STRONG FIRST - A school where the belief "Strength has a higher purpose!" #1
Author: Although you wouldn't think of some of them as really strong guys at first glance, they really are! Strength means a lifetime to them. The community is made up of everyone from the youngest to the oldest. They are learning how to build as much strength as possible in a smart and healthy way. They use only modest equipment, but very powerful equipment - kettlebells, big dumbbells, and their own bodies!
Paul Tsatsouline, the founder, started the kettlebell revolution in 1998. His idea has spread in such a way that today this philosophy is practiced on five continents. Instructors include members of elite armies and police forces. But also ordinary people who have simply decided they no longer want to be weak.
Dear readers, I present to you Strong First - The School of Strength!
And since each of their three pieces of equipment comes with its own philosophy of training and execution of exercises, instead of one endless article, we will make three!
Today's article will focus on a weapon that Strong First could not exist without! #1
The Iron Ball from Tsarist Russia
If we wanted to look for where the kettlebellcame from, we would have to go to Tsarist Russia around the 18th century. At that time, the thing, similar to a kettlebell today, was used as a weight. From the 19th century there are references to these weights being lifted for entertainment by circus strongmen. The birth of the thing that resembles today's kettlebell dates back to 1885, when it was used for recreational exercise and competitiveathletics. Awareness of the kettlebell was spread by the aforementioned founder of Strong First. Pavel Tsatsouline with the publication of the 2001 book "The Russian Kettlebell Challenge".
Kettlebell Exercises
If you work out once with a kettlebell you will definitely want to do it again. That iron ball has its own irresistible charm. Nowadays it is mainly used during functional training sessions. But it also finds its use in home gyms. Because of its consistency, variability of exercises and wide weight spectrum, which most often ranges from 4kg - 48kg. As your iron buddy won't take up much space, it is a popular companion on holiday.
The undeniable advantage of exercising with a bello is that most of the exercises more or less involve our body as a whole! The philosophy of including the iron ball in the workout shows us that we should not exercise the muscle parts separately, as it happens in fitness gyms. But we should include exercises in which our body works, as a perfect whole, in which the muscles help each other and one without the other could not be!
Exercises
Since the kettlebell is a really versatile tool, we can come across dozens, even hundreds of exercises on different articles or on YouTube! We'll talk about the most basic ones and also the ones we can encounter most often.
1. KT Deadlift
Many of us are more familiar with this exercise only with the classic Olympic barbell, but it can also be done with a kettlebell!
2. KT Swing
Kettlebell swing is considered one of the basic exercises, i.e. its early version, which we can meet most often "Russian swing". Its crossfit variant is then the "American swing".
3. KT Press
Kettlebell press is really great! And that's why it shouldn't be missing in your exercise repertoire!
4. KT C&P
You can very often encounter kettlebell clean and press during crossfit workouts or competitions. However, it is an integral part of the training plans of all Bellators.
5. KT Snatch
Like the KT C&P, the KT Snatch is used extensively in CrossFit gyms, duringfunctional training and by kettlebell enthusiasts. In the video below, you can watch a Strong First strongman tackle a 56kg bell!
6. KT Squat
Squatting with a kettlebell is a very powerful thing and if you try it, you'll find it's a whole different ball game than with a classic kettlebell!
7. Shyb
We all know it, but can you do it with a 48kg bello? The guy in the video below can! Plus you can see the single leg squat and press - with the same bell!
8. Turkish Get Up (TGU)
A very great supplementary exercise that you should definitely include! For the record - the bell that the lady in the video is holding is 40kg
Strong forearms!
You'd think I'd just grab the bell, move it, and then do a press. While this may seem trivially simple at first glance, it's not. We can already make a mistake when we hold the kettlebell. While using it, our wrist should notflip, but should still be in extension of the arm! This is why most people who exercise with the bell have strong forearms - they have to keep it in the correct position at all times ! See the picture below.
Instructor exams
If you guessed that Strong First instructors can't be just anyone, you guessed right! If you've been practicing with the bello for a while and believe you could become a Strong First instructor, you need to apply for certification and pass all the exams that await you.
SFG I
Instructor exams are divided into 2 levels, the first one being SFG I. What is waiting for you?
Firstly, you have to show that you know how to use a kettlebell - not only strength-wise, but also skill-wise and technically. The weight with which you will perform the whole certification determines which weight group you belong to. Next, you'll be given a snatch test, in which you have to do a certain number of snatches in a given amount of time. You can only get 3 "no rep" during the entire certification, which means a faulty performance - if you get 4 "no rep", the certification is over for you!
SFG II
As with the first certification, there is a skill test, but the bellu weights change! Plus you must master everything from the previous certification! The "no rep" rules are also unchanged.
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