Power to the People!: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American

Do only things that help most. Concentrate your energies on doing few tasks well, rather than many tasks poorly.”

the higher is the tension (weight) and the longer time the muscle spends under it (reps)–the better are your chances of making it big.

The second reason for the superior safety of low rep heavy training is concentration.

Increased muscle tone is not a physical transformation of your muscle. It is the result of the nervous system being more alert.

more fixed the object, the more likely you are to develop a pattern overload,”

When you get back to the real world where you have to control your weights, you will expose yourself to an injury in the planes of movement you have not strengthened.

when the demand for force increases, other muscles jump in on the action. Like a stone dropped in the water sends ripples across the surface, tension spreads—irradiates—from the muscle directly responsible for the job at hand towards others. The bigger the stone, the taller are the waves and the further they spread!

For the record, there is a reason why big guys are usually so partial to squats. Comrades who gravitate to serious iron games often have big muscles, short legs, and a long torso. These characteristics give them an advantage in the squat while making the deadlift very difficult.

The most intelligent way to develop strength is to lift much heavier weights than most weekend warriors play with but to terminate your sets before your muscles fail.