a Russian weightlifting legend—and improve your bench… Page 115
- Which grip is the best for the overhead press?... Page 116
- How this "mistake" by a young Marty Gallagher helped develop a killer pull and a gorilla set of traps…. Page 117
- Your press will be the strongest in this stance… Page 118
- A crucial warning about the difference between the barbell and a kettlebell when pressing overhead… Page 119
- The 14 secrets to powerful cleans and presses—the Russian way… Page 122
- Using champion and superscientist Robert Roman's simple yet effective set and rep schemes for the press… Pages 127—129
- Why assistance exercises are crucial for success in high-rep press work—and which ones to choose… Pages 129—138
- A great exercise for developing starting speed and strength… Page 130
- Could the bench press have saved weightlifting?... Page 133
- The 16 keys to success in classic press training… Page 138
- Latvian deadlift secrets—or how to pull 948 pounds… Page 141
- Konstantinov's system for breaking "unbreakable" records… Pages 143—144
- Round back deadlifts—man makers or back killers?... Pages 144—149
- Round back deadlifting pros…Page 145
- Do this with your neck to amplify your quad strength and give you a stronger start… Page 145
- Round back deadlifting cons…Page 146
- The easiest way to learn how to keep your lower back flat, while allowing your mid and upper back to round… Page 148
- An important secret for combining bigger pulls with a healthier back… Page 149
- Should I or shouldn't I?—the last word on the round back deadlift… Page 150
- What the Russian lifting elite thinks of—and how it has benefited from—Westside Barbell… Page 150
- The secrets to a truly powerful deadlift leg drive… Page 153
- The Smolov deadlift: another iconic power plan… Page 155
- Perfect, champion-creating deadlift technique—the Smolov way… Pages 157—158
- And then there's the American way—which is better?... Pages 158—160
- Smolov's prestart cues here are pure gold… Page 160
- 10 secrets to acing the Smolov Sumo deadlift—which have contributed to three All Time Historic World Deadlift Records… Page 161
- The fundamental importance of progressive overload for success in your strength program… Page162
- How to adjust an overly ambitious cycle… Page 166
- How to identify your personal leaks in the deadlift, "plug' them up—and see a remarkable jump in your pulling strength… Pages 169—172
- The nine potential leakage points in the deadlift and how to fix them… Page 169
- Why the Russians choose to grind their pulls… Pages 175—181
- The three major reasons for mentally preparing yourself for a steady, relentless effort… Page 176
- How to exert more force at the right moment in a lift to dramatically improve your results… Page 178
- The final secret to an expert max lift… Page 180
This is a graduate program in getting strong. If the RKC is the "School of Strength," this is the special ops class. Honestly, just pick the book up and pop open a chapter. Here are the programs, the thought process, and the actual systems used to produce stunning lifts in the three powerlifts.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. As my "Must Have" collection of books spirals higher each year, I am comfortable in saying that this book will quietly show the door to one or two of the books on my previous lists. It is that good."
—Dan John, author of Never Let Go
Intelligent intensity and total dedication along with stimulating variety is the theme among numerous training strategies featured in Pavel's new Power to the People Professional. Top notch Russian powerlifters, exacting coaches, and meticulous research studies point to strength building schemes that absolutely PRODUCE!
Since an original Russian all-rounder, George "the Lion" Hackenschmidt, established long-standing weightlifting records at the turn of LAST century, Pavel's latest compendium of Soviet methods is way past due!
Learn to freely borrow from the diversity of detailed systems discussed, and delight to the insight behind their creators' mindsets. Then set aside Pavel's Professional, head directly to the gym with extreme motivation, and follow the lessons toward suggested serious GRINDING!"
—John McKean, Former I.A.W.A. International General Secretary, All-Round World Champion and Record Holder
"I truly enjoyed reading Power To The People Professional by Pavel, it has helped greatly in my own lifting as well as applying certain principles to my players. With each of Pavel's books you come away both philosophically and practically stimulated, this one was no different. I would strongly recommendPower To The People Professional to anyone who lifts weights or works with athletes who train with weights to assist them in sport performance."
—Stan Kellers, Assistant Coach of Strength, Cleveland Cavaliers
"Lock yourself up for a few weeks in your garage or basement with a barbell set, some kettlebells and the hard hitting ammo found inside Power to the People Professional and you'll emerge from the shadows stronger, leaner and more powerful than ever before."
—Zach Even - Esh / NJ, Owner, Underground Strength Gym
"Pavel does a great job discussing the powerlifting training techniques of Eastern European athletes. His knowledge of powerlifting, especially when it comes to those athletes in his former neighborhood, and how to train for it, is exceptional. If you want your bench press, squat, and deadlift to go up, listen to him. No argument here: it works and gets results!!"
—Dr. Michael Hartle, Chairman, USA Powerlifting Sports Medicine Committee, USAPL National Champion and IPF World Team Head Coach
"Pavel's Power to the People Professional is spectacular. The style in which it is written, the information that is presented and the different workouts he features (all from accomplished sources) are all very useful, practical and a must read by anyone desiring to gain more knowledge and also take their training and strength to the next level.
Pavel never ceases to amaze me with his fresh and interesting angles on all subjects he tackles. Thanks for another great book Pavel, this goes into my library of resources that will follow me throughout my career".
—Clark Bartram
"This is THE definitive book on HULK-like raw grinding strength development! For a powerlifter it is a bible… for a coach like me it is an invaluable treasure chest of knowledge delivered like only Pavel can… Read, apply, lift. Then read and apply again and lift even more! So it can continue forever if you wish! The Viking is happy!"
—Kenneth Jay, Master RKC, author of Viking Warrior Conditioning
