“If the Way is high, accordingly it has a great number of obstacles.”—An ancient saying I will be honest—I can’t think of a better foundational strength and conditioning program than Kettlebell Simple & Sinister (S&S). Three mobility drills, two main lifts, and stretching. Done. Rinse. Repeat. Reap the tremendous benefits of this simple, yet very […]
The post Kettlebell Simple & Sinister Quest: Through Adversity to the Stars, Part I appeared first on StrongFirst.
(If you missed the first part of Pavel Macek’s S&S quest, read it here.) Sinister Quest Continued “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”—Leonardo da Vinci, 1452. My failed “Sinister” test attempt wasn’t a failure—it was a lesson. I went back to the drawing board, deloaded, focused on perfecting my technique, and gradually started to climb up […]
The post Kettlebell Simple & Sinister Quest: Through Adversity to the Stars, Part II appeared first on StrongFirst.
“I like my weights heavy and my squats down low.”—Anonymous The kettlebell goblet squat is THE “squat for the people.” The prying goblet squat from our Kettlebell Simple & Sinister curriculum is a great mobility drill that will unlock your hips and pelvis. A regular goblet squat (without prying) is an excellent foundation for the […]
The post Kettlebell Simple & Sinister: Tips for Heavy Goblet Squats appeared first on StrongFirst.
Truth comes out of error more readily than out of confusion. —Francis Bacon What do successful athletes not blessed with Olympic genes have in common?—Patience to tweak their training, one variable at a time, until they have found “their” way. Contrast that with a typical trainee who impatiently switches programs before he has had a […]
The post Seven Steps to Strength: Programming as a Science Experiment appeared first on StrongFirst.
When it comes to training, most people tend to trend in the direction of complexity and novelty. Whether that’s an athlete finding fancy movements they think will make a favorite pro-athlete look cool on social media or a coach wanting to show how competent they are in shaking things up, doing newer or more difficult […]
The post The Power of Simplicity: How Get-Ups and Pullups Enhanced an MLB All-Star’s Program appeared first on StrongFirst.
The get-up is one of the foundational exercises of kettlebell training. I suspect that most people who follow StrongFirst are quite familiar with this exercise. If you are a StrongFirst Certified SFG Instructor, then no doubt you have done many repetitions of them on your own and at your Certification. If you have read Pavel’s […]
The post The Get-up and the Shoulder Mobility Dilemma appeared first on StrongFirst.
Introduction After reaching timeless Simple in March of 2020, I decided to try out The Quick and the Dead (Q&D), while maintaining sport-specific training on the pushup which is part of my military testing. Pleased with the results of Q&D, I decided to continue with the program, but I had a problem. The book suggests […]
The post Clean and Jerk A+A Training for the Minimalist appeared first on StrongFirst.
“Dedication, absolute dedication, is what keeps one ahead.”—Bruce Lee Simple & Sinister embodies the quote above. Dedication to achieving Simple and continuing to Sinister has led students on multiple-month and multiple-year journeys. A rarity in today’s scrolling-based attention-span world, the dedicated pursuit of the S&S goal is a worthy endeavor. However, dedication can and will […]
The post Simple and Sinister—Help, I’m Stuck appeared first on StrongFirst.
The SFG I is a challenging certification, but if I can do it, just about anyone can. I was never the most naturally gifted athlete. But with an intelligent and consistent approach to training, I was able to turn up at the event very well prepared for what was to come. My preparation for the […]
The post A+A Light—How Snatching Half Your Bodyweight Can Prepare You for the StrongFirst Kettlebell Snatch Test appeared first on StrongFirst.
My Background I’m a 55-year-old male (schoolteacher by day) who weighs 177 pounds and stands just over 5’9”. The focus of my forties, honestly, was CrossFit. This included eight years of WODs, Metcons, and hero workouts. I learned a lot, attaining multiple certifications including CrossFit L1 and L2, weightlifting, gymnastics, and a myriad of other […]
The post Just Swing a Kettlebell: Undertaking the “Simple” February Swing Challenge appeared first on StrongFirst.
Background In part one, the concept of Novocaine Training and some of the specifics of exercise selection and session details were explained. The concept is to include enough variation to avoid accommodation, yet not so random that long-term improvement does not occur. The specifics of the program are constantly evolving but the concept remains the […]
The post Novocaine Training Part II: The Decision-Making Process appeared first on StrongFirst.
In addition to being the school of strength, StrongFirst has created a culture built on pushing one’s limits, both physically and mentally. In 2013 Pavel published Kettlebell Simple & Sinister, in which he introduced a now infamous test of one’s strength, mobility, power, and overall resilience. Thus far, 72 men and 125 women have successfully […]
The post Introducing Super Sinister appeared first on StrongFirst.
In my previous article, “Introducing Super Sinister,” I introduced a new challenge for Sinister athletes. Classic Sinister requires you to perform 10 one-arm swings (48kg for men/32kg for women) every 30 seconds for 5 minutes, totaling 100 swings. Then after one minute of rest, you perform one get-up (48kg for men/24kg for women) every minute […]
The post How I trained for Super Sinister appeared first on StrongFirst.