StrongFirst: SFG Level I Kettlebell Technique Testing Standards 

Zar Hortons' a legend!

You blind? Looks very visible to me

@Nathan Jones, the best places to ask training questions are on our online forum at StrongFirst.com/community and on our Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/StrongFirstTrainingPractice. In both places you'll find strong, committed people who will be happy to help you.

Simple and Sinister can be your entire program. The best thing possible is to achieve Simple, then scale back to twice a week and add additional lifts and goals. But if your sport is demanding, don't overtrain - scale back S&S to two days a week now. And if you don't have another sport, keep things simple - do S&S. Please consider joining our forum at StrongFirst.com/community, where topics like this are discussed regularly and in depth.

All of the certification requirements are listed on our web site, just have a look. References to a "snatch size" kettlebell are listed under the snatch. If you have more questions, you may email us at contact@strongfirst.com.

@@skinnystrong thank you for the quick reply _ yes for the snatch and other lifts its very clear its 20kg . my question is for when they do the double clean or squat and he is holding 2 giris. would it be 2 x 20kg giris

@@skinnystrong Thank you, You are awesome.

those extremely annoying “tssssss” is breathing , so if you don't mind passing out with weights above your head feel free to not breathe while performing this exercise

you can do 100 hand to hand swing 16 each side clean & press 30 each side snacth 30 squats

jun cruz thanks. I can do the Turkish get up now with the 16KG. Next month i will start with the 20KG

Leandros Amarantidis thats great news

i would start the get up with a balled fist. next put a shoe on the balled fist. next hold a can of soup etc build up till you get your weight up. a lot of people can't do tgu with just bodyweight due to mobility and shoulder strength. i would say 16kg is too heavy for anyone starting but it all depends on the individual

mikebizzleuk thanks for the tips. I can now do the getup with the 16KG, the halos, goblet squads and russian swings i am doing with the 20KG and will soon move to 24KG. ALSO i am now 100KG i lost 25KG. The program works very well.

No

yes, at least within strongfirst community, with a leader who is from former soviet union :)

From the video, "The back is neutral. The neck is slightly extended or neutral on the bottom of the swing." StrongFirst recommends a visual focal point during swings; some, probably most, people achieve that by having their necks slightly extended at the bottom of the swing; others are able to maintain the same neck angle throughout and maintain their visual focus using only their eyes, but this is a more advanced skill and is not a requirement.

@Threearmed Shiva, a kettlebell can be used for different things, and different schools and organizations and trainers have different opinions on what is best. This video shows standards to which we hold the instructors we at StrongFirst certify - we cannot speak to what others do. If you wish to know more about StrongFirst, we have an excellent web site at StrongFirst.com with many free articles that explain our approach and offer specific programs to be followed. We also have a very active, wonderful online forum at StrongFirst.com/community which you may join, and then start a discussion on the topic of how one grips a kettlebell handle. Thank you for your interest in StrongFirst. Steve Freides, Director of Community Engagement, StrongFirst

Shiva...you are right... In my opinion this guy did barbell all his life...and ONLY for ketlebell for the video

I am also pretty sure that the instructor from Strong First, the organization started by Pavel Tsatsouline (particularly notable for popularizing the kettlebell in the modern era in the West) is doing the grip wrong and never used a kettlebell outside of this video :-D The ability of people to write stupid stuff online never ceases to surprise me :-)

Маша

MrAndyNich you gotta keep your back straight for the whole thing and flex your glutes at the top of the swing. Rest up for a bit, stretch out good, when you wanna try again, start with a 16 kg bell. Make sure your form is good before you go any higher in weight.

@@thomasmonahan1675 thanks.

Not everyone needs to maintain a completely neutral neck. For some, looking at a fixed spot is the best solution; others will keep a neutral neck but move their eyes to maintain focus; still others will allow their focus to move in order to maintain a neutral neck. Please use whatever form proves to be safe and effective for you.

@@skinnystrong thank you

Enter the Kettlebell: Rite of Passage

Is RoP enough to be "built like a brick shit house"?

It took me from 6' @ 185lbs to 6' @ 200lbs. Mostly muscle gain. Granted, I was pretty strict with hitting my workouts and ate a ton. I'd say my build is very similar to his, but I don't know his height. After getting through it with a 53lb (24kg), even after not training them, I could bust out 4 straight bar Muscle Ups. Prior to that, I never could manage the transition phase from pullup to dip. And I did RoP with bent rows almost exclusively. Practically no pull-ups during that time. I'm now working through it with a 70lb (32kg). I just started that and it's kicking my ass. Good luck, sir.

Oh yeah, I started with a 16kg and worked through it. Then had to transition to the 24kg using push press for a few weeks until I could do the short ladders with a strict press. Sometimes I had to do a ladder with 16kg, a ladder with the 24kg, and finish with the 16kg again. It took time, but I feel strong as heck and my shoulders have never been healthier (train BJJ and I'm old, so they take a beating.)

I started week before last with a 30lb to get my form down and I ordered two 50's this should get me started. So far I've just done swings, turk getup, halos, round the waist, ground to shoulder press (until I get the proper form down), front squats, front lunge, goblets and alternating pushup. I'm glad I watched this video, because in two weeks I went from one body weight pullup to 10! like I didn't think that was possible. I feel tremendously stronger in just a few weeks, and I've been working out on cables and machines for 6 months...On top of it all it doesn't bug my wrists like the barbell does, which is an added plus.

Strength and safety. Stick your fingers into your gut, then grunt "Hup!". Notice the unavoidable ab contraction. From the bottom of a squat, perform the same grunt, without standing, and notice the upward movement just from the grunt.

How does that play into safety? Is it like how power lifters hold their breath to help brace their core?

Yes, think of it as an internal weight belt, stabilizing your spine.

ok, great. Thanks very much. I'm still working on not smashing my forearms to bits every time I rack it haha

An SFG Instructor can help you clean that up (pun unintended).

These _skills_ are tested and other things as well, including what you mention.

Goodness sake, of course not.

Tanay Gurjar , Zar ( the person demonstrating ) is the real deal. Juicing not necessary.

thank you for the info....his arms, esp triceps look humongous! lately been seeing a lot of buff kettlebellers....I guess the focus on strength for hard-style method, produces more muscle with decent amount of work capacity as compared to our girevik brothers, who have crazy work capacity

Great video. Zar is a beast and his classes are a grind....

Ben Gutierrez Can you tell me how to reach him on fb/youtube?