Pavel Tsatsouline: The Correct Way to Build Strength, Endurance & Flexibility at Any Age
from Huberman Lab
by Scicomm Media
Published: Mon Feb 10 2025
Show Notes
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.
Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/YC80Wvt
Sponsors
AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman
Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman
Levels: https://levels.link/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman
Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman
Maui Nui: https://mauinuivenison.com/huberman
Timestamps
Pavel Tsatsouline
Fitness, Strength, Model Athlete
Tool: Essential Training Movements
Sponsors: Eight Sleep & Levels
Dips, Pull-Ups, Farmer Carry, Tools: Kettle Bell Mile, Grip Strength & Longevity
Concentric vs Eccentric Only Movements, Isometric, Tool: Pause Reps
Sponsor: AG1
“Greasing the Groove”, Cramming Analogy, Strength is a Skill
Tool: Greasing the Groove Protocol
Tool: Movement & Motivation; Nervous System
Frequency & Recovery, Heterochronicity, Soviet vs American Training
Soviet vs American Strength Schools, Periodization, Recovery
Sponsors: LMNT & Joovv
Bell Squat, Non-Spine Compressing Leg Work, Tool: Zercher Squat
Machines, Beginners vs Advanced?
Shorter Cycles? Linear & Wave Progression, Step Loading, Variable Overload
Strength & Endurance, Bodybuilding, “Bro Split”
Endurance, Cost of Adaptation, Heart Adaptations
Rest Periods, Interval Training, Tool: German Interval Training
Tool: Cardiovascular Training, Glycolytic Power Repeats; Muscle Growth
Sponsor: Maui Nui
Rest Period Activities, Tool: Protecting Back
Endurance Training, Anti-Glycolytic Revolution, Specialized vs Variety
Not Seeking the “Pump”, Repeated Sprint Ability, Tool: Anti-Glycolytic Endurance Training
Seek Soreness or Pump?, Hypertrophy
Tool: Planning Strength & Endurance Training, Individualization
Training Quality, Practiced Skill
Non-Athletes, Strength & Endurance, Training Duration
Post-Exercise Fatigue, Tools: Fragmentation, Feedback, Volume
Pre-Workout Stimulants
Performance & Arousal, Breathing, Disinhibition, Emotion
Train to Failure?, Recovery
Flexibility, Range of Motion Training, Kettle Bell, Tool: Wall Squat
Training for Flexibility; Training as a Practice
Older Adults & Strength Training, Consistency Over Intensity
Body-Weight vs Barbell vs Kettlebell Training
Kettlebell Training, Swings, Power & Endurance
Training Choices, Tool: Simple, Consistent Program
Kids & Training, General vs Specialization?
Core Work, Abdominals, Tools: Tension & Attention; ‘Pressurize’ Abs
Breathing, Force, Strength
Directing Gaze While Weightlifting
Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter