Pavel Tsatsouline: The Correct Way to Build Strength, Endurance & Flexibility at Any Age

In this episode, my guest is Pavel Tsatsouline, a world-renowned strength and conditioning coach, former military special forces training instructor, author, and founder of StrongFirst—an online school focused on “low-tech, high-concept” training to build strength for men and women of all fitness levels.

We discuss the most effective and efficient ways to build strength, endurance, and flexibility. We cover bodyweight-only, free-weight, and machine-based protocols and describe training splits and lesser-known but highly effective ways to train, especially for people with limited time.

We also discuss local versus systemic nervous system and muscle recovery, how to complete training sessions with increased energy, why training to “failure” is not advised, optimal rest-between-sets protocols to improve performance, and how to vary effort levels across each week and month to ensure regular progress. This episode brings you highly practical, science-supported, and real-world-tested training methods to build strength, endurance, and flexibility from one of the world’s top experts.

Journal Articles

• [Effect of weight-lifting exercise on electromyographic changes] (Fiziologicheskii zhurnal SSSR imeni I. M. Sechenova)
• The mind–body problem: Circuits that link the cerebral cortex to the adrenal medulla (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
• Myosin heavy chain IIX overshoot in human skeletal muscle (Muscle & Nerve)
• Frequency and duration of interval training programs and changes in aerobic power (Journal of Applied Physiology)
• Desirable difficulties in theory and practice (Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition)
• London taxi drivers and bus drivers: A structural MRI and neuropsychological analysis (Hippocampus)
• Shouting strengthens voluntary force during sustained maximal effort through enhancement of motor system state via motor commands (Scientific Reports)

Books

• "Iron Cardio"
• "Secrets of Strength"
• "The Search for Greatness"
• "The Naked Warrior: Master the Secrets of the super-Strong--Using Bodyweight Exercises Only"
• "Relax into Stretch: Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension"
• "Kettlebell Simple & Sinister"
• "Deadlift Dynamite: How to Master the King of All Strength Exercises (Deadlift Dynamite)"

Other Resources

• The Best Squat Exercise (StrongFirst)
• The Kettlebell Mile (StrongFirst)
• Captains of Crust Grippers (IronMind)
• Pit Shark (Rogue)
• The Origins of StrongFirst Programming
• Strength Aerobics: A Powerful Alternative to HIIT
• The Cost of Adaptation (StrongFirst)
• Understanding Why “Less Is More” with Anti-Glycolytic Training (StrongFirst)
• The Simply Sinister Training Plan (StrongFirst)
• StrongFirst Kettlebell Program
• Simple & Sinister Program (StrongFirst)

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• Dr. Stuart McGill: Build a Strong, Pain-Proof Back
• Dr. Maya Shankar: How to Shape Your Identity & Goals
• Josh Waitzkin: The Art of Learning & Living Life

People Mentioned

• Mike Prevost: exercise physiologist, athletic trainer
• Cameron Hanes: bowhunting athlete, author
• Brett Jones: athletic trainer, strength and conditioning specialist
• Barry Ross: running coach
• Rick Weil: American powerlifter
• Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Hungarian-American psychologist, recognized for “flow”
• Peter Strick: professor of neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh
• Luke Iams: American powerlifter
• Paul Anderson: American weightlifter
• Mike Mentzer: American bodybuilder
• Dorian Yates: English bodybuilder
• Hugh Cassidy: American powerlifter
• Marty Gallagher: American powerlifter
• Ed Coan: American powerlifter
• Kirk Karwoski: American powerlifter
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Lebanese-American author
• Yuri Verkhoshansky: Russian scientist, pioneered plyometric training
• Bruce Randall: American bodybuilder
• Franco Columbu: Italian-American bodybuilder, chiropractor
• Lamar Gant:  American powerlifter
• Ernie Frantz: American powerlifter
• Dave Draper: American bodybuilder
• Clarence Bass: American bodybuilder
• Gray Cook: athletic trainer
• Brent Rushall: professor of exercise and nutrition sciences, San Diego State University
• Fabio Zonin: powerlifter, athletic trainer
• Leon Spinks: American boxer
• Arthur Lydiard: running coach
• David Rigert: Soviet Olympic weightlifter
• Nicolai Luchkin: Soviet weightlifter
• Steve Justa: American powerlifter
• Fred Hatfield: American bodybuilder
• Tom Platz: American bodybuilder
• Rudolph Plyukfelder: Soviet Olympic weightlifter
• Steve Freides: music professor, powerlifter
• Bill Starr: strength and conditioning coach
• Pope Mosely: physician, biomedical researcher
• Daniel Kahneman: Israeli-American psychologist, known for behavioral economics
• George Halbert: American powerlifter
• Andy Bolton: English powerlifter