Relax into Stretch : Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension

I almost didn't buy this book because some of the reviews are so negative...but I'm glad I did anyway. A few points:

1. This method absolutely works...I say this after studying karate for 4 years (hundreds of kicks, stretching that included pouring water on the floor and having someone push down on your back, staying in stretched positions for up to an hour, etc..) yoga, stretch machines, standard stretch routines. Through all this, my stretch increased very little. I couldn't even sit on the floor with crossed legs without discomfort. My karate instructor used to say I had the flexibility of a rock. Pavel's method works. Get the book! The concepts are simple, but revolutionary. A few more points:

2. There is enough information and stretching routines in the book to last for years. I don't understand the reviews that say there is not enough info in the book, too many pictures, etc...I appreciated the fact that I could quickly go throught the book and get right into the stretching.

3. There is another reviewer who outlines all of the potentially harmful stretches, based on his assessment as a doctor. However, all of the stretches he talks about are in the advanced stretching section of the book; they are extreme exercises, that Pavel clearly states are not for beginners.

4. Appearances can be deceiving...for example I was experiencing slight lower back pain from one routine and then I went back and read how to do the exercise, and realized I was overstretching, not controlling my breathing and tension as described in the book. In spite of the clear, "simple" format of the book, it is rich in information, that must be read carefully.

5. One last point: this book is for those who need to get to the next level. (I can't believe someone recommended Anderson's "granny" stretch book over this one; give me a break) Whether to reach top levels of fitness, martial arts study, rock climbing, etc...I'm thinking of someone who is into total fitness.)

On the other hand, it's also worth reading for the weekend athlete, only because the knowledge can help one prevent injuries and avoid harmful stretching methods.

Disclaimer: this is not a cheerleader review for Pavel. I have no connection with him whatsoever, just a very appreciative reader. Get the book!

I loved this book when I first read it, probably because I was uneducated about stretching. Pavel introduced this stretching technique which "instantly allowed me to touch my toes". It's quite simple, it's called Proprioceptive-Neuro-Muscular-Facilitation. PNF is found in many of the basic physical fitness texts. It is not revolutionary, it was not discovered "on the other side of the Iron Curtain", and it is not something worth $34.95 of your hard earned money. The only contribution Pavel has is showing you how to do PNF yourself. So you don't have to spend the money, I'll tell you right now: Go to a decent stretch, flex the muscle(s) being stretched. Hold your breath to increase the intensity of the flex, and then release the breath and the flex at the same time. Boom, you're done.

Also, this book does not have any discussion on program formation, stretch selection, or stretch order. All of these should be incorporated into a text on stretching. It's worth it for fun if you already know what you're talking about. Otherwise, there are plenty of other stretching books that are much more worthwhile and are definitely more economical.

That said, nobody is as fun or easy to read as the Evil Russian. And he does cover some interesting theories on muscle tension.

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All of Pavel's books including Relax Into Stretch have excellent

information which it hard to find else where. However Pavel never invented the exercises nor he came up the research himself. However it is one of better stretching books in the market and I have got better results in my stretches with information found in Pavel's book. The main downside of this

book and other Pavel's books is that his books including Relax Into Stretch are overpriced. That's why I put a three stars on this one. For those whom want to be able to do full front split or side split, I recommend Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz over Relax

Into Stretch by Pavel Tsatsouline for a better run for your money.

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Like all the author's books, "Relax into Stretch" is loaded with conflicting interpretation, false promises, and greedy solicitation for selling misleading publications. Here, the author criticizes "conventional stretching", that is commonly practiced in America, as dangerous and ineffective modality that intends to elongate tissues over years. The author claims that his soviet approach relaxes the nervous system like upgrading the muscle's software to stretch and that those changes occur immediately through educating the stretch reflex. He exaggerates by promising to achieve a level of flexibility that is "uncommon in our species", within months, page 138. Yet, the entire book does nothing but describes conventional stretching.

"Stay the hell away from them!" and "do not stretch the damn thing!" is his macho advice, forbidding the practice of stretching the ligaments, page 39. He claims that stretching the ligaments has no athletic benefits, and that it scars and weakens the ligaments through creating micro-tears that predispose to plastic deformities and severe injuries. He will soon contradict himself by describing many stretch drills that do nothing but stretch the ligaments, the tendons, and the muscles, as follows:

(1) The Road Kill Split, page 128, and the Cossacks severely stretch the medial collateral ligaments of the knees.

(2) The Side Split, page 131, severely stretches the Iliofemoral ligaments of the hip joints.

(3) The Modified Reverse Triangle and the Side Stretch severely stretch the spinal ligaments.

(4) The Reverse Cossack notoriously stretches the lateral collateral ligaments of the knees and the spinal ligaments.

You can go on and on through all the stretch drills to find out that ligamentous stretching is a common and welcome practice, about which the author is confused.

The major drawback with these superficial publications, which the author excessively reproduces and brags about, is the hasty display of information. For example, this author's books have no chapters, but rather an arbitrary aggregation of anecdotes referred to soviet academicians, scientists, and experts. Each topic spans a page or two, followed by a table of summary that occupies a full page. Thus, the author assumes that the reader has to have a summary for every two pages.

Although the book presents thirty-seven stretching drills, starting with "Toe Touch" and ending with the "Side Split", it does not describe how to structure a safe and reasonable way of incorporating the drills in a workout. It only tells you to exercise two to three times a week and it is up to you to figure out how to structure your training. That is a serious flaw in a do-it-yourself book. In a safe gym environment, you would learn what to start with and what not, such that you avoid life-long injuries. For example, the book drills start with "toe touch" drill, followed by "spine compression" drill, then "the Improved Cobra" drill. These drills involve standing in the first, hanging up in the second, and laying prone in the third. That is completely bizarre way of structuring any training sequence. In addition, the author repeatedly requires that you use his other four books: Power To the People, Super Joints, Bullet-Proof Abs, and Fast & Loose! The four books could be easily squeezed in a single brochure and will still constitute a mediocre source of information for any serious training.

In complete incongruence with standard books on yoga and stretch, this book lacks progressive description of the execution of drills. The figures of the books are labeled hastily and in sloppy manner. Some errors in execution show the lack of experience of the author about what he claims to know best. For example, in the "Toe Touch" drill, page 49, the author condemns getting up from hyper-flexed, or rounded, back with straight knees. He contends that one has to semi-squat in order to avoid serious back injury. While that is true in the case of lifting, it entirely defeats the purpose of the back stretching that requires rounding each vertebra, as long as there is no external weight on the torso and that performer is alert, warmed up, and knows what "toe touching" is supposed to achieve.

Mohamed F. El-Hewie,

Author of

"Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training".

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So far, this is by far the best book by Pavel that I've read.

"Relax Into Stretch" gives a much better presentation of the principles and practice of his stretching philosophy, and is better constructed for the beginner and for those wanting to know how to structure a progressive stretching plan... than Pavel's prior "Beyond Stretching" book did.

I think this book is still a bit heavy on amusement and a bit light on scientific details, but it is easy to understand and based on sound, verifiable principles. With some careful practice, a person could benefit a lot from this material, but a beginner without some prior knowledge should go slowly at first.

However, this book does a poor job of showing variations for people that need specific help in different ranges of motion, or who are particularly inflexible or who have had joint injuries.

I got my copy of "Relax Into Stretch" for half price, which I feel is about right for the amount of material you get.

The "Relax Into Stretch" video is nice for comparison, and to see various movements demonstrated, but is also light on content and explanation. I think the book has more to offer than the video if you are a reader, but the video is cheaper and will get you started if you aren't.

For a more reasonably-priced source of absolutely excellent material on PNF and Isometric stretching with loads of variations and detailed explanation, check out "Stretching & Flexibility" by Kit Laughlin, or "Overcoming Neck & Back Pain" by Kit Laughlin.

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