Rating: 
Summary: This training method doesn't work!
Review: Save yourself time, money and energy and forget about Static Contraction Training (SCT). I followed this method for 8 solid months. Every workout I attempted to lift heavier weights and I did succeed- I did "hold" heavier weights.
Here's a few examples- Seat shoulder press I started with 225lb. and built up to a 370lb. hold. Bench I started at 365lbs. and built up to 465lbs. Close bench 290, up to 385. I was using more than 2200lbs. on the leg press, the machine couldn't hold anymore weight.
I was amazed at the weights I was "holding", and was pleased that I was able to increase almost every workout. I also made sure to get enough rest- I increased my recovery time between workouts up to 1 month, meaning that I had 30 days to recover before doing the same exercises again. The books states that you need to increase recovery times in order to grow stronger.
Then last week I decided to "test" myself. See what I could do using full range dynamic exercise. I thought that for sure I would be able to add 20lbs. to my bench press- I thought that would be very easy to do. WRONG! I was able to bench my normal weight- 200lbs., but it felt a bit heavy. When I tried 220 the bar got half way up and that was it- no way was it going any further. I was stunned! I'm holding 465 and yet I couldn't get 220 up.
After a few days rest I tried a few more full range exercises. I did seated dumbbell presses- I struggled to get 4 reps with 50lb. DB's. I dropped down to 30lb. DB's and 8 reps felt quite challenging (remember that I was statically holding 370lbs.). 80lbs. on the leg extension was heavy for 6 reps (I'm statically holding 380lbs. on that exercise). On dumbbell concentration curls I would use 75lbs. and get 6 reps (prior to SCT), now doing 65lbs. for 6 reps was a challenge.
Before SCT I could do over 100 non-stop pushups and do chinups for 3 sets of 10 with 30lbs. tied to my waist. After 8 months of SCT I struggle to get 40 pushups and can barely do 10 chinups with just my bodyweight.
Forget all the hype about this program, it just doesn't work.
I believed very strongly in this method and based on my static holds I thought it was working wonderfully. But attempting a few full range movements as proved to me that static holds do not transfer over to full range movements.
Now don't think for a moment that I wasn't pushing myself during SCT. I kept looking to increase hold times and/or amount of weight being used. I busted my butt trying to hold more weight. So lack of effort was not the problem.
The method sounds great in theory but falls well short in reality. If you want to "hold" more weight then use SCT. If you want to use your muscles in "motion" then look for some other training method.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it REALLY Worth it??
Review: I have trained using their (Sisco & Little's) Power Factor Training and Static Training. Admittedly, the Power factor training DID yeild some decent gains in strength which did transfer to my full range strength for the bench press. (My full range bench jumped from 300 to 320 in about 12 weeks using Power factor training). However, the static training didn't bring any good results that transferred to full range strength. Ultimately, with power factor and static training you'd better not use it for too long. The incredible poundages you must use on these systems in order to see growth puts a tremendous strain on your bones and tendons. After some workouts using these systems (doing 900+ pounds for partials and holds on the leg press) my very bones and joints would hurt simply from stepping off the sidewalk! Was this a sign of true muscle growth or severe bone and tendon strain?? These systems of training CAN be used infrequently and with lower poundages as an ADDITION to your regular full range routines. An example would be to do, say 3 or 4 full range sets on the bench press followed by one more set of fairly heavy partials or a set of static holds. Not going to failure. If you want to potentially wreck your joints from hoisting between 500-1000 pounds when you don't have enough muscle mass to TRULY be lifting (or holding) that kind of weight then this system of Sisco and Little's training might be for you. On the other hand, if you want to be smart and have the ability to use your joints well in the years to come PLEASE follow a sensible training approach that doesn't put so much strain apon your skeleton.
Rating: 
Summary: Are you skeptical, you should be. Does it work? Definetly
Review: While I am only 16, I have tried many different forms of training and supplements. Out of these many philosophies, the one that has truly worked at a phenomenonal pace is SCT. After one proper workout and a few days rest, you'll begin to see and feel muscle stacking on your frame.Once you read the book, you'll have a feeling of "why didn't they think of this before", because it truly makes so much since once you think about it. My greatest piece of advice is that you use as much weight as possible but safely, you'll see results.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Method for Rapid Strength and Size increases
Review: I have had this book for sometime now, but have just recently began putting it to use. The results I have seen thus far have been phenominal, especially considering the strict diet I've been on. Usually I lose some size with a strict diet, but with TSC, I've stayed the same size, which tells me I've gained muscle while losing fat. I expect to add even more size when I go back to eating at a more moderate level of calories. The problem that I've read on here (especially the August 9th review) is that people are not starting heavy enough. If you are benching 250 for 1 rep to start, you should attempt 350lbs MINIMUM for your first workout, and you could probably hold 375 for at least 10 seconds. You also need to bump your weight about 10% each time you surpass the maximum time thresh-hold. To give you an idea, Here is how my strength has improved thus far on the seated shoulder press, shrug and close grip bench press: Sept. 12th
S. Press: 250
Shrug: 400
Close Grip Bench: 350 In 4 workouts (my fourth was last night), my numbers are now this:
Oct. 14th
S. Press: 400
Shrug: 590
Close Grip Bench: 450 The biggest problem I've found is finding equipment to support the really heavy weights. Fortunately, my gym has a force cell, so I'm able to perform leg press and calf raise and maximum intensity and as safe as possible (no more 1 leg at a time on the leg press sled). However, it's such a small burden that I still give it 5 stars. If you are going to try TSC, start heavy and take time between workouts. You won't get really sore, but that's not a sign of stimulation (banging your head against a wall makes you sore, but you don't get any smarter). It has rewarded me and I believe it will reward you too.
Rating:
Summary: makes perfect sense
Review: Interestingly, back in the old days of strength training, this was an incorporated method of exercise. Somehow along the way it became normal to do full reps. In my experience holding a weight dormant while the muscle is contracted fatiques the muscle much faster than the traditional "pump". I have been doing traditional full-rep weight lifting for years, and when I switched to static training I saw an immediate surge in strength. People in the gym will look at you like you don't know what you're doing but in my opinion they are wasting their time. I do agree with some of the reviews of the pictured exercises listed. It simply does not show enough. Try doing traditional chin-ups this way, or even traditional push-ups. How about dips? After several second your arms will begin to tremble. It works wonders. One of the keys is to remember to take plenty of time off between workouts until you feel fully recovered. Good luck.
Rating:
Summary: Beware of this Method
Review: Before i started SCT i read all the reviews on this amazon site and found great disagreement about this method. I decided to give Pete Sisco's methods a try and figured the bad reviews came from people that didn't follow the method properly. After 7 weeks of Static Contraction Training the weights i was using had gone way up in the strongest range.I thought i was making great gains but much to my surprize my full range strength was a big disappointment.I was looking forward to big full range improvement as Pete Sisco claims that people in a study after 10 weeks gained on average 27% for their 1 rep max and 34% for their 10 rep max. My bench press for example was about 250 lbs for a one rep max so in theory i should be able to bench about 315 or so after the 10 weeks.I decided to try a full range bench press during my last SCT workout.I had just done two exersizes (bench and miltary press) before attempting a full range bench press. I got plenty of rest before i attempted 205 lbs on the bench and was hoping to get serveral reps ( more than the 10 reps i could lift before i started SCT 7 weeks ago). I lifted the weight up and it felt so light. I had just used 410 pounds on my static hold bench press ( about half an hour earlier} and held it for 15 seconds so the 205 felt like paper weight.As i lowered the weight i expected to rep 205 like i never did before ( way more than 10 reps my personal best before SCT) . As i reached the bottom i pushed the weight forward and unexpectedly the weight went up very slowly. I did one more difficult rep and put the weight back on the rack in disgust.I might have been able to do another rep or 2 but i realized that my full range strength had gone down big time after 7 weeks on this program.Needless to say i was very very disappointed. Anyone who doubts my claim beware of this method if full range strength is important to you.I wasted 7 weeks of training and a hell of alot more as it will take several weeks to get back to pre SCT training level.
Rating:
Summary: Giant steps in the right direction
Review: OK, this book is not perfect. But it does represent a set of giant steps towards an efficient and effective scientific method of strength training for everyday people. Unfortunately the authors have used pictures of some well known bodybuilders in the book. Whether this is just window dressing or an attempt to create a link in the reader's mind between static contraction training and the look of these bodybuilders is perhaps a moot point. Needless to say, you are very unlikely to end up looking like any of the bodybuilders whose images are in the book by following this method of training. That look is acquired by following a somewhat different regimen of diet, exercise, and supplementation. This does not invalidate the actual science bit, although you would be wise to pay heed to that old saw about 'lies, damn lies, and statistics'. The authors present the results of their experiments on a variety of subjects using several variations of a basic protocol. From the raw results, averages are produced. These averages are perhaps presented in a slightly misleading manner. When YOU follow the advised protocol your results are not likely to exactly match the presented average, you may in fact achieve much better results than that, or perhaps somewhat lesser results. So don't be too surprised either if you don't gain exactly twenty five pounds of muscle in ten weeks, that's roughly what ONE of the subjects apparently achieved, and again, you may do better or less well. However, given that following the protocol in good faith will likely cause you to train much less frequently than you currently do, and for a far shorter duration each session, your results will likely be a much higher return in strength and lean muscle mass gains per second of effort expended in exercise than by following other methods. In other words, give it a go. Given that the book is not strictly aimed at the exercise science community but more for everyday people who want to find out what works, and works well, the authors have made a pretty good fist of applying scientific methods without needless scientific jargon. That said, from reading some of the other reviews the following advice might do you some good when you start experimenting with static contraction training yourself. Do it in good faith. Use some common sense whilst training, and apply some reasoning to what you do. If you are not getting good enough results then examine what you are doing and make alterations, either use more weight, train less frequently, alter your diet, or substitute a specific exercise that you are having trouble with for another one. Following the protocol to the letter is not the aim here, getting better results IS. So what are you waiting for? Buy the book and get stuck in.
Rating:
Summary: It works all right!
Review: My wife and I have been doing static contraction training for the last 8 months, after having trained in the traditional manner for years. I have gone from a 900lb leg press with 2 legs to the same with one leg! We now have 18 days between work-outs. That's 36 days between working the same body parts! I just had a bone-density scan and at 40 years old, I have 18% denser bones than the average 18-25 year-old. The hardest part of this training is NOT going to the gym! It's hard to stop going 6 days a week, but there's no need. Make sure you pack on the weight - don't underestimate yourself. There is a danger of gaining weight if you don't do some aerobic work to make up the calorie difference. If you spend an hour a day pumping iron, you may not be building muscle, but you are expending calories. I cannot recommend this system highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Good in theory, not in practice.
Review: I actually stumbled into statics by accident a few months ago, while I was taking time off from the gym for a wrist injury. I was interested by the thinking of this book, I also ordered the "power factor training" book as well. These books are quite opposite in their approach, I think PFT is on the right track as they have many examples of real life body builders who use partial reps. Where as no one has used statics alone to build mass. In PFT it's shown that increasing your power factor over time is going to stimulate muscle growth. They also show that if you use a extremely heavy weight and only do a few reps it's going to yield a extremely low PF, and this is where I believe the static approach fails. It sounds good in theory but it fails soundly. Reading both these books has convinced me though that full range is not very effective. The practice -
It's been over 2 months now since I did a full range workout, I use to go 4 days a week, with 2 sessions a day and
I has the classic signs of over training. I put in some grueling hours but was unimpressed with the results of all my work. But after trying statics I can say even full range is better than this. With statics you do less than 5 mins actual workout time a week. Initially I noticied a slight increase in strength but that was due to the lay off from my other training programme. I followed this training programme exactly, so I don't know how some people got gains out of this. My waist line actually expanded!, and all that hard work on my abs was lost. I eat healthy, but I eat big and doing such little work meant my body just stored it all, what else was it going to do since I was doing a 5 minute workout once a week. My muscles that were usually firm have become soft and pudgy like. I tried a full range reps programme, and I could feel my muscles struggling with the weight. I was doing some huge static weights too like 330 pound static chest press, which is around 3 times heavier than my normal full range wieght. After doing a static workout I left the gym with no feeling of a hard workour. I also think it's false advertising plastering a book with pictures of people who are using steroids, when the book promotes being clean. Unfortunately statics are not going to change the gym world, and I now know why.
Rating:
Summary: I found this method to be ineffective...
Review: Background: Mid-thirties, been lifting since high school football days. Lift about 4x a week. Wt=215, Ht=6 ft., Max Bench 250, low bodyfat index, Squat 400. I found this book and the theories intriging and decided to order it and give it try for a while. I followed the techiques to the letter and kept a faithful log. Progress: I found the workouts were not a problem effort-wise but felt somewhat intense. I noticed that my overall muscularity had decreased dramatically after about 4 weeks. At 8 weeks I tried out full range of motion exercises and discovered that I could barely do about 80% of my prior normal weight of each and quit this method. Overall muscularity had really decreased. Conclusions: The methods described in this book are not effective on someone with intermediate to advanced strength. I have seen the two authors on a Tony Robbins tape and one looks like an extremely sedentary person and the other looks very thin and small of stature - not fit at all. This method might be good for someone that has done absolutely nothing all their life and then started a strength program (of course that person might see results doing ten pushups a day). I have no ax to grind with these authors, I just seriously doubt the credibility of their theories. If their techniques are so effective, why are there bodybuilder guys in their books and not the actual authors themselves modeling the routines? They appear to be much better businessmen than bodybuilders.
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