Author: Karen Smith
Karen Smith is a StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, and the fourth woman to claim the Iron Maiden title. She has been personal training students of all fitness levels from beginners to elite US military forces since 2000. Karen specializes in kettlebell and bodyweight strength training. She is a certified SFG, SFB, FMS, and Battling Ropes instructor.
Karen currently resides in Dallas where she is available for private and group sessions. She is also available worldwide for distance coaching and program design. She travels regularly instructing workshops and StrongFirst Courses and Certifications.
She can be reached at karensmithmsfg@gmail.com or at her blog, Coach Karen Smith.
We often blame our feet last for performance problems or tension leaks. But as our main connection to the ground, they are the foundation to all movement and the vessels through which we generate power and express our strength. Neglecting them is not an option. Learn four drills by Master StrongFirst Instructor Karen Smith to […]
Visualization may sound “woo-woo” to some, but not to those who have their sights set on meaningful goals and quality training. I strongly believe if your mindset isn’t right, then your training will suffer.
Understanding and regularly assessing your baselines will help you achieve quicker strength gains and keep injuries at bay. You will begin to train smarter, not harder.
If you spent time on the bent-arm strength progression outlined in part one, and then advanced to the straight-arm strength progressions in part two, you are now ready to begin the pushing progressions.
It's best to begin slowly to build a solid foundation of technique before jumping “head first” into advanced skills. This article is the first part of a three-part series that will help you plot your journey to the HSPU.
When is the last time you actually tested your stability? It might be time to re-assess. It only takes a moment, and if you happen to discover a deficiency there, some simple corrections will significantly improve your overall strength.
Adding the SLDL into your training will improve your balance and help you hit personal records in your pistol, get-up, and barbell deadlift, while having carryover to many other skills.
Mastery of the one-arm (OA) or one-arm one-leg push-up (OAOL) push-up is a process that will teach you many things about your body while providing surprising strength gains that carry over to many other skills.
Once you have built your stabilizers in the bent-arm position and feel comfortable upside down, you can move closer to the handstand push-up by following these progressions to build your straight-arm strength.
Most people bypass adding the hanging leg raise into their training because of the perceived difficulty, but in this article I will teach you usable progressions to work your way toward owning a strict hanging leg raise.