Variable Effort and the Triple-Tier Plan

For over a decade at StrongFirst we have advised against pushing sets to failure and advocated towards always keeping a few reps “in the tank.” In recent years we have heard more and more often from well-known strength coaches, and on the web, about the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and Reps in Reserve (RIR). […]

Mastering 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 attention to where your press breaks down when things get heavy is an important aspect of mastering your press. Although there are […]

Stop Fearing Heavy Weights

Results are What Matter For decades I have heard about thousands of training related products that claimed to work magic for athletes, oftentimes supported by “abstracts” of research and clinical studies. But very few of them were ever mentioned again just a couple of years later. Similarly, the internet and social media expose us to […]

Simple Strength for Difficult Times Part Two: Get Even Stronger in Quarantine

When I wrote the article “Simple Strength for Difficult Times” I outlined an 8-week plan, confident that within two months we would be all back to our gyms and our regular life. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet. Most of us are still under lockdown and many gyms all across the world are still closed. As […]

Forging a New Path to “Functional” Hypertrophy

If there’s anyone who walks the functional hypertrophy talk, it is Fabio Zonin. Not only has he competed at the highest level in natural bodybuilding and powerlifting, he was the first Italian to best the Beast Tamer Challenge and become a StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor. Plus, he was a Master Teacher for the Italian Federation […]

Alice in Kettlebell Wonderland and the Cruiser—a Perfect Kettlebell Plan for a Busy Person

You want to build strength and rock-hard muscles, but your busy schedule hasn’t allowed you to train regularly, you are under time constraints, and your sessions need to be time efficient, flexible, and engaging? Keep reading, I’ve got something for you. The plan I’m about to share is something I designed for my wife Alice, […]

Mastering 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, I’m very good at it. An average gym rat might classify the kettlebell military press as just another exercise for delts and […]

“160 Seconds a Day Keep the Doctor Away!”—Burn More Fat and Improve Your Health without Breaking a Sweat with a Simple Swing Protocol

There is an old Italian proverb that reads “One apple a day keeps the doctor away.” I took the liberty to substitute the apple with 160 seconds. Let me tell you why I did so. The Upsides and the Downsides of Technology Over the past decades the continuous technology innovations have gradually and constantly made […]

Simple Strength for Difficult Times: An 8-Week Progressive Plan

These are difficult times for everyone. The COVID-19 emergency has already forced home half of the world, and it’s rapidly spreading. In January 2020, the infection seemed to be circumscribed in China. But within a month, it reached the rest of Asia, then the Middle East, Italy, and finally the rest of Europe. To date, […]

The “Hit the Target” Fat Loss Plan

What I am about to share is the nutrition plan that allowed me to drop over twenty pounds of body weight in eight weeks—without sacrificing strength and muscle mass. It may help you reach your StrongFirst goals.