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U.S. SFG Kettlebell Courses
See SFG Course Information May 18, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN June 1, 2013 - New York, NY June 8, 2013 - Medford, NJ June 15, 2013 - Bernardsville, NJ June 15, 2013 - Gettysburg, PA June 22, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN June 22, 2013 - Naples, FL July 7, 2013 - Seattle, WA July 20, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN July 27, 2013 - San Diego, CA July 28, 2013 - The Woodlands, TX August 3, 2013 - Atlanta, GA September 7, 2013 - New York, NY October 6, 2013 - Burke, VA October 20, 2013 - Houston, TX November 2, 2013 - Westerly, RIINTERNATIONAL SFG KETTLEBELL COURSES
See SFG Course Information May 18, 2013 - Rome, Italy May 25, 2013 - Chichester, United Kingdom May 26, 2013 - Brasilia, Brazil June 16, 2013 - Seoul, South Korea July 14, 2013 - Caracas, Venezuela July 20, 2013 - Alloa, Scotland August 3, 2013 - Brisbane, Australia August 10, 2013 - Perth, Australia August 25, 2013 - Lacombe, Canada September 28, 2013 - Naples, ItalySFB BODYWEIGHT COURSES
See Bodyweight Course Information May 18, 2013 - San Clemente, CA May 19, 2013 - Rome, Italy July 6, 2013 - Chicago, IL August 10, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN August 11, 2013 - Denver, CO August 24, 2013 - Atlanta, GA September 7, 2013 - Columbia, MD September 21, 2013 - Orlando, FL October 5, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN November 16, 2013 - Burr Ridge, ILSFG Level I Kettlebell Certifications
SFG Level I Certification RequirementsSFG Level II Kettlebell Certifications
SFG Level II Certification RequirementsSFL Barbell Certifications
Barbell Level I Certification RequirementsSFB Bodyweight Certifications
Bodyweight Instructor Requirements
Blog
How to Get Good at Programming
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman If you want to learn to write effective training plans, first you must understand the principles of program design. They will vary from system to system. At StrongFirst there are three meta-principles: Continuity of the Training … Continue reading
Using Barbells and Kettlebells Together
By Dr. Michael Hartle, DC, Master SFG I started training with barbells when I was 17 years old during my senior year in high school. Our weight room was the size of a large closet, which included a bench press … Continue reading
The Blank Serenity of the Invulnerable
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman “The blank serenity of the invulnerable.” Peter Benchley was writing about a barracuda but the same can be said about strong people. Unless they are attempting a world record, they are calm and unperturbed. You could … Continue reading
When You Don’t Know What You Believe, Everything Becomes an Argument.
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman “When you don’t know what you believe, everything becomes an argument. Everything is debatable. But when you stand for something, decisions are obvious.” If you do not heed this insight from Messrs. Fried and Hansson in … Continue reading
Strength’s Greater Purpose
By Mark Toomey, CEO and Senior SFG Instructor At StrongFirst, we like to say, “Strength has a greater purpose.” It’s in the finding of that purpose we discover parts of ourselves we have either turned away from or never seen … Continue reading
“Come At Me, Bro!”
By Nikki Shlosser, SFG II That is totally what I would shout at a teeth-baring mountain lion, interrupting a lovely Malibu hike. Or to some crazy machete-wielding psychopath creeping through the campsite. Okay not really. But here is the point: … Continue reading
Do Not Be Afraid to Be Alone
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman A smart alec newspaper columnist made fun of the “guys who bench a lot and then stare at the wall.” You have missed the point, champ. These gents have their act together. You should have made … Continue reading
The Grad Workout, Or the Road to the Inn
By Dan John, Master SFG I get dozens of requests by email, phone call and even house visits about how to prepare for the three day Kettlebell certification course. I am more than happy to help prepare them for the … Continue reading
Strength Lessons from a Martial Arts Master
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Having known a gentleman who had trained under Donn F. Draeger, a Western pioneer of Japanese martial arts, I did not hesitate for a moment when I saw a book he co-authored in a used book … Continue reading
The More Things Change
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that our first ever SFG kettlebell cert rocked. The show must go on, even if the name has changed. At the StrongFirst leadership meeting several weeks ago, … Continue reading
Change Beckoned; Strength Answered.
By Laura Nepodal, SFG I think I knew I wanted to be strong when I threw a boy for distance for the first time. It was June of 1997, in a little basement of a little farmhouse in a little … Continue reading
Why Amateurs Should Train Like Professionals
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman If StrongFirst can help world champions and special operators, we have got your needs covered. The last time I saw Prof. Stuart McGill, a couple of months ago, he told me what had happened at a … Continue reading
Greatness: An Obsession?
By Dr. Judd Biasiotto A while back I read a blog written by Ben Stein in Physics Meetings…The Truth about What Happens When Physicists Meet. He was talking about obsessive-compulsive behavior and how it was related to greatness. The idea … Continue reading
The Role of the Kettlebell at StrongFirst
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman When our Masters, Seniors, and Team Leaders checked into their hotel rooms before our meeting, each was greeted by a bottle of vodka, a jar of pickles, and a note welcoming them to the Phase II … Continue reading
The Short Stop Squat: A Drill for Setting up Big Pulls
By Stuart McGill, PhD. I am often asked for my opinion about the best way to squat, or pull a loaded bar. My answer always is, “It depends on the person.” We all have a different injury history influencing which … Continue reading
Strength Has a Greater Purpose
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Ladies and gentlemen, here is the key point from my speech on the mission of StrongFirst that I gave at our recent leadership meeting. Our motto is “Strength has a greater purpose.” There are two ways … Continue reading
Who Says Women Can’t Do Pullups?!
By Amanda Perry, SFG Most of you probably remember back a few months ago when the New York Times wrote about how women can’t do pull-ups. I didn’t get involved in all the smack talking that was going on, but … Continue reading
What is “Conditioning”?
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman In his classic book Power Dr. Fred Hatfield described an imaginary contest between a 154-pound marathon runner and a 210-pound bodybuilder. (Given the fact that Dr. Squat is a 1,000-pound record breaking squatter, it is safe … Continue reading
Just Give Me 10 Minutes and I Will Make You a Man: The Ultimate Kettlebell Exercise for the Standup Fighter
By Jon Engum, Master SFG Question asked the other day… What is the go to kettlebell exercise for martial conditioning? Well, pick your poison; you really couldn’t give a bad answer. Are Kettlebell swings good for the martial artist? Uh, … Continue reading
Is New Really Better?
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Once in a while I drive by a gym with a sign in the window: “The most unproven programming in town!” OK, it really says, “the most innovative programming,” but I fail to see the difference. … Continue reading
The Capable Woman
By Asha Wagner, SFG II StrongFirst recently asked some of its female instructors to define what makes a strong woman. While I have a reputation of being a decently strong woman, this was not the initial goal in my training. … Continue reading
Bench to Kettlebell Press More
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Here is how to set a kettlebell military press PR within weeks. You will be benching with a close grip. The CGBP is the best tool for strengthening the triceps. Its winning combination of very focused … Continue reading
A Different Type of Training Altogether
By Bill Fox One of the most important things I learned on my way to a Masters degree in Philosophy was the “type/token” distinction. Think of it this way. A Ford 150 and a Dodge Ram are tokens of the … Continue reading
A Leap of Faith Between Kettlebell Sizes
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman When they first encounter Russian kettlebells, Westerners are always surprised at the large jumps between sizes. The original reason for limited sizes was probably as mundane as saving roubles and a few square meters of storage space. … Continue reading
To Be A Warrior
By Jane E., Founder of John Faas Foundation To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. … Continue reading
A Word on Rows
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Master SFG Mark Reifkind insightfully warned: “Don’t live in your sports posture.” Which is where bodybuilding pull-ups and rows come in. As correctives. I favor bilateral chest supported rows like Dan John’s ‘batwings’ or Hammer machine … Continue reading
Why a Woman Should Be Strong
By Karen Smith, Senior SFG Women should be strong because we are capable of great physical strength. Too often, women limit themselves by thinking strength training is for men, or that it will make them look like men. I am … Continue reading
The “Best” Upper Body Pull
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman This one is going to be simple. There is only one contender—a hollow position pull-up, strict and heavy. Note that “hollow” does NOT mean hollowing your abdomen/sucking in your stomach! The hollow position is a posture … Continue reading
Announcing the Strong First Deadlift Team
By Jason Marshall, SFG Team Leader, StrongFirst Deadlift Team Captain Eumastas the son of Critobulus lifted me from the ground. —Inscription found on a 480kg (1058lb) black volcanic stone in Santorin dated to the 6th Century B.C. Being that we are … Continue reading
Kettlebells and Deadlifts Go Together Like Vodka and Pickles
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Speaks 1,000-pound deadlifter Andy Bolton: “The [Kettlebell] Swing is a great developer of the posterior chain and will teach you how to develop some awesome SNAP in your hips. For lifters, this makes them a useful assistance … Continue reading
My Journey to the Kettlebell
by Prof. Stuart McGill The kettlebell is special to me! The kettlebell has linked me to several important events in my life. And it was part of the beginning of my friendship with Pavel. (Pavel Tsatsouline—the man who introduced Kettlebells … Continue reading
Be a Man Among Men
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Why do so many men give up on being men once they have reached a certain age? (I could ask women the same question.) Not my father. A month ago seventy-five year old Vladimir deadlifted 407 … Continue reading
Grow Stronger!
By Dave ‘Iron Tamer’ Whitley, Master SFG The movie “The 13th Warrior” is a story of a Muslim scholar named Ahmed and his account of a journey with a group of Vikings. Like any good Viking saga, there is an … Continue reading
Merry Christmas From Strong First
Mark Toomey, CEO, StrongFirst In the Sierras, the first winter storm is blanketing the mountains with snow. What a joyous time to reflect back on the past twelve months and look forward to the promise of the new year to … Continue reading
The “Best” Press
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman The contenders for the “baddest” press title are: Kettlebell military press Barbell military press Handstand pushup (wall supported) One-arm pushup Parallel bar dips Barbell bench press The kettlebell MP is the healthiest in the line-up, thanks … Continue reading
Strength Through Female Eyes
By Lauren Brooks, SFG Team Leader Note from Pavel: Several weeks ago Lauren asked me: How strong does a woman need to be to be considered “strong”? I thought it was a question that should be answered by women (strong … Continue reading
The “Best” Squat
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman What squat variation will give you the biggest bang for your buck? Let us go through the list. Pistol with added weight Lunges, split squats & Co. Barbell back squat Barbell front squat Double kettlebell front … Continue reading
If You Want To Be STRONG, You Must Be TOUGH
By Mark Reifkind, Master SFG I probably shouldn’t write this. It’s not the politically correct thing to say. Some people will be offended. But that’s okay, as well as the point. Getting strong is not for everyone. That is not … Continue reading
No Distractions
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman “How are you feeling?” one Russian asks another. “Worse than I used to—but better than I will be.” That about describes the state of strength today. Recently I had a conversation with a well-known bodybuilder. Not … Continue reading
My Strong First Manifesto
By Steve Freides, SFG Team Leader Why do I choose to be Strong First? Because strength kept me out of a wheelchair. From my 20’s to my early 40’s, I was a jogger but then a disc blew in my … Continue reading
The “Best” Hip Hinge Exercise
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman Two weeks ago Steve Belanger started a thread on the StrongFirst forum asking the readers to pick their favorite barbell, bodyweight, and kettlebell exercises. For all the limitations and contentiousness of “top lists,” writing them is a … Continue reading
“What Makes Strong First Different?”
by Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman We received many enough e-mails asking that question. The answer is: “I am not saying you are wrong. I just know I am right.” If you want to compare us to Brand X, help yourself, because … Continue reading
Not All Questions About Strength Need To Be Answered
By Dan John, Master SFG “How?” That’s probably the question I hate most in the strength industry. The truth is this: I have no idea “how” getting stronger helps performance. I have no idea how getting strong helps women lean … Continue reading
School of Strength
By Rob Lawrence It’s hard to believe, but it’s been twelve years since I first met Pavel in New York City. At the time I was a karate student simply trying to improve my flexibility. I attended a small stretching … Continue reading
Meet Strong First
By Pavel Tsatsouline Chairman “You can be anything you want… But you must be strong first.” I ran this statement by several of my friends and colleagues and asked: what is a fitting name for the new company? Two gents, … Continue reading
Vote Strong
By Pavel Tsatsouline, Chairman “The Soft American.” That was the title of an article forwarded to me by my friend Professor Tom Fahey. The author was president-elect John F. Kennedy. What he wrote over half a century ago hits home … Continue reading