Customer Reviews
Very Poor - By: M. Holroyd, 15 Sep 2008 
Having read the rave reviews of this book I decided to buy it. The basic principle of the book is this, use a very heavy weight in order to create the maximum amount of tension in muscles & achieve increases in strength & size. As the weight being used is so high in comparison to what one would normallly use, the author recommends simply holding the weight in a stationary position for a few moments, before re-racking the weight. For example, un rack the barbell during a bench press, & hold it in a nearly locked out position. The author then suggests increasing the weight used on a weekly basis. This programme does'nt work for the following reasons
- While the increased weight will indeed create a great amount of tension, the very smalll range of motion will mean that the strength gains are created in a very limited plane of movement & will not translate to normal body movements, you will simply become very good at holding a barbell in a semi locked position.
- There is no periodization involved. Simply adding weight each session will ultimately end up in a performance plateau & no increased gains
The authors give a number of scientific reasons for why this programme would/should work. However the ultimate test is completing the programme & seeing if there are any gains. I found that I lost both size & strength. Please do not be blinded by the authors 'scientific' reasoning for the programme & remember that scientists once swore blind that the world was flat. I now follow the programme outlined in Pavel Tsatsouline Power to the people book & have made excellent gains on it.
A step in the right direction - By: , 01 Apr 2005 
I ordered this book after having read & very successfully used Static Contraction Training. My reason for doing so was twofold, 1)there is no more weight in my gym to alllow me to increase the resistance on leg press (which I do with one leg!) & 2) I enjoy information.
The book is a step in the right direction for anybody who is still training with multiple sets & multiple exercises for each bodypart (if this applies to you, you have my sympathy). Power factor training is an excellent read, it makes sense, the sited studies are interesting & thought provoking & the chapter on nutrition makes the whole topic of how to eat for muscle growth (or any other goal) crystal clear. But - in light of newer research & information the system is obsolete.
I tried one workout based on Power Factor Training principles. I then compared my power factor to my power factor for the same exercises (done previously) with static contraction training. The numbers made it clear, I achieved a far higher power factor with static contraction training on every exercise, so static contraction training is far more effective.
The effects of power factor training compared to what I am used to with static contraction training are entirely unpleasant. Though I achieved the best pump I'd had in years with the power factor workout, I was not able to handle the weights I usuallly lift & my muscles have been aching for days. Pump has no relation to the amount of growth stimulated & I have very rarely been sore after a static contraction workout, but I have always made strength increases with static contractions. And believe me, strength increases translate as bigger muscles. Like it says in the book, a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle & a stronger muscle is a bigger muscle, period.
In conclusion, power factor training is a great read, but has been superseded by static contraction training. For £6:99 the book is not going to break your bank & I enjoyed my evening reading it but if you want to have the most productive bodybuilding workouts you can have, use static contraction training.
A great book for open minded bodybuilders - By: , 15 Nov 2003 
I gave this book five stars because I think it is probably the best bodybuilding book out there. Basicallly, it is a training system advocating the use of partial repetitions combined with maths to calculate workout efficientcy as well as pages & pages of solid training advice which just seems far more trust worthy that what is written in alll the other books churning out the same thing. The system can be used to measure how effecive a workout is, if you are undertraining or overtraining & which excercises are the most effective etc. alll in alll proving extremely useful.
I find that people are far too critical of Sisco & Little's efforts. I noted some of the other reviewers saying the physics was crap, maybe it is but it still serves its purpose perfectly well, other guys saying its dangerous which is also rubbish, convensional training is far more dangerous, many saying that it is ineffective etc etc. All I can say is that they are just wrong! They are just unable to keep an open mind in reviewing this book & are locked into their world of gym lore. Another common thing people say is that HIT is better, as far as I'm concerned that's not true too. True HIT is a solid training system but I find the book to be full of bias, questionable techniques & Mentzers ego. Instead of buying HIT why not apply these principles to full range training if you don't like the idea?!!?
This system delivers great results, prehaps not 20lbs muscle gain a month or what have you but they are far far better than the gains you would get off a conventional system (if any). I can regularly as clockwork increase my weights (lifted) on every workout in every excercise by at least 10lbs.
There are some pitfallls though. If you are a well trainied/strong individual in the first place (no it is not a necessity, probably better that you are weak even!) you will find yourself capable of exceeding the max weights of half the machines in your gym as of day one & soon alll of them, yesterday I managed to load 1100lbs onto the leg press (its absolute maximum) in my gym & I found the weight almost too light. Also if you enjoy going to the gym (as I do) you'll find yourself reallly having to struggle to keep yourself from it during the extended recovery periods (I end up going alll the time just to do light cardio)etc.
Overalll this is a fantastic book, some say Static Contraction Training is better but I disagree. Buy it with an open mind & be prepared to turn into a monster (if you want to).
power factor training a scientific approach - By: nick hennessy, 25 Aug 2002 A very informative & common sense approach to training, if anyone is serios about gaining serious strength this is the way to go, I have been training for 20 years & have read & used many types of training styles but nothing compares to this method so give it whirl & let me know how you get on.
Nick
power factor training a scientific approach - By: nick hennessy, 24 Aug 2002 I started the power factor training routine 3weeks ago & it is truly the best method of working out I have ever used, the book is simple to understand & it offers a common sense approach to working out. I have purchased numerous books on the subject of bodybuilding over the years & none come up to the standard of this publication.I would advise anyone who wants to make any serios advances in strength & genral well being to purchase the the book & stop wasting hours & even years in no mans land.
Nick
