The Hanging Leg Raise is more than an ab exercise. Done to the StrongFirst standard, it is a powerful exercise for building abdominal and lat strength and one of the best assistance exercises for your pullup. But more importantly, it is a lesson in the skill of strength. The standard is simple. Meeting it is not. From a dead hang on a high bar: — Arms remain straight at all times. — Eyes stay forward; the head does not tilt back. — Raise the legs under control, without momentum. — Keep the legs straight or nearly straight. — Bring the shins or feet all the way to the bar. No swinging. No kicking. StrongFirst strength training is not only about kettlebells or barbells. It is about mastering the universal principles that make you stronger and learning how to apply them to any strength skill, including bodyweight exercises. That is exactly what we teach at the SFB StrongFirst Bodyweight Instructor Certification. You will not simply leave with a catalog of bodyweight exercises. You will learn how to look at a strength feat, reverse-engineer it, understand what it demands, and know how to train for it. Learn the principles, master the skills and build strength anywhere. Join the SFB StrongFirst Bodyweight Instructor Certification. For more information, click the link: strongfirst.com/certificatio… #strongfirst #bestrongfirst Photo: StrongFirst Czechia

Want more power, a stronger trunk, and a grip that won’t quit? Swing heavy with one arm. A heavy one-arm kettlebell swing is much more than a heavier version of the two-arm swing. 1. Build serious hip power. A heavy bell demands an explosive hip drive. Your glutes, hamstrings, and entire posterior chain have to produce force - fast. 2. Challenge your anti-rotation strength. With the load on one side, your body has to resist being pulled, twisted, and shifted out of position. Your trunk works hard to keep you square and stable. 3. Build a stronger grip and connection. A heavy one-arm swing challenges your grip while teaching you to connect the working arm to the rest of the body through a packed shoulder and strong torso. But remember: heavy only works when your technique can handle it. Own the swing. Respect the weight. Then earn the right to go heavier. >>> Want to improve your one-arm swing? In today’s StrongFirst newsletter, you’ll find a simple training tip to help you improve your technique. Make sure you check it out. And if you’re not subscribed to the StrongFirst newsletter yet, sign up now so you don’t miss more practical training tips, valuable information, and proven methods to help you get stronger. strongfirst.com #strongfirst #bestrongfirst Photo: StrongFirst Italy

25 years ago, the first kettlebell cert developed by Pavel Tsatsouline did a lot more than put the kettlebell on the world map. It shook up the complacent trainer education industry. Instead of spewing sciency trivia useless in the trenches and coddling the students with multiple choice questions, this disruptive school taught lifting skills with military precision—and rigorously tested them. Unheard of until then, the candidates had to test their spirit in grueling workouts, pass strength tests, and demonstrate their teaching ability. While at it, they bonded through a shared challenge and often became friends for life. Since then, while others were attempting to catch up and imitate what Pavel and his team had done, we kept advancing. Polishing the chrome of our lifting and teaching skills. Perfecting our programming with the best of Eastern European and Western sports science. Doubling down on our commitment to George Hackenschmidt’s maxim: “Strength cannot be divorced from health.” Are you ready to take on our legendary kettlebell instructor certification? Start your journey here: strongfirst.com/certificatio… Power to you! #strongfirst #bestrongfirst #hardstylekettlebell #pavel

Be StrongFirst. strongfirst.com #strongfirst #bestrongfirst #hardstylekettlebell #kettlebell

The swing, the get-up, and the goblet squat are the three most beneficial exercises anyone could do—period. Some might need to add other moves, but they must be planted on the foundation of these three whales. The swing fills the hips with power and the back with vigor. The get-up makes the shoulders resilient and the abs bulletproof. The goblet squat unlocks the hips and puts a spring into one’s step. Muscles appear in all the right places while the fat beats a retreat. When done correctly, these exercises are exceptionally safe. They are beyond safe—they are “antifragile,” to borrow a word from Nassim Taleb. The Program Minimum plus goblet squats is true health training. I can run out of fingers on both hands listing the various health benefits of swings alone. “Customization” is just a euphemism for “differentiation” in the business world. The only “customization” you need is the size of the bell. You are the nail; I rend you the hammer. – Pavel The “hammer”— Kettlebell Simple & Sinister® - the World’s #1 kettlebell program for beginners and beyond >>> StrongFirst.SkillTrain.com/P… 🟠 Special Offer: 25% off until Thursday, September 17 #strongfirst #bestrongfirst #kettlebell

Why practice the Hand-to-Hand Swing? The H2H swing looks simple: release the kettlebell with one hand and catch it with the other. But the switch tells the truth about your swing. If the bell travels too low, too late, or off to one side, your receiving hand has to chase it. When the hips launch the kettlebell cleanly, it arrives at the same place every time and the exchange becomes almost effortless. A good switch doesn’t start with fast hands. It starts with a powerful hip drive and a predictable float. At the top, let the hands meet and make a smooth exchange. Don’t toss the bell sideways, lift it with your arm, or reach after it. The kettlebell should stay on the same path as if no switch had happened. Start with a moderate weight and practice just a few clean switches at a time. Don’t focus on catching faster. Make the bell easier to catch by improving its trajectory. Want to master the Swing and Get-Up? Take the Simple & Sinister® Online Course. 💥 Last call: 25% OFF through September 17 only. For more information, click here: StrongFirst.SkillTrain.com/P… Take the power! #strongfirst #bestrongfirst #simpleandsinister Photo: StrongFirst France

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Are you ready to become a StrongFirst Instructor? SFG is StrongFirst’s flagship kettlebell certification - built on 20 years of experience, continuous refinement, and uncompromising standards. Master the six foundational kettlebell skills. Learn powerful programming. Develop the ability to teach students at every level. And join a worldwide community of StrongFirst instructors. This is not just another certification. It’s where you earn the right to call yourself a StrongFirst Instructor. Find an SFG Certification near you and start preparing today. More information: strongfirst.com/.../sfg-i-ke… Power to you! Video: StrongFirst France

Almost everyone has lifted dumbbells. Very few have learned the art of dumbbell lifting. - explains StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor Pavel Macek. Stop treating dumbbells like bodybuilding accessories. Don’t kettlebell a dumbbell. Learn the time-tested methods that have made dumbbells one of the greatest strength tools ever devised.

🟠 Reminder >>> online course: Enter the Dumbbell!
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 Learn timeless strength principles and apply them to dumbbells - simple and effective.

Don’t miss this — online course: Enter the Dumbbell! Learn timeless strength principles and apply them to dumbbells— simple and effective. Limited-time offer: 25% OFF through August 8. Click here: strongfirst.skilltrain.com/P…
 One mind, any weapon. Learn the principles, lift the bells, and get stronger—period.

“Strength is a decidedly individual pursuit. You may have a coach and training partners, but when it comes down to it, it is between you and the iron. Do not be afraid to be alone with the iron.” — Pavel

According to Soviet neurophysiologist and biomechanist Nikolay Bernstein, “Exercise is repetition without repetition.” We view strength, endurance, and other qualities as skills and approach our training as a “practice,” not a “workout.” Powerlifting coach extraordinaire Louie Simmons observed: “Pavel has reverse-engineered what the strongest do naturally.” Learn more about strength. Join StrongFirst - the School of Strength. strongfirst.com #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

Don't miss your opportunity to save 25% on: KNOCK 'EM DEAD The Ultimate Deadlift Guide for World-Class Strength & Skill The deadlift is one of the most effective total-body strength exercises - but only when performed with proper technique. In this online course, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor Fabio Zonin teaches you how to build a stronger, safer, and more powerful deadlift through proven StrongFirst principles. ✔️ Master expert deadlift technique ✔️ Learn conventional and sumo deadlifts ✔️ Optimize your stance and grip ✔️ Discover StrongFirst's gold-standard coaching cues ✔️ Get two proven training plans Whether you're new to the barbell or an experienced lifter looking to refine your skills, now is the time to invest in your strength. 🔥 The 25% OFF promotion ends June 25. ➡️ Don't miss out. Learn more here: StrongFirst.SkillTrain.com/P… Power to you!

Looking for a stronger kettlebell press? Try using the "trigger." Your hands communicate with each other. A gripping action in one hand creates a gripping response in the other. "In Dynami Gray Cook made a point that reengaging the grip (as opposed to gripping all the time) gives one’s press a “turbo boost.” Indeed, this is what Russian powerlifters who practice a particular explosive bench press style do. So did Russian weightlifters before 1972, when the overhead press was a part of the competition." >>> StrongFirst Certified Kettlebell Instructor Manual, 36th Edition At StrongFirst, we take advantage of this phenomenon to improve pressing power and stability. After the clean, explosively make a fist with your free hand just as you initiate the press. Think of this action as the trigger that sets the entire movement in motion. It is a small detail, but often the smallest details create the biggest improvements in strength and performance. If this feels unfamiliar, start by holding an empty water bottle in your free hand and practice making a strong fist as you press. Master the details. Build strength with precision. ➡️ Join a StrongFirst Kettlebell Workshop or Certification and learn the techniques that make strength training safer, stronger, and more effective. Learn more here: strongfirst.com/certificatio… Power to you! #strongfirst #bestrongfirst Fot. StrongFirst Italy

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KNOCK 'EM DEAD The Ultimate Deadlift Guide for World-Class Strength & Skill The deadlift is the ultimate test of strength. Anyone can pick a weight up from the floor. Few can lift truly impressive weights. Even fewer can do it consistently, efficiently, and without injury. At StrongFirst, we treat the deadlift as the "health lift." Our goal is not merely to help you avoid getting hurt—but to make you stronger, healthier, and more resilient. 
In KNOCK 'EM DEAD, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor Fabio Zonin breaks down the deadlift into its essential components and teaches you how to build a technically sound, powerful, and safe pull. In this course, you will learn: ✔️ The key elements of expert deadlift technique
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“…And Strength for All.” Introducing the USA 250 Limited Edition T-Shirt - a StrongFirst tribute to 250 years of American strength, resilience, and independence. Built for training, coaching, and everyday wear: • Lightweight, breathable, and durable • Soft cotton blend with an athletic fit • 60/40 cotton/poly • Unisex design Whether you're on the platform, in the gym, or representing the School of Strength beyond it, this limited edition shirt reflects the values we stand for: strength, freedom, and self-reliance. Limited quantities available. Order yours before they're gone.  Click the link to order: apparel.strongfirst.com/stro…

It requires effort. You must learn it, and then you must practice it. We are here to help you with the learning part, but the practice and effort is up to you. StrongFirst.com #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

“What does not kill me makes me stronger.” — Not necessarily. Russian coach, Andrey Kozhurkin, made a 50,000-foot 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. Let us use strength training as an example. The majority of bodybuilders and recreational athletes use the first approach. They train to failure. In contrast, strength athletes such as Olympic weightlifters and powerlifters follow the second approach. 1,000-pound squatter, Dr. Fred Hatfield, famously proclaimed that one ought to “train to success,” as opposed to failure. The differences between the American and Russian powerlifting methodologies notwithstanding, both countries’ strength elites share the same conviction that failure is not an option. In endurance training, the first philosophy represents the consensus. Coaches expose athletes to acid baths to improve buffering. This is what Arthur Jones from Nautilus called “metabolic conditioning” back in 1975. We shall go the other way: anti-glycolytic training (AGT). — Article: The Quick and the Dead vs Strong Endurance™—What is the Difference? by Pavel Tsatsouline Our goal is to optimize high intensity dynamic exercise loading parameters for stimulating MT biogenesis in FT fibers—and do it at a lowest biological cost (minimal deamination, minimal H* driven ROS production). — Strong Endurance™ manual 2nd edition ➤ Learn more. Join the Strong Endurance™ express online course before the promotion ends >> 25% OFF until Thursday, May 21. Click here: strongfirst.skilltrain.com/P… #strongfirst #strongendurance #bestrongfirst

The StrongFirst plank develops the essential for strength skill of “tightness.” Here is a stronger way to plank. Compared to the traditional plank, in the SF plank the internal obliques fire twice as strong, the abs three times as strong, and the external obliques four times as strong. (Contreras) Assume the plank position with your forearms a shoulders width apart and parallel to each other. Form fists and semi-supinate the wrists (the hammer position). Your spine and legs should form a straight line; nothing may protrude or sag. Tense your whole body, except for the face, neck, and traps, look straight down between your fists and breathe shallow with your diaphragm. Lengthen your neck and tuck your chin in slightly. Note the differences when planking to improve one’s iron game as opposed to bodyweight strength. For the former, maintain a neutral lumbar spine, a neutral pelvis, and do not protract your shoulder blades. This “cylindrical” posture is demanded by deadlifts, swings, and many other barbell and kettlebell exercises. When planking for bodyweight strength, the goal is to assume the hollow position: a slight posterior pelvic tilt, a straight lumbar spine (no curve), and protracted scapulae. — StrongFirst Certified Kettlebell Instructor Manual, 36th Edition If you want to learn how to build strength and endurance with kettlebells - whether for yourself to improve your athletic performance, or as a coach to help your students achieve their goals faster - join the StrongFirst instructor team. Check the dates and locations of upcoming SFG I Instructor Certifications Click here ➡️ strongfirst.com/certificatio… Fot. @strongfirst_france #strongfirst #bestrongfirst #hardstylekettlebell #plank