Pavel Tsatsouline is a bad ass commy bastard. Actually, he’s a turn-coat capitalist pig now, but that’s cool with me because I like money… and… he teaches us Americans all his dirty soviet strength secrets.
One of those secrets is the principle of muscle irradiation — meaning the “The Sherrington Law of Irradiation” — How a hard-working muscle can cheerlead its neighbors into amplifying their strength.
Basically, Pavel gives the example of asking you to make a fist and squeeze it as hard as you can. Ok. Now do the same thing but also flex your arm at the same time and you notice you’re squeezing a little harder with your fist. Then next, flex your abs and squeeze your glutes together like you’re pinching a coin and you find your fist is squeezed extra, white-knuckled hard!
This is showing how your body is designed so that your other muscles help your working muscles be stronger. To put this to use:
- Squeeze the bar as hard as possible in your presses and pulls, try to crush it in your grip.
- When doing single leg squats (called pistols) grip the floor with your toes to activate more muscles in your legs…
- Whenever pressing, pulling, squatting or trying anything else make sure to squeeze your abdominals tight and pinch your glutes together!
