When I teach the bench press during the StrongFirst Lifter Certification, the path of the bar section is one of my favorites. In the deadlift and the squats (Zercher, front, and back), the bar path is generally a straight, vertical line. However, in the bench press, many people curve the bar path from the start …
“The Snatch Test”—these words elicit “pure joy” for anyone who is preparing for their SFG or SFG II certifications. They tend to raise one’s blood pressure, increase their heart rate, and make their respiratory rate start to flutter. Brett Jones has a wonderful and very effective way to train for the snatch test. And just …
The very definition of a lift is moving load upwards against gravity; but what goes up must come down. If you’re only paying attention to one half of every squat, deadlift, and press, you’re missing out on a heap of strength and stability, and likely setting yourself up for injury down the road. It’s time …
Controlling Gravity for Better Squats, Deadlifts, and Presses Read More »
On the flight home from teaching a StrongFirst Lifter certification (SFL), I was thinking about the programming section and some of our discussions. One of the questions that always gets asked is: “What about assistance exercises?” My answer is simple—until you have spent at least a year working on the movements that we taught at …
What Chocolate Chip Cookies and Guinness Beer Can Teach You About Barbell Basics Read More »
How do you boost your bench press? By mastering the pause between your concentric and eccentric movements. Master SFG Dr. Michael Hartle explains why and provides two practice techniques to help teach you how. Lower. Pause. Press Up. Repeat. Four words that could describe a lot of different things going on in that order. However, …
How Mastering the Pause can Boost your Bench Press Read More »
When Pavel and I wrote the SFL Manual back in 2012-2013, we decided to build it on top of what is taught at the SFG Level I Certification. Namely, the swing, get-up, goblet squat, and the arm bar. This article attempts to say more than just how to do them, but why you did them. …
The ubiquity of knee sleeves at the weight room squat rack make them a tempting purchase for a novice lifter. Should you wear them? First meet this squat strength benchmark, and then the answer is “maybe”.
Whether you do the bodybuilding, weightlifting, or powerlifting rack while front squatting, using your lats to the maximum is key. Once you understand the anatomy and kinesiology of this powerful muscle, you will know why.
Over the years, I have gathered various training shoes and each has its specific purpose, both for powerlifting and general training. In this article, I discuss each of my training shoes in detail and explain what I use them for.
Every time I teach the deadlift, a particular question comes up: whether to perform “stop reps” or “touch and go” reps during sets. Let’s discuss the differences between them and what we can learn from each.