What a herniated disc, kettlebells, and a lifelong love of surfing taught me about strength.I am 51 years old, and I’ve been surfing since I was a little boy. Surfing has always been a big part of my life—the connection to the ocean, the challenge, and the feeling you can’t really find anywhere else. But in 2015, everything changed when I suffered a disc herniation at L4-L5.| StrongFirst
In April 2024, I achieved my StrongFirst Bodyweight Certification and became a StrongFirst Certified Elite Instructor. I had been working toward this goal for about three years, and it felt great to have finally climbed that mountain. Of course, after the initial high of completing a goal wears off, there’s also the question: “What’s next?” […] The post Prepare to Train, Don’t Just Warm Up appeared first on StrongFirst.| StrongFirst
Pregnancy and the postpartum period often come with misconceptions regarding strength training, particularly when using traditional tools like kettlebells. Historically, medical advice has recommended avoiding exercises performed lying on the back, dynamic movements such as kettlebell swings, and resistance training in general during these phases. Recent evidence and clinical practice, however, strongly support the thoughtful application of hard style kettlebell training and anti-glycolytic t...| StrongFirst
Please understand I grew up a very skinny kid. My dad used to tease me and call me spaghetti arms. I hated to eat and spent countless nights negotiating how many more bites I had to eat before I could get up from the table. This weaved its way into my psyche and always made […] The post Seven Powerful Lessons from Becoming a Beast Tamer appeared first on StrongFirst.| StrongFirst
I’m about to make a potentially heretical and controversial statement. Ready? Here we go—You don’t need a goal. And what’s more…you don’t need a plan. Let’s all take a moment to catch our collective breath. In speaking with a student some time ago, the student said: “I need a goal.” And my response was, do […] The post The “No-Plan” Plan appeared first on StrongFirst.| StrongFirst
Based just outside Belfast, I’m a busy husband, dad to two boys, and a 20-year shift lab worker (and still counting—until my lottery numbers come up). Shifts can put a lot of demands on an individual’s time and energy and may limit training time, but the benefits of training, despite these challenges, are numerous for health and wellbeing. Striking the right balance, however, is key.| StrongFirst
In addition to being the school of strength, StrongFirst has created a culture built on pushing one’s limits, both physically and mentally. In 2013 Pavel published Kettlebell Simple & Sinister, in which he introduced a now infamous test of one’s strength, mobility, power, and overall resilience. Thus far, 72 men and 125 women have successfully completed this daunting challenge. On July 31st, 2023, after nearly eighteen months of training, I joined these hard style individuals and successf...| StrongFirst
The year is 2006, and one of my personal training students was inquiring about my next training plan.| StrongFirst
In our StrongFirst system, there are many “a-ha” or “what the heck” moments that are identified as carryover effects. These carryovers translate into unexpected strength gains, better movement, and endurance in other lifts you haven’t specifically been training. This is an exciting part of the training process, when your lifts become easier, and you find yourself setting personal bests without even psyching up for them.| StrongFirst
I usually say, “I’ve never gotten to see Game of Thrones,” to highlight how busy my life is. For the past nineteen years, I’ve worked full-time in Emergency Services, doing shift work. Additionally, I’ve owned and operated Access Health and Fitness in Dublin with employees for twelve years. I’m also married with three level-headed, non-stress inducing teenagers (yeah right). Add to that two dogs, twelve hens, and a partridge in a pear tree—this is how I generally start my therap...| StrongFirst
In this piece by Parker Wilson, we meet an online fitness addict with an unforgettable voice.| The Cincinnati Review - Publishing great literature and art since 2003
My journey to StrongFirst started with questions that were always on my mind, “What is strength? What does it mean to be strong?”| StrongFirst
StrongFirst is built upon universal strength principles that are applied to the three modalities we teach: kettlebell, barbell, and bodyweight. Although our focus is on these specific modalities, our principles can be applied to any training tool. StrongFirst principles translate complicated, scientific methods into simple, applicable programs that can be immediately applied to training. Our programming not only represents these principles, but also respects them. This respect is one of the m...| StrongFirst
Simple & Sinister embodies the quote above. Dedication to achieving Simple and continuing to Sinister has led students on multiple-month and multiple-year journeys. A rarity in today’s scrolling-based attention-span world, the dedicated pursuit of the S&S goal is a worthy endeavor.| StrongFirst