Author: Pavel Tsatsouline
Pavel Tsatsouline is the CEO of StrongFirst, Inc.
Russian coach, Andrey Kozhurkin, made an observation on the two diametrically opposed philosophies of stimulating adaptation. The traditional one is pushing to the limit: “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.” The alternative is to train to “avoid (or at least delay) the unfavorable internal conditions… that lead to failure,” or reduced performance. [...]
I was watching Andy Bolton pull over 900 pounds from the back stage at the Arnold Classic. It struck me that his deadlift looked exactly like a hard style kettlebell swing. Afterwards, I asked Andy, “Correct me if I am wrong, it seems that you try to keep your shins vertical, don’t think about the […]
In the South American jungle, a jaguar hunts a prey that bites back, a caiman. In a show of absolute superiority, the cat makes his kill on the dangerous dinner’s turf. The jag jumps into the river and snatches the wriggling toothy reptile by its neck. A caiman or a gator may be fast, but […]
By Fabio Zonin, Master SFG and Pavel Tsatsouline Earlier this year, we launched “Reload: Your Barbell Strength Blueprint,” a concise e-book featuring individually-tailored, nearly-foolproof strength programming. Some of our readers asked the question that became the title of this article. Here is our answer. Let us start by clearly stating which training philosophy each represents: On to the […]
Let's examine science and history to best understand how a strategy of "anti-glycolytic" training can be applied to a Simple & Sinister progression plan.
We are proud to officially present Kettlebell Simple & Sinister: Revised and Updated Edition, or simply S&S 2.0. Time is a man’s best friend if he makes good use of it and a man’s worst enemy if he lets it run him. Most people who live by the clock are miserable sorts of critters. But […]
Over 200 years ago, Swedish scientist Jöns Berzelius discovered lactic acid in the muscles of an exhausted stag that had just been hunted down. Acid is the enemy of both tension and relaxation, drawing one into the stiff no-man’s land in between. It muffles the brain’s commands to the muscles, inhibits all three energy systems, […]
The antelope was grazing, oblivious of the superbly camouflaged cat stealthily closing in. The predator flowed like mercury, hugging the terrain. It was a busy day in the savannah, but only one pair of eyes was tracking the leopard. My friend George had put in his time in Africa fighting poachers and he knew how […]
I learned a lesson about life and training that I would like to pass along. It comes from the book that made the greatest impression on me last year: "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" by Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi.
In a great majority of athletic events and real-life tasks, a ramrod straight posture, or at least its approximation, greatly improves the efficiency. So get your carcass rebalanced.
