
December 20, 2019
Strength Training, Kettlebells, And Ditching the “One More Rep” Mentality – Pavel Tsatsouline on The Joe Rogan Experience #1399
Key Takeaways
- Strength training advice:
- “The optimal number of repetitions are one-third to two-thirds of your maximum” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- So, if you’re able to max out with 10 reps at a certain weight, you should only be training with 3-6 reps
- The duration of a set should be 30-60 seconds
- Train 5-10 sets of a specific exercise on heavy days, and 1-3 sets on light days
- Pavel recommends a 5-10 minute rest between sets
- In general, only max out your lifts a handful of times per year
- Pushing yourself to do one more rep when you hit your limit is great for you mentally, but not physically
- “Kettlebell swings are the most beneficial exercise anybody can do” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- “The optimal number of repetitions are one-third to two-thirds of your maximum” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- Machines aren’t necessarily bad, but they should only be used for two reasons:
- If you’re injured
- If you need to focus on a specific muscle
- “Strength cannot be divorced from health” – Pavel Tsatsouline
Intro
- Pavel Tsatsouline (@BeStrongFirst) is the Chairman of StrongFirst, Inc. He’s widely credited with introducing the now ubiquitous kettlebell to the United States.
- In the 1980s, Pavel was a physical training instructor for Spetnaz, the elite Soviet special-forces units. Pavel is now a subject matter expert to the US Marine Corps, the US Secret Service, and the US Navy SEALs.
- Host – Joe Rogan (@joerogan)
Books Mentioned
- The Strongest Shall Survive: Strength Training for Football by Bill Starr
- Pavel says it’s one of the best strength training books he’s read
- Kettlebell Simple & Sinister: Revised and Updated by Pavel Tsatsouline
- If you’re looking to learn about kettlebell workouts, Pavel recommends you start with his book. Once you have the basics down, then move on to Pavel’s next book – The Quick and the Dead: Total Training for the Advanced Minimalist.
Strength Training Strategies Explained
- Progressive Overload:
- Each week, slowly add a few pounds to your lifts
- Step Loading (Constant Weight Training):
- Lift the same weights for a longer period of time. Then, after a few weeks, jump up to a heavier weight.
- (This is the best way to train for beginners)
- Wave Cycling:
- Start with a moderately challenging load. Keep going heavier and heavier each week. Then, perform at your competition, and afterward, reset back to the original load plus a few pounds.
- Variable Loading:
- Some days, you perform your typical workout. On other days, you jump up in weight by 20%. Essentially, the weight you use goes up and down – it varies.
Lifting Advice
- “The optimal number of repetitions are one-third to two-thirds of your maximum” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- So, if you’re able to max out with 10 reps at a certain weight, you should only be training with 3-6 reps
- Why this formula? – If the reps are too low you won’t get stronger and if the reps are too high, you might get hurt, or you’ll compromise on technique and have bad form.
- “This particular method is purely empirical. It worked for decades, it still does and that’s one of the ways you can get strong.”
- So, if you’re able to max out with 10 reps at a certain weight, you should only be training with 3-6 reps
- For both strength and endurance training: “You’re going to find that your gains are much more stable if you take some time off, which is important for anybody” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- “It’s possible to build muscle fast, but it’s not necessarily very quality muscle. So yes, take your time.”
Forget the One More Rep Mentality
- Pavel is against the “one more rep” mentality, as is Joe
- Pushing yourself to do one more rep when you hit your limit is great for you mentally, but not physically
- “It’s okay to push your body to the max, but you must do it periodically for a short period of time, and not too often. That’s very important.” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- If you’re constantly pushing yourself to the limit, you’ll likely destroy your body
- Ronnie Coleman, an American bodybuilder who was known for pushing incredible weight, now has serious back problems and has to walk with crutches in his fifties
- Hard work does matter, but you must also work smart
- Ronnie Coleman, an American bodybuilder who was known for pushing incredible weight, now has serious back problems and has to walk with crutches in his fifties
- Top powerlifters max lift only twice a year
- “Meanwhile they train hard to push themselves to do everything right, but they do not try to squeeze out one extra rep” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- Keeping your max lifts to a minimum will help your performance and longevity as a lifter
Gym Machines: Good or Bad?
- Machines aren’t necessarily bad, but they should only be used for two reasons:
- If you’re injured
- If you need to focus on a specific muscle
- “But your typical person going to the gym has no business doing that” – Pavel Tsatsouline
Bodyweight vs. Barbells vs. Kettlebells
- Bodyweight workouts
- Pros:
- They require minimal equipment
- Cons:
- Bodyweight exercises require a decent amount of coaching to do properly
- You can’t train your lower-back effectively
- Pros:
- Barbell workouts
- Pros:
- Great for heavy lifting
- A must if you’re looking to maximize your muscle mass
- Cons:
- There’s a steep learning curve associated with barbell exercises
- Barbell exercises aren’t easy to master
- The barbell isn’t forgiving, and it’s easy to get injured if you do a barbell exercise incorrectly
- Pros:
- Kettlebell workouts
- Pros:
- Kettlebells move freely and adjust to your anatomy
- Using a kettlebell is a great way to work out your shoulders
- It’s effective time-wise – with the right kettlebell workout, you can easily exercise your whole body
- “Kettlebell swings are the most beneficial exercise anybody can do” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- You’re training power, fast fiber muscles, and getting your cardio all from one exercise
- “Kettlebell swings are the most beneficial exercise anybody can do” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- Kettlebell swings have a large carry-over effect
- Just doing kettlebell swings can actually improve your performance with other exercises
- Cons:
- None mentioned
- Pros:
Sets & Rest Periods
- The duration of a set should be 30-60 seconds
- Train 5-10 sets of a specific exercise on heavy days, and 1-3 sets on light days
- For rowers and bodybuilding, Pavel recommends a 5-10 minute rest between sets (you can do different exercises during the rest period, just don’t do the same exercise for 5-10 minutes)
How to Build Endurance
- The best way to develop your cardio endurance is through steady-state exercise (i.e., running or biking))
- However, you want to avoid pushing your heart to the max while running – you should be able to run and have a conversation with a running partner at the same time
- You can also train your cardio endurance with interval training
- Pavel recommends first becoming experienced with steady-state exercise before performing interval training because, “It’s very demanding on the body, and it’s too easy to have problems with the heart if you start using it prematurely”
- “Running right below that aerobic threshold is the primary training method for endurance training” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- How do you know when you’re over the threshold? – If you can’t talk while running, you’re running too hard
Nutrition & Sleep
- When it comes to nutrition, there’s still a lot we don’t know
- One thing we know is that fasting is universally beneficial
- Also, lay off the sugar
- Pavel follows the Warrior Diet – he eats only meal, usually consisting of just a large dinner (steak and vegetables)
- Pavel tries to get 9 hours of sleep every night
Additional Lifting Advice
- You have to train type two muscle fibers to stay active, you do that by lifting heavy or fast
- Squatting Advice:
- “Go down below parallel but not to the point where you’re sitting on your calves and come up just a little above parallel” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- Push-up Advice:
- Go down and almost brush the floor with your chest, come up about halfway then repeat
- “The speed is very slow so there’s no momentum at all” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- Pavel mainly does just three exercises: Kettlebell swings, dips, and push-ups
- If you’re injured, find ways to still workout without aggravating the point of injury
Additional Notes
- Pavel likes the fact that CrossFit gets people motivated to work out and that it’s created a community around exercise
- “I just think that society at large just needs more regular tough guys” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- In Russia, if you happened to step over a barbell, you would get beaten up and kicked out of the gym
- “Don’t ever step over a barbell; that’s the most disrespectful thing you can do” – Pavel Tsatsouline
- “Strength cannot be divorced from health” – Pavel Tsatsouline