Bodyweight New member, question about Bulletproof abs

[lucho]

I've been lurking around here for some time, finally got around to actually signing up. I've got several of Pavel's books- a treasure trove of information. I've been sticking to Naked Warrior the most, if for no other reason that I don't have access to a gym and an irregular work schedule. That, and pistol squats and one-arm pushups have always worked well for me. Combined with tactical pullups and hanging leg raises (yes, I know I shouldn't do more than two exercises in GTG fashion. I'm stubborn that way) I can get by without setting foot in a gym ( much to the relief of my wallet).

Here's my question: in Bulletproof Abs on pages 43-45 Pavel lays out a "state of the art situp" that he labels the scissor situp. This is an older publication, and the situp exercise in question seems to never appear again. In the wilds of the internet the name scissor situp descibes a different exercise. I've done this execise in some periods, and it is a good way to really generate tension in the abs without any equipment. So... comments on this exercise? Should I forget it and stick to hanging leg raises?

 

[Steve Freides]

@lucho, if the exercise isn't in the most recent ab book - I think that one is called Hard Style Abs - then Pavel decided it wasn't worth keeping.

I'm pretty sure I have a copy of BPA here - I will try to look later and see what I can find out.

-S-

 

[lucho]

yes, Hard Style Abs is the one I know of. Pavel does seem to prefer culling programs down to their bare minimum (always a really good thing).

 

[conor78]

I have recently bought HS abs as it’s one if the few Pavel books I don’t own. I’m not sure why I didn't buy it years ago but it’s bloody brilliant. Like all Pavels books requires a lot of rereading to pick up the nuances. Also the techniques naturally cross over to other movements and fit within the general approach to training that is considered to be hardstyle.

 

[lucho]

I've got Hardstyle Abs and you're right: it's a key piece in the collection. I was doing Janda situps, but had to switch to the BPA scissor situp after breaking three elastic bands in a row doing Jandas

 

[Steve Freides]

The scissors situp is a fine exercise - if you like it, do it.

-S-

 

[lucho]

When I do the janda and scissor situps I feel a stronger contraction of the abs than with the hanging leg raise- am I doing something wrong?

 

[Steve Freides]

When I do the janda and scissor situps I feel a stronger contraction of the abs than with the hanging leg raise- am I doing something wrong?

I don't think where you feel it is necessarily a reliable indicator. If you like, post a video of you performing some of these things and we can comment on what we see.

-S-

 

[lucho]

Sorry for the delay in replying. I feel it in the same place in all three exercises, just to different levels.

I'll try to record something and get it posted. Thanks forthe reply ?

 

[Lotto]

Is Hardstyle Abs and Bulletproof Abs two stand alone books? Or is one book a progression from the other ie version 1 then 2? I see there is also Beyond Crunches. Where does this fit in?

 

[Steve Freides]

It’s a progression: BC, BA, HA. Look them up on amazon and check publication dates.

-S-

 

[Lotto]

Thanks @Steve Freides . Are they then like a progression in SS where version 2.0 is generally considered a more refined program? So I would be better with a copy of the latest abs book for the more refined programming? Thanks.

 

[Steve Freides]

@Lotto,

Over the course of nearly 20 years, I've had a chance to experience Pavel's revisions to his own works, and they have always represented a step forward in terms of the practicality, usability, understandability, simplification without sacrifice - all very good things! The best example, from my own training, is how Beyond Stretching became Super Joints, Relax Into Stretch, and Force Relaxation. I had read Beyond Stretching and hadn't made any serious progress, but once I read Super Joints and Relax Into Stretch, it all became clear to me and full side splits were mine within six months. I think we've all had similar reactions to the revised S&S: the original was very good, and certainly good enough to have been the cornerstone of many people's programming, but the revised version is unquestionably better, and in ways that will help more people make more and better progress.

Having said all that, I can't say I've made a comprehensive comparative review of all three, so my recommendation would be to start with the newest one and, if you're really interested, work your way backwards through the other two.

-S-

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Lotto
I strongly agree with @Steve Freides

From what I remember from BC and BA, there was not a real routine such as "For the exercise A, do X sets of Y reps with Z minutes of rest, then for exercise B, do..."

Anyway, BC, BA and HA are more of a sets of principles you can apply to any 'ab' exercise. These books books describe the exercises and their proper execution to maximize their effect and then to reap all the benefits. Principles are more flexible, so you can build your own routine based on them. If properly applied, you are almost sure not being wrong.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Lotto]

@Steve Freides and @pet'. Is there a definitive list of published books by Pavel in chronological order? I've searched the site and Google but different lists are thrown up. Does such a list for all publications exist?

 

[Steve Freides]

Not that I'm aware of. Someone may have posted one here on the forum, or if not, we could post one right here. We should include articles in Milo, stuff published by DragonDoor, stuff published by StrongFirst, and articles in other publications like Men's Health, Tim Ferriss' blog. It would be nice thing, and if we can get it together in this thread, I can create a Sticky Post for it.

-S-

 

[Lotto]

That would be amazing. To quote the OP, I and I fully concur,
Pavel's books- a treasure trove of information.
I have garnered a few publications in book format, so I'll put them up with publication date and 10/13 digit ISBN numbers?

 

[Kiacek]

Someone may have posted one here on the forum, or if not, we could post one right here

I found a book list at Pavel Tsatsouline: Bibliography, and a List of Books by Author Pavel Tsatsouline

It doesn't include anything else, but it's a start.

• Beyond Stretching: Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs (1998)
• Beyond Crunches (1998)
• Power to the People!: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American (2000)
• Bulletproof Abs (2000)
• The Russian Kettlebell Challenge (2001)
• Relax into Stretch: Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension (2001)
• Super Joints: Russian Longevity Secrets for Pain-Free Movement, Maximum Mobility & Flexible Strength (2001)
• From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel's Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale (2002)
• Naked Warrior (2003)
• Beyond Bodybuilding (2005)
• Enter the Kettlebell! (2006)
• Power to the People Professional (2009)
• Return of the Kettlebell (2010)
• Easy Strength (2011)
• Hardstyle Abs (2012)
• Deadlift Dynamite (2013)
• Kettlebell Simple and Sinister (2013)
• The Quick and the Dead (2019)
• Kettlebell Simple and Sinister Revised and Updated (2019)
• Reload (2019)

Edit: Video History doesn't appear in the list, so works like More Russian Kettlebell Challenges, Fast and Loose, Loaded Stretching, Forced Relaxation, and Resilient don't show up.

Edit 2: Realized Reload wasn't on the list, so I added it