
“One mind…any weapon.”
The Strongfirst Bodyweight Certification was my first course taught in person by Pavel, so I approached this weekend brimming with anticipation (I did the RKC by Pavel with Brett Jones as the acting chief instructor). With the course hosted locally by my friend and kettlebell instructor Danny Sawaya, SFG II at Evolution Fitness, this was a rare opportunity to experience world class training education without leaving home!
Foremost, this certification is an instructor course. To become a certified SFB (Strongfirst Bodyweight Instructor) you must demonstrate proper technique in the one arm one leg pushup (males) or the one arm pushup (females). In addition, you are constantly evaluated for your conduct and abilities throughout the weekend. That said, the course has a relatively casual feel; almost a friendly gathering with bodyweight strength as the centerpiece.
The overall student body level was extremely high. Nearly everyone was familiar with foundation SFG principles (most were level I or II instructors) and even those that weren’t certified instructors were at a high level. Several students also with varying degrees of black belts in different martial arts. And it says a lot about the course when you have multiple Team Leaders attending as students, not instructors...
If I was to distill the weekend into one thought it is the coherence of the Strongfirst system. “Tactics are many, principles are few.” The principles are the same; we merely swap out the chosen tool…bodyweight, kettlebell, or barbell. This elegant continuity cannot be overemphasized.
A musical analogy….Becoming a musician (learning principles of musicianship) versus merely learning pieces of music? Great musicians sound great no matter what you ask them to play. Someone can memorize countless pieces of music without being a good musician. This course operates under the same philosophy…its not about teaching exercises; it’s about teaching universal strength principles as expressed through the purity of a select few bodyweight movements.
Learning to fish vs. giving someone a fish...In this course you learn tools to “reverse engineer” movement, not simply recycle exercise variations for entertainment value. The same strength principles that get grandma off the floor are the same principles that help someone achieve a single arm handstand. The same strategies used by the baby to achieve upright posture are the same strategies used by the strongest people in the world to achieve very strong feats. With reverse engineering you can effectively teach at the extremes (become a better fisherman…not better at shopping for fish).
The course is a participatory yet cerebral. As Pavel warned, both your body and your mind will be tired by Sunday afternoon…And right he was! I obviously can’t replicate the hands-on experience in writing, but I can offer glimpses into the wisdom shared by Pavel and the instructors…(see also, Notes from Pavel Tsatsouline Interview and Notes from Dan John Seminar)
Not tools…PRINCIPLES. Essence of the Strongfirst approach.
“Knowledge of principles excuses not knowing many facts.” Deeper knowledge of fewer principles; not superficial knowledge of many exerciese.
Face and neck remain impassive during exercise (quiet professionalism…)
Endurance is important…it is StrongFIRST…not StrongONLY
Tension
If you train longer durations, the brain begins to subconsciously pace your efforts. Longer durations aren’t wrong…just not the optimal way to train strength (impossible to maintain max effort for 30 seconds)
Power breathing = every “hiss” is like tightening a screw. "Hiss don't kiss"
“Skill of strength reverse engineered from the most powerful practices all backed by neuroscience”
“Video is one of the few things of technology that I respect” – Pavel (Using video troubleshoot technique was emphasized repeatedly in the course)
3 areas in the body are neural generators (Neural overflow = irradiation)
“Fatigue is not a good instructor” – Practice quality technique (again, the skill of strength)
For conditioning, use speed endurance
“Pantomime technique” = practicing movements without load.
Bracing must occur before contraction
If you can do 10 quality pushups, there is no need to use pushups as strength exercise. Improve push up reps through strength (though for super high reps of pushups and pullups, specific high rep training may be needed)
Air compressor analogy
Ways to get down to the ground
Heel of palm into the ground (push up plank)…Imprint the ground… Using the ground for strength
Corkscrew joints into place (Very similar to DNS joint centration concepts)
Hands are rich with mechanoreceptors. You lose strength in hands if hands lose contact with the ground. (See also Hand Position for Ground Based Exercise)
Safety and performance work together
Tension cue for hallow position – point belly button up to face (but without going into pike position)
Good medicine can also be poison...
Irradation = squeeze energy from different muscles and direct to prime movers
If you own the starting and end points of a movement, everything else fills in the middle (similar concept to FMS correctives….ie. leg lowering)
One arm one leg pushup key – point heel of raised leg (dorsiflex ankle)…neurological carry over from Single leg deadlift
Another tactic…stopping mid point in different ranges of motion (this audits for ownership of the movement)
Cues to get into good hallow position are similar cues to centrate rib cage via DNS
Handstand pushup – same principles as double KB pressing
Bodyweight training encourages you to get healthier; challenging yet achievable goals for corrective exercise; more motivating to achieve one arm pushup, one arm one leg pushup, pistol, tactical pullups w/ weight, handstand, hanging leg raise…correctives can help you achieve these, but correctives are not the goal
Bodyweight pistol not efficient training (good goal to work up to, but BW pistol requires too much volume for any benefit)
Hallow position can help counteract Olympic lifting (hyperextension)
Wedge – starting position perfectly poised to be strong
Stretching – use exact opposite of power breathing (relaxed...)
Not the sound of breathing that matters, it’s the compression effect (air compressor)
If pelvic floor is not flexible, your hip flexors won’t be
Doesn’t believe in band for assisted pull up – band helps you in range where you don’t need it but doesn’t help you where you do
Everything in SFG system has been around forever, but some of it appears “new” because principles were not accepted by mainstream coaching in the west
Internal vs external focus – Pavel not convinced by the modern research on external focus…has not been applied to high level athletes in extreme feats of strength (example…Dr. Judd Biasiotto drew cartoons of the different muscles he wanted to emphasize during heavy lifts)
Handstand key – rooting fingers and hands into ground
Why no dips? Hard to do consistently safely
Get strong first and all exercise variations become easier
Mental approach...
Attention to detail...
Testing and training are not the same thing!
Grease the groove works like a miracle for bodyweight training (stay fresh, have fun!)
Good training = Money in the bank to spend it on fight night!
Most people live between the on/off switch (learn to toggle between tension and relaxation)
Whatever speed/cadence you have chosen for the set, it must remain consistent throughout (Doesn’t matter if steady or dynamic)
Specialized variety can be useful but only if there is carry over (yes: different grip pull ups/chin ups; No: pull ups vs rows)
BW, KB, barbell…choice often depends on logistics, not which mode is inherently superior
The more complex your program, the harder it is to see what is working
And once again….
“Tactics are many, principles are few”
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