Beyond Stretching : Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs [Paperback]

Pavel Tsatsouline (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

Learn the complete Joint Mobility Training Program, a Russian system for improving your joints' health, even when damaged by arthritis. Discover Russia's most advanced method of Plyometric Flexibility Training speed-specific flexibility. Discover how to display maximal flexibility without a warm-up. Discover a unique technique to immediately boost your strength and explosiveness giving you the edge over your competition, the first time you use it. Learn a Soviet commando exercise that enables you to have maximal speed in your kicks even at the limit of your flexibility and a unique method for strengthening the knee ligaments, for faster and safer kicking. Discover why the stretches you have been doing compromise your strength, and what Russian weight lifters do instead. Discover three special stretching techniques that build super strength by manipulating your feedback loop, the same thing that enables desperate mothers to lift cars off their children! Learn how much flexibility you really need and how to develop it in a fraction of the time you spend stretching today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Pavel is the leading proponent of applied flexibility training for bodybuilding and strength athletics at work in the field today. His ideas are dynamic and fresh, he razes the sacred temples and shows the serious-minded fitness devotee another avenue of improvement. Real knowledge for real people interested in real progress." -- Marty Gallagher, Editor, Parrillo Performance Press, health

About the Author

Pavel Tsatsouline

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Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Dragon Door Pubn; 2 edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938045180
• ISBN-13: 978-0938045182
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cool stuff, but buy the tape or get a different book., February 10, 2004

By 

Jason Erickson (Minnetonka, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Stretching : Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs (Paperback)

I have been practicing martial arts for over 12 years, and have learned many, many ways of trying to gain flexibility.

I found this book to be very interesting and entertaining, and the basic concepts presented are fairly simple to understand. With some searching you can verify that Pavel's methodologies are basically sound, but he rightly emphasizes that improper application of his methods can be dangerous.

If someone that's in reasonable physical condition with decent flexibility was given this book, they'd probably do fine, and maybe realize some awesome improvements. This is definitely not the book for a sedentary person with poor flexibility or a history of joint injuries.

Pavel's later book "Relax Into Stretch" is a much better purchase, because he basically took this material, made it less dangerous, and introduced a somewhat more structured method of gradual progression that is more appropriate for a wider range of people. The "Relax Into Stretch" video is also a simple, easy-to-follow tape that allows you to see exactly how Pavel performs these stretches.

Pavel's greatest failure with this book was introducing some excellent concepts while failing to provide sufficient scientific explanation and references for the intellectual while providing insufficient caution or structure to the beginner.

For a far better and more affordable guide on safe and surprisingly effective stretching, check out Kit Laughlin's "Stretching & Flexibility" and "Overcoming Neck & Back Pain" - these are phenomenal books for all levels of knowledge and ability, are far safer, and offer a much wider range of options for overcoming particular areas you may have difficulties with.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Russian way to ultimate flexibility- the ONLY way to go!, March 24, 2000

By 

Sean Williams (Long Beach, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond Stretching : Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs (Paperback)

Pavel's stretching protocol should be considered the first, last, and only choice for athletes, full-contact fighters, and sedentary folks alike for achieving maximum results in minimal time. This system actually teaches you how to reset the neuro-muscular control of your muscles! No kidding, by following the specialized methods in this book, even an untrained, middle aged man can achieve FULL SPLITS in less than half a year... fighters will learn specialized kicking drils and "dynamic flexibility" drills that greatly improve the velocity and destructive power of your kicks while at the same time protecting the knee ligaments from injury - even if you miss a full-power kick! Using these techniques I got incredible results in under a week. Pavel teaches how to achieve extreme range strength(vital for preventing injuries)and how to manipulate your "feedback loop" to increase your functional strength. This book also details sport-specific flexibility and strength principles of "accentuation", which dramatically increase performance in the movements essential to your chosen sport. My punches and kicks got an immediate boost in sharpness and power and my joints actually feel good afterwards. Pavel's system does not stress ligaments or tendons and therefore does not produce the weak, rag-doll looseness that conventional western relaxed stretching produces. It is a no-delayed gratification deal. You will also learn how much flexibility you actually need for a given athletic pursuit, and what to do if you already have the "rag-doll" problem (i.e., how to fix overflexibility), and how to tailor your reflexes for maximum performance! As if that weren't enough, Pavel teaches why warmups are actually counterproductive and how to display maximum flexibility "cold"! Also, SIXTY illustrated drills are provided to speed you on your way to dynamic, powerful, flexibility in motion - perfect for the fighter, athlete, and even those with joint problems! I am shocked and amazed at the quality of the results that his training methods have produced for me. And in so little time! There is something here for everyone, and I give this book (and all Pavel's books) my highest recommendation. Truly, a masterpiece that belongs in every athlete's collection.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A genuine and revolutionary book about stretching!, June 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond Stretching : Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs (Paperback)

"Beyond Stretching" is a quite revolutionary book about flexebility and stretching. Its diveded into three main chapters. First, a teoretical and initial part about flexibility and typical misconceptions. Second, a practical part that easy describes each stretching methode. Third, a picture part that shows all the different stretching exercises and tells you how to practice them.

This book offer plenty of new informations about its topic. New and extremely effective techniques like Plyometric,Pneumomuscular and Shutdown Threshold stretching are clearly described. The traditional static or relaxed stretching methode is, in this book, considered as an ineffective way to stretch. The author claims that warming up is unnatural and stretching twice a week is sufficient to develop flexebility. By using the methodes that is shown in this book, you will gain astonishing results with even small amounts of stretching. That is a great benefit!

Learn: How to develop optimal flexibility in a fraction of the time you spend stretching today . How to do splits and high kicks even if you are old! How to achieve great strength without bulky and big muscles. How to avoid injuries. How to stop feeling like the Tin Man when you wake up in the morning. How to increase the blood flow in the joints and keep their surfaces smooth and painfree. How to use the three new,revolutionary and effective stretching systems.

I regard "Beyond Stretching" as an amazing book, with a new point of view on stretching and flexibility. I am a dancer and martial artist, so I have read plenty of books about stretching but this book was different. Becuase the text sometimes can be a bit confusing to understand; I read the book more than once. But, because this book offer so many new and useful tips and advices, it is worth every penny.

Are you searching for a new and effective stretching methode? Which can be as seldom as twice a week, and done without any sweat warm up, and gives impressive flexibility and strength? If your answer is "yes" , you should purchase this "Beyond Stretching" immediately!