Kozushi
Level 7 Valued Member
I think I have learned a few important lessons over the past 10 months of Strongfirst programmes, which maybe some people who have just started might find interesting or helpful:
- Stronger training with lower weight is better than weaker training with a heavier one.
- Anti-twist exercise is what makes these programmes so powerful - anti-twist muscles are your secret potential that they unleash. This means hold the kettlebell with one hand only and do your pushups one hand (and one leg) only and your squats one leg only.
- You don't need other serious programmes or exercises at the same time - you can just do your Strongfirst chosen programme more strongly.
- The S&S programme covers strength in all directions except down: the swing is to the back, the getup to the front, the sides and up. It is all direction strength.
- In S&S do the swings as hard as you can and the getups also as hard as you can. This means the swings will be as snappy and fast as possible and the getup as slow and strong as possible. It is yin and yang theory applied to exercise. It is real and it really works.
- Pullups don't interfere with S&S because they cover strength pulling down, which isn't a direction covered in S&S.
- S&S is better in my mind than Naked Warrior because it covers strength in all directions, but the One Armed Pushup is a stronger one direction press (at 70% of your bodyweight on your one arm) than the Turkish getup or the kettlebell press, and the pistol is a stronger leg press than the getup is.
- It is a very good idea to add pullups to Naked Warrior if you can (as the book says) - it makes the programme almost as complete as S&S I think.
- Better to train with a lighter weight than to not train at all.
- Strongfirst gave me back my youth, my health and my looks, but added superhuman strength to all these.
- There are other ways to get strong and fit. These ones suit those of us who have personalities that like to focus on becoming experts at less movements.
- Yes, these programmes bequeath fighting strength. I proved this at judo.
- Anyhow, to recap, I think the anti-twist nature of the exercises is their real secret, and they unleash what we might style "secret strength" in your body, all through your body. This is done, basically speaking, by engaging the most opposite parts of your body at the same time.