StrongFirst Podcast

Summary: Brett Jones, Director of Education for StrongFirst, joins the show a second time to talk about his use of Indian clubs, nail bending, and powerlifting. Brett talks to your host Craig Marker about his current training to achieve the Sinister goal. Show Notes: 01:35 - Brett talks about his background in athletic training and his mentors in that space. 06:50 - How the Brettzel, the Brettzel 2.0, and the Brettzel 3.0 exercises came to be and what they are. 08:10 - Brett’s work in FMS and Indian clubs. 11:00 - The differences between training with heavier and lighter clubs. 13:21 - Brett’s history with grip work, nail bending training, and strength work. 18:00 - About pinch grips and deadlifts. 19:15 - Why specialty training and grip training is important, but kettlebells can take you a good bit of the way. 20:25 - Loaded carries. 24:32 - The importance of foot position in squats. 27:25 - Brett’s current training goals. 28:56 - How Brett is approaching the sinister standard and the biggest change he’s made in training. 30:50 - Brett’s thoughts on structure and switching things up. 32:00 - The problem with the “get up and grind” mentality. 34:09 - What’s on Brett’s current reading list. 35:20 - How Brett thinks of the wedge when he’s teaching it to people. 37:55 - How a strength professional builds more tension to increase the wedge. 3 Key Points: Kettlebell can take you a long way, but specialty training is still important. Foot position is important, and hip position anomalies are extremely common. Always err on the side of more rest rather than less.

Summary: Jon Engum, StrongFirst Master Instructor, joins your host, Craig Marker, to talk about martial arts, flexible steel drills, his new book Trembling Shock, and the Dome of Strength in Chicago. Jon and Craig will also discuss training people in different cultures.   Show Notes: 01:45 - Discussion of cold exposure in Minnesota. 02:52 - Discussion of Jon’s background in martial arts and flexibility and his martial arts credentials. 06:05 - How Jon has integrated kettlebells into martial artists. 10:36 - How kettlebell changes explosiveness. 13:15 - The premise of Jon’s book Trembling Shock which includes the whole first year of training. 16:14 - A breakdown of the Flexible Steel program - you want to be flexible and strong at the same time. 18:54 - Why someone might want to do Flexible Steel if they’re not a martial artist. 26:10 - Why Jon believes that happiness is lifting things overhead. 29:30 -The Dome of Strength event. 34:46 - The cross-cultural teaching differences Jon has encountered. 42:00 - Why students should go to different events than their teachers. 3 Key Points: With kettlebell, you get all the benefits of plyometric training without any impact on your joints. The combination of stiffness and relaxation carries over to any sport you could do. Find your weakness and vow to make that your strength.

Dr. Stu McGill discusses breathing mechanics, power breathing, odd object lifting, core strength for Jiu Jitsu, neural density, and posture. He also shares insights on stroke risk, kettlebell swings, squatting, and the impact of sedentary lifestyles on health and fitness.

Summary: Professor Carmen Bott is a strength and conditioning coach from Vancouver British Columbia who specializes in physical preparation for combative and collision sports athletes.   Show Notes: 00:56 - Coach Bott talks about her history and how she got into the sports science space. 02:41 - Coach Bott’s thesis on basketball. 05:14 - Her first experience with Pavel in 2004. 09:00 - How Coach Bott ended up marrying her trainer and mastering the kettlebell. 12:00 - How strength training can be taboo for wrestlers. 13:40 - How much conditioning for athletes during the season. 17:41 - What kind of off-season high-level athletes get. 21:33 - The difference between training athletes in different sports. 26:28 - Which muscles are most important to train for wrestling. 31:05 - How much Dr. Bott uses Olympic lifting and how much she uses kettlebells. 38:35 - Why you need to understand kinematics. 40:25 - The books Dr. Bott recommends.

Summary StrongFirst Master Instructor Peter Lakatos from Budapest, Hungary talks with your host Craig Marker about training that relates to hormesis. He discusses training related to Buteyko breathing, blood flow restriction, HRV training, fasting, and red light therapy. Show Notes 01:35 — Peter talks about handball and his background in powerlifting. 03:08 — What handball entails and what the teams and court look like. 04:18 — What training of high-level handball athletes requires. 05:25 — Explanations of training people using different HRV profiles to address weaknesses 12:00 — What you should do for training if you’re not comfortable with something. 16:04 — The lab equipment Peter uses to measure sleep quality, heart rate and the most important things to measure. 18:40 — Why breathing is so important. 22:05 — Tips for learning how to breathe better. 25:53 — What Kaatsu or occlusion training is and its origins. 36:50 — The mTor activation cycle and fasting. 39:40 — Peter explains Ground Force Method. 42:27 — What is red light therapy and what’s the academic research behind it. Key Points: Trainers should use testing to figure out what’s needed. Doing breathing the wrong way will disorient the breathing center in your brain. Science has proved that fasting is good for you. Tweetable Quotes “Checking readiness is everything, through testing we can figure out the missing component.” — Peter Lakatos “Breathing is conscious, but also subconscious, you need to have a way to monitor it.” — Peter Lakatos “More breathing does not mean more oxygen.” — Peter Lakatos Resources Mentioned Atlanta SFG I Certification Advanced Buteyko Breathing Exercises (Buteyko Method Book 2) The Oxygen Advantage: The Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques for a Healthier, Slimmer, Faster, and Fitter You Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training Therapy Occlusion Restriction Cuffs with mmHg Monitor and Pump Emfit QS Ground Force Method

Summary: Dr. Jimmy Yuan is a chiropractor balancing the world between medical rehabilitation and sports training. Dr. Yuan trains professional golfers, MLB, NFL, NBA, and college athletes. In addition to being a StrongFirst Team Leader, he is a Titleist certified golf instructor and FMS instructor. In this episode, Dr. Yuan talks about rehabilitation and training professional athletes. Show Notes: 01:08 — Dr. Yuan gives a background of his athletic history and how he’s re-invigorated his athletic endeavors. 01:56 — Dr. Yuan’s degree is neuroscience-based psychobiology and went on to get his doctorate. 03:22 — Dr. Yuan talks about his team approach to success. 08:10 — Differences between training a golfer vs. another athlete. 13:00 — How all of his tools fit together. 22:10 — How to use and implement clubs. 26:23 — What is ELDOA and why is it beneficial? 31:50 — The difference between traditional acupuncture and dry needling. 34:24 — The neck being an important area when he does his chiropractic work. 37:30 — Having fun while working. 3 Key Points: Many things you’ll learn are environmentally dependent, you have to assess the whole situation. Training, like life, has to happen at speed. Keep in mind the problem someone has, but find out what they need.

Summary: Dr. Stu McGill discusses optimal back health and its importance when strength training. Show Notes: 00:55 — Craig introduces Dr. Stu McGill. 4:46 — Dr. McGill discusses animal models and how the cervical spine of a pig is similar to the human spine. 09:17 — Discussion of Pavel’s core strength measured in the lab. 13:30 — Dr. Mcgill and Pavel’s collaborations. 14:40 — Optimized lifts and the deadlift. 16:37 — The best time of day to do a deadlift. 23:40 — How you can build more strength in our bones after a fracture. 26:55 — Dr. McGill´s thoughts on yoga. 27:59 — Controlled stiffness´s impact on athleticism. 28:30 — Mobility for mobility sake is a kiss of death. 28:50 — Why we need to know our goals and design our training program. 30:24 — Genetics´ impact on what we are able to do. 37:58 — The power of the kettlebell swing in strength training. 44:22 — Weightlifting belts. 48:22 — Why creating proximal stiffness enhances distal speed. 51:44 — Power breaths make a difference in weight training.

Summary: Mira Kwon, the co-owner of Industrial Strength, an Accredited StrongFirst Gym in Portland, Oregon She is an accomplished weightlifter talks and in this episode, she talks about the benefits of Olympic weight training and how it differs from kettlebell movements. Show Notes: 01:16 — Mira talks about how she got where she is today and her athletic background. 06:34 — Mira talks about her training. 10:08 — Mira talks why someone would do Olympic weightlifting? 14:28 — Mira describes the clean and the power clean. 16:18 — Mira discusses the focus needed for Olympic weightlifting. 23:00 — Mira discusses the optimal training load 28:50 — Mira discusses the community and training philosophies of her gym. 35:20 — Closing thoughts on using the kettlebell swing to assist in Olympic weightlifting. Key Points: You need to build your skill around 70-80% where you have more control. The gym you create comes down to tone and mindset.

Rachel Cosgrove, co-owner of Results Fitness and writer of The Female Body Breakthrough, and Drop Two Sizes. In this episode, Rachel discusses what it takes to be a trainer, what sets Results Fitness apart, and how to create a sustainable business. She discusses her work with StrongFirst Accredited Gyms. 00:57 - Rachel talks about her background and what led to her success. 03:28 - Rachel discusses what is necessary and required for someone to be a trainer? 06:44 - Rachel talks about training ladies and how it has changed over the years. 10:50 - Rachel’s philosophy on nutrition, recovery, and accountability. 13:31 - What makes a successful gym owner and what is taught at Results Fitness University. 17:03 - Rachel elaborates on what makes culture and environment so important. 28:45 - Rachel talks about getting through the “grind stage.” 33:20 - Rachel discusses goals for gym owners. Resources Mentioned: Results Fitness University The Female Body Breakthrough: The Revolutionary Strength-Training Plan for Losing Fat and Getting the Body You Want Drop Two Sizes: A Proven Plan to Ditch the Scale, Get the Body You Want & Wear the Clothes You Love! StrongFirst Accredited Gyms

StrongFirst Podcast Episode #14 Summary Al Ciampa, U.S. Army Veteran and Trainer for U.S. Airforce, talks about anti-glycolytic training and conditioning for the military with your host Craig Marker. Show Notes 01:36 – Al talks about his history and background. 07:10 – Al discusses why bodybuilding is not possible for some people. 09:00 – Al talks about his time in the military. 12:10 – What is Al doing right now? 13:20 – Protocols to get into the special forces. 18:43 – Al talks about Maffetone monitor and heart rate. 27:05 – Al discusses glycolysis. 34:38 – Al talks about psychology and training. 39:19 – Al describes the Zercher Squat and the benefits. 44:07 – Closing advice. Resources Mentioned Simple and Sinister Naked Warrior Beyond BodyBuilding