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Real strength is all-round strength. --George Hackenschmidt, The Way to Live, 1908 Around 1909, Alan Calverts Milo Barbell Company rolled out a universal weapon against weakness--the large-size Milo Triplex Combination Bell. One system, many options: barbell, dumbbell, and a pair of kettlebells from the same kit. One set. No excuses. No missing links. The ad […] The post The Royal Road to Strength, Part 3: Enter the Dumbbell! appeared first on StrongFirst . ...

Its been done before and better. --Dan John Years ago, I acquired a full set of dumbbells and asked one of my good friends, a former bodybuilding champion, to show me how to use them properly. We did the usual drills you see in commercial gyms: seated presses, lateral raises, flyes, triceps extensions, and of […] The post The Royal Road to Strength, Part 2: Exploring the Lost Art of Dumbbell Lifting appeared first on StrongFirst . ...

The impediment to action advances action.What stands in the way becomes the way. --Marcus Aurelius At the turn of the 21st century, Dr. Randall Strossen, American strength and physical culture advocate and publisher, observed that it is easier to find honest arm measurements than a kettlebell. Not anymore. Twenty-five years later, thanks to Pavel and […] The post The Royal Road to Strength, Part 1: Kettlebell Lifters Travel Roadblocks appeared first on StrongFirst . ...

I usually strength train three times a week--a minimalistic program of two to three kettlebell, barbell, or dumbbell big lifts, with medium/heavy weights. I follow the same program with the same lifts for a couple of months, sometimes a couple of years, meet the goal, and then switch to something else. Here are the examples […] The post Variety Days for Technical Proficiency, In-between Strength, and Resilience appeared first on StrongFirst . ...

Since Pavel introduced the hard style kettlebell snatch to the West a quarter of a century ago, it has evolved. Thirty-six editions of the StrongFirst SFG I Kettlebell Instructor Manual alone are a proof of this. Nietzsche said that, ideas emerge from the ground of our actions and this is exactly what happened. Different people […] The post Behold the Power of Heavy Kettlebell Snatches! appeared first on StrongFirst . ...

I placed my feet along either side of the kettlebell and sent my hips back, gripped the handle, took a breath, and deadlifted the brand new 150-pound mass of iron. Hmmm, I thought, not so bad. My son, Simon, entered his garage and looked at me. You gonna swing it Yep. Probably just once to […] The post Sisyphus and the Kettlebell: Building a Daily Practice of Strength appeared first on StrongFirst . ...

I’m a busy person who wants to get stronger. I know every StrongFirst student can relate. While there is a lifetime of nuance to explore in strength training, I find strength to be one of the simplest and most time-efficient qualities to develop. Many programs exist to help you build physical qualities when youre time-crunched, […] The post Kettlebell Kata--Simple & Sinister as Mindfulness Practice appeared first on StrongFirst . ...