Rating: 
Summary: Finally! Chest Muscles and Clarity
Review: It is amazing to me that people could give this book or program a low rating. It is, by far, the clearest most informative explanation of how muscle grows that I've ever seen published anywhere at any price (and I own 1000s of dollars worth of conventional training books, and read them all). When I started training 6 months ago at the age of 41, I was determined that this year I was going to master bodybuilding, I kept asking people how to optimize training, and being accustomed to the scientific method I kept being dissatisfied with their answers. After 2 months of brutal 4 day a week, 2 hours a day training, I felt better, and had slight strength increases, and thought I was accomplishing as much as it was possible to accomplish. But then an online acquaintance pointed me at Sisco and Little. I got all their books, they are all helpful, but this was the grandaddy of them all, the one book that you must have. The second I read it I knew I had to put it to the test. The results were beyond my wildest expectations. My first exercise I tried to bench 225 in my strongest range, could not budge it, but managed to hold 180 for a grueling 40 seconds. Now comes the hard part, resting. Three days later my chest was suddenly visibly larger. I just woke up one morning, and there were muscles that I'd never seen before. My very next chest workout I was lifting 260 lbs. The weight progression went like this 180 260 405 495 495 585 And that is only 6 chest workouts, only 3 months into the system. I can now do full range with 225 for several reps (I don't know how many because I don't want to cut into my own progress, something you'll understand once your on the program), whereas when I begin I couldn't even do 140 for 1 rep. There is a science to bodybuilding and there are 2 main factors to that science. It is Maximum Intensity and Adequate Recovery. This book shows you how. Things that could be improved in the book - They should have included a rotator cuff exercise. I have included one in my own routine as the last exercise of the day, on the day you do bench. - They could have discussed that mechanical advantage also corelates to the building of joint strength, and might have suggested that people who trained conventionally before might lack the joint strength to do this properly, and might want to build up slower. For beginers in normal health, this won't be an issue. - They should have given more attention to the hows of the exercises for someone training without a partner. As another reviewer said, not hard, or dangerous at all with proper use of a squat rack. The other thing to make it easier is to use a chain and some clips on the different cable exersises to start in your strongest range. - Equipment, and the limitations of it, is probably the biggest drawback. You do this system and you will quickly find yourself using more weight than you ever imagined possible. I workout at home, and had to purchase a rack. I used some foresite and made sure to get one that will handle 2000 lbs, because I'll be over 1000 lbs within the next 5 months. But don't be dissuaded by those caveats, this is the one bodybuilding book that makes sense of all the others. The thing you look for in science is predictability and reproducibility. This system has that in spades. It is the only system that I've seen that does. And it helps to explain all the other systems, and their mechanisms, like periodization, and 'confusing the muscles' (these systems are just poor ways to finally provide Adequate recovery in an otherwise confused system) The main beauty of this system is that it is possible, with some calculation and effort, to begin to know exactly how fast you are going to progress. You can plan it out months in advance. As for the reviewer saying that you'll slow down, my verticle leap has gone up by several inches, and my sprinting speed is excellent. Like the other *7 star reviewers, I wonder what these negative reviewers are doing wrong, or didn't understand about the book who reviewed it. This book is to conventional training what a modern car is to a horse and buggy. This book puts you in total control of your accomplishments. If you use some sense about it, this system will reliably match or outperfom any other system in the hands of someone who reads carefully, and uses some insight and creativity in setting up their workout. (Squat Rack + chain for cables)
Rating:
Summary: The max for the minimum
Review: Super cutting edge workout. The future of weight training. For anyone. Excellent for people who have joint limitations due to arthritis, injury, overuse syndromes, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Updating Previous Post
Review: Have now completed 15 workouts since starting 10/12/00. Original spacing of workouts was 7 days but is now 17 days. Some recent results: Workout #14 bench press 290lbs + bar/11 sec
Workout #15 bench press 290lbs + bar/24 sec
(next workout #16 I may jump to 310lbs) S.C.T. increases strength, increases muscles' size, saves time. I have been healthy all my life but will be stronger in 2001 --at age 50 -- than at any time in my life thanks to S.C.T. I do all 10 exercises per workout. Each workout < 90 minutes. Previous posting by chiropractor contains error. S.C.T. does NOT involve handling the greatest weight one can handle. It involves handling the greatest weight one can hold statically for 10 to 15 seconds. I would like to know if there is a Static Contraction Training center anywhere or if there is a forum where SCT is the primary topic of discussion. Regards.
Rating:
Summary: Do It Word For Word
Review: It amazes me how there are still people out there who swear that this book is a flop! How the hell does a person not increase muscle size and strength while following the workout? The section on proper nutrition is just as important as the actual exercises. I do Static Lifting and I've NEVER pull, tear, or injure any muscle. Of course you need a power rack! And NO a spotter is not nessasary. What the heck do you need a spotter for when your in a power rack? The safety bars/hooks are there for a reason. If the weight is placed at the proper level you should be able to lift the weight up on your own. The problem is that too many people do the exercises without reading the book completely and then say it doesn't work. Read the book all the way through, and follow the program Word For Word. If your lacking progress in 3 or more exercises then space your workouts further apart. And get the proper amount of sleep the night before. So many people go on 6 hrs. of sleep and expect to have a successful lift the next day. If you don't get at least 8 hrs. of sleep the night before don't even bother to lift the next day. And eating like a pig won't help, a balanced diet with the proper portions of proteins and carbs along with lots of water and MAYBE a multi-vitamin are all you need. And drop all the supplements and go at it the natural way. Think about, if you need supplements to help give you results, then there is something wrong with your workout. Either with the frequency of your workouts or, the exercises you do, or the sleep you get, or most likely your diet. Do what the book says and you'll have success.
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Summary: Dropping muscle like it was a bad habit
Review: If you want to drop muscle like you've never seen before, be sure to pick up the title, "Static Contraction Training: How to Gain Up to 25 Pounds of Pure Muscle Mass in 10 Weeks". The routine is simple.. the workouts are simple. It's too easy. You won't tax yourself in the least.. you'll hardly even get out of breath for very long. This is the ideal lazy man's workout. Anyone looking in from the outside would say, "Wow.. what a great workout! Only spend 30 minutes in the gym, twice a week and grow like never before!" Hardly true.. I began Static Contraction training after Steve Holman from Ironman covered it 4 years ago. I didn't grow from the workout.. in fact, I dropped about 6 or 7 lbs of muscle in 8 weeks, even though I was eating like I was pregnant with twins. Even though my results were undesirable, I gave the workout another go recently. This time was excellent! I lost 10 lbs. in one month, while injuring myself in 3 different locations on my body!!! Not only that, but all of my major lifts decreased by up to 20%!!! The authors say, "A pump does not indicate or stimulate growth". That's Mike Mentzer talking.. and he's proven himself to be the king of all idiots. Who has ever grown enormous muscles without ever getting a pump? Show me one person in the world, and I'll do cartwheels from New York to California. These guys, Sisco and Little, are pretty much Mentzer wannabees, who know nothing about building muscle, and try to sell books with ridiculous promises, using a "lazy man's" workout. If we were all to do the amount of steroids Mike Mentzer did, we too would be enormous, regardless of the workout routines we used. Your average geneticed, Joe six-pack cannot and will not build muscle using these ridiculous methods. Save yourself time and money, and lost muscle, and look in the direction of proven muscle building techniques. Do your homework--building muscle is NOT as easy as these fools make it seem.
Rating: 
Summary: the beans without the rice
Review: First off, I'm a Chiropractor and a sports trainer, so my opinion is professional not just laymen. Now some good news and some bad news (I tried it on myself, so I'm not just barking at the moon). The good news is that static contraction can improve your strength. The bad news is that the authors recommend the heaviest weight you can stand and with no warm up. BLEEP! ALARM! This is how you can do some serious damage to your joints. Always warm up your body parts with some lighter weights before attempting the high set on the same excersize. Never try to exceed your body's tensile limits. If you feel any pressure to your joints or lower back when you are engaging the weights, back it down or change excersizes. YOUR ARE HURTING YOURSELF. Do wear braces or sports wrap on your joints for extra support. I also do a warm down set after the big one with lower weights in a full range of motion to get the rest of the fibers in the muscles activated. The technique has its merits for overcoming strength barriers. Also, the rest timing is very good, as we all tend to overtrain ourselves to exhaustion defeating our workouts. Be careful out there and keep your brain turned on. Injuries can cause permanent damage. This workout can hurt you.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth trying out if you have the right stuff
Review: This is a workout system involving holding very heavy weights in a stationary position for a few seconds. The system works, but their are a few drawbacks you should consider before purchasing this book. The first is that the book tries to get a little too scientific, and spends a little too much time on things like nutrition etc. I wish they would have jus focused on the workout. The second drawback is that you must have access to a good power rack. If you don't, then it could be dangerous. The last and biggest drawback is that for this system to really work you need to have a strong partner. That is the only way to actually get the heavy weights into postiion, and the only way to gat an accurate time. If you don't have a partner or a good power rack then you would be better off skipping this system. One other thing I should mention is that the authors state that gaining strenghth in a static hold would transfer to a full range movement but I found that for myself it did not happen. Overall if you have the necesarry things then you may want to try this and see how it works for you. My own personal opinion however is that you would be better off buying BEYOND BRAWN by Stuart McRobert (the best book on weightlifting.)
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Summary: Something's happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear
Review: Have completed 8 workouts spaced 7 days apart initially & now by 11 days. I choose to do all 10 exercises once per workout. Not a weightlifter before starting. Age 49, 6', 175 lbs -- slim & healthy but flabby. No interest in time-consuming traditional strength training. Did not have my body fat measured or take a "before" photo. Only data I keep is weights & times. Have done no full range testing. No other exercising except short run each morning. Sample SCT results:
A. bench press
workout 1 -- 160lbs+bar/28sec
wkt 2 -- 200+b/28s
wkt 3 -- 230+b/12s
wkt 4 -- 230+b/19s
wkt 5 -- 240+b/15s
wkt 6 -- 250+b/12s
wkt 7 -- 250+b/15s
wkt 8 -- 260+b/10s
(strangely, my sitting press shows almost no progress)
B. leg press
wkt 1 -- both legs same time 360lbs/25sec
wkt 8 -- ONE leg at a time 410lbs/19sec & 17sec Notes: several exercises require someone helping you get bar or pulley into just the right position. Expect unsolicited comments from doubting onlookers, especially threatened trainers. After workouts 1, 2, & 3 I felt sense of exhaustion from neck down for 2 days -- but no more.
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Summary: Informative Book, Partial and Incorrect Information
Review: Zachary Carter's points are correct: 1) Force is dependant on mechanical advantage not range of motion. The author's are clearly ignorant of MA. If you don't know about mechanical advantage, look it up online or in a physics text. 2) Muscle usage and the degree of that usage varies throughout the range of motion. Therefore if you hold staticaly in a position, as opposed to moving throughout a full range, you are neglecting some part of your musculature. Selecting a lift regimen to correct for this dilemma (which, hopefully, the author's did) is only a partial solution. My own caution to the buyer is as follows: 1) Go to a good library and get a professional book on Exercise Physiology. You will likely rediscover what the author's forgot: A muscle fiber makes the majority of its adaptions in the range of motion that it is used in, meaning that your full range strength will not get better. Coupled with point #2 above, this should be obvious. 2) The full range strength some of you guys are getting is likely due to the fact that your body is recovering from what you ordinarily put it through--not from SCT but from the rest the author's recommend. Wait 2 months. It'll change. I can match your gains doing 1 full range bench every 6 days, and I'm an ectomorph. Its the rest thats making your 1 rep max increase--for now. 3) From my own experience with this system and from reading academic journals on the subject, written by credible men in the Exercise Physiology feild, I found that the effects of static holds are: higher likelihood of varicose veins, increase in muscle size (you look pretty), decrease in muscle contractile speed (you get slower), and a decrease in full range strength. If you want the how's and why's go to your library. SCT is good if you want to buff up, especially in the Spring/Summer, but not if you want strength performance. Its best use is this: You can mix a static isolation (read: not compound) movement with 1-2 intense, full range set(s) of the same exercise for significant full range strength gains. Afterwards, leave that muscle alone. Use this technique conservatively and with much rest in mind. Happy lifting.
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Summary: Nice baby... but with a big tub of bathwater
Review: The authors argue that a workout consisting of static contractions, wherein you select a weight for a particular exercise that represents the most you can hold in a static position for 10-20 seconds before the weight starts to drop, is the most effective way to build strength, and they offer results of some medical research, and results of their own studies, in favor of their assertion. The arguments and information presented are interesting, but not without fault. I've tried the static contraction method myself, and have gotten better results with it than anything else I've tried, but since reading this book, I've modified my choice of exercises from what the authors recommend, based on my own experiences and outside readings. One of the assertions the authors make is that muscle fiber recruitment during contraction, and therefore contraction force, is highest when a muscle is maximally shortened. That is absolutely false. The authors confuse force exerted during a movement with force of muscular contraction. Force exerted is a product of contractile force and mechanical advantage. It is the mechanical advantage which varies throughout the range of an exercise. Therefore, the authors' recommendation that you hold the weight in the strongest position of a particular movement is equivalent to recommending that you hold the weight in the position of greatest mechanical advantage. When stated in this manner, their recommendation sounds silly, and it is. That it is nonsense is obvious from the fact that in pressing movements (squat, bench, etc) the mechanical advantage of your muscles at the lockout position is infinite. At (or near) the lockout position, the limit of your "strength" is set not by your muscles, but by the ultimate yielding strength of your bones, joints and tendons. I don't know about you, but I do NOT venture into the gym hoping to discover the yielding point of my bones, joints, and tendons... if you follow the authors' recommendations as far as exercise selection to the letter, you will sooner or later experience severe joint and tendon pains, and possibly severe injury. The authors also assume in their discussions that all else is equal (with the exception of force exerted) throughout the range of a movement, and therefore, nothing is to be gained by working a muscle statically in any position other than the fully contracted position. In a simple minded model of the body, where a single muscle acts to cause rotation about a single joint or axis, that might be true, but the kinesiology of movement is not that simple. In the real world, with real body movements, various muscles contribute varying percentages to the total muscular effort at different stages of the movement. Thus, when you're performing a bench press, the muscles which you are using when you're at the bottom of the lift pressing the bar off your chest are different and/or are used to a different degree than when you are at the top of the lift. Thus, while it is completely true that increases in static strength correlate very well with increases in dynamic strength for a -particular- muscle in a particular range of the overall movement, this is not necessarily true at all when one considers a full range movement where different muscles are used at different stages of the movement. I think this explains why some people who experiment with this program have subsequently discovered that their full range lifting strength has gone -down- even while all indications from their static hold weights were that they were gaining strength much faster than they ever had before. In summary, I would read this book for the information it contains on static contractions and their effect on strength, the information on workout frequency and training volume, and the nutritional information, but I would ignore the authors' mostly nonsense notions on exercise selection, and their recommendations on which range of a particular movement should be selected when doing a static contraction "rep". The key is to select those exercises which place maximum stress on the -muscle- you want to work (and minimum stress on joints), regardless of how much weight you happen to be able to hold in that position relative to other positions. Keep the baby, throw out the bathwater.
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