Young, Light, and Strong
Introduction After spending my teen years being bullied and feeling inadequate, I decided to stop listening to all the other voices and listen to my own. I wanted to chase something that no one would...
View ArticleGet Stronger with One Kettlebell
Backstory In January 2021 I led the programming section at an SFG Level I certification. I wanted the attendees to grasp some programming concepts and be able to create an effective program with just...
View ArticleIs That a Squat or a Hinge?
“Clarity affords focus.”—Thomas Leonard The Debate I received a response on one of my Instagram posts showing some 40kg one-arm swings that first made me chuckle and then made me think. “Squat more...
View ArticleMind the Drop—Tame the Arc for Better Snatches
A few weeks ago after seeing StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, Pavel Macek, do a Goblet Squat with a kettlebell equal to his own bodyweight I had a great conversation with him about achieving...
View ArticleTake Your Kettlebell for a Walk
Background Strength and endurance are not normally associated with one another when developing training protocols. A strength athlete is thought of as someone who can lift heavy weights in a gym, while...
View ArticleKettlebell “What The Heck” Effects and Training Firefighters
Background Physical preparedness is one of many attributes that firefighters need in order to execute their job in a safe, effective manner. Although the job of structural firefighting is the same for...
View ArticleMastering Your Press, Part I
When I’m invited to teach at an SFG I StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor Certification, I always request to lead the military press. I love teaching the military press and, pardon my lack of modesty,...
View ArticleMastering Your Press, Part II
In my first article, “Mastering Your Press, Part I,” I addressed specific ways to test your press and find weak areas by analyzing how your body responds to pressing a heavy kettlebell. Paying...
View ArticleBreak up with Your Strength Tool of Choice
Back in the USSR many gyms were closed in the summer “for repairs.” Out of necessity, lifters and bodybuilders switched from barbells to kettlebells and bodyweight for a couple of months. When they...
View ArticleThe Best All-Around Training Method EVER
It is a tall order for a training method to live up to the title of this article—but one does. It checks off the following boxes: ☑ Power ☑ Strength ☑ Muscle hypertrophy ☑ Fat loss ☑ “Cardio” ☑ “Work...
View Article20 Years and 20 Observations
In February of 2002 a group of 22 students assembled for the second ever kettlebell certification with Pavel. From water balloons, mattresses, and a very different teaching progression, it was...
View ArticleGo Ballistic—The Jerk for Barbell and Kettlebell
The kettlebell jerk is one of the most misunderstood lifts. Many people believe it takes a ton of upper body strength in order to execute heavy weights. This is where the misconception lays. The...
View ArticleHow Built Strong Helped Me Achieve Sinister
The Goal: Sinister When I first looked for advice to achieve the Sinister goal of Kettlebell Simple & Sinister by Pavel, the response I received was to focus all your training on swings, get-ups,...
View ArticleA Simple Journey: Bicycles, Bones, and Kettlebells
The Happy Valley Women’s Cycling (HVWC) team is an organization committed to advancing women’s cycling. Their mission is to provide cycling opportunities for females of all ages and ability levels....
View ArticleThe SFG II Snatch: A Test Prep Program
“Only he deserves power who everyday justifies it”—Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish Diplomat Ain’t no two ways about it, friend-o: if you’re training for your SFG II Kettlebell Certification or...
View ArticleA Strength Plan for Professional Soccer Players
In team sports, soccer being a prime example, the time available to train an athlete’s physical strength is quite limited. The majority of training is spent performing tactical and technical sport...
View ArticleKeeping A Resilient Back as We Age
Meeting Pavel for the first time about twenty years ago changed my life. It is a story that has been told in these pages before. I was impressed with this quiet gentleman who knew so much about...
View ArticleHow I trained to become a Guinness World Record Holder
“Strength has a greater purpose.” The very famous words of our leader, Pavel Tsatsouline, ran through my mind over and over. I had lost my older brother to suicide the Summer of 2021 and felt a burning...
View ArticleKettlebell Deadlift ➔ Barbell Deadlift
An Excerpt from Deadlift Dynamite If you know your way around the kettlebell, you have an unfair advantage when it comes to learning barbell skills. Start with a barbell half-deadlift because it is...
View ArticleThe Paradox Breathing Crunch for Stronger Abs and Bigger Lifts
An Excerpt from Deadlift Dynamite The paradox breathing technique, developed in the USSR by opera singer Alexandra Strelnikova for applications obviously unrelated to lifting, will teach you how to...
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