About Pavel Tsatsouline, Founder and CEO

Pavel Tsatouline founder and CEO of StrongFirst

Pavel Tsatsouline introduced the Russian kettlebell to the West in 1998 and started the kettlebell revolution.

A former Soviet Special Forces physical training instructor, Pavel became a Subject Matter Expert to the elite of US military and law enforcement, including the Marine Corps, the Secret Service, and the Navy SEALs. His training system has been implemented by special operations units in two countries closely allied with the US. Pavel founded StrongFirst, the “school of strength,” to bring “low tech/high concept” methods of achieving high performance and resilience to men and women from all walks of life, not just elite warriors and athletes.

Pavel earned a sports science degree in the former Soviet Union and authored a number of books, including bestselling Kettlebell Simple & Sinister, the definitive guide on kettlebell training. Pavel’s books have been translated into many languages—including Russian. A kettlebell in his fist, he was voted the ‘Hot Trainer’ by Rolling Stone and appeared in media ranging from Pravda to Fox News to Tim Ferriss Show and The Joe Rogan Experience.

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