From The Washington Post
“The foremost authority, critic, and writer in the emerging science of flexibility is a Russian physiologist, Pavel Tsatsouline. His book Beyond Stretching is without question the definitive text on the subject. It is MUST READING for every athlete…YOU HAVE TO GET A COPY OF IT!”
Review
Pavel is the leading proponent of applied flexibility training for bodybuilding and strength athletics at work in the field today. His ideas …
Buy Beyond Stretching : Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs at Amazon
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.